USVI-On-Line

When my husband and I were on St John in May, we had the privilege of meeting Guy Benjamin. I had read about him in a CT&L article and then the owner of the house where we were staying suggested that if we had the time, stop by Guy's house (on the road to East End, not too far from Skinny Legs) because he loves company. We did stop by, he invited us in and we spent about 30-45 minutes with him, and I must say this was one of the highlights of our trip. He was so gracious, sharing stories of his life with us and allowing me to take his picture. He had written a book, "Me and My Beloved Virgin" and although he was out at the time, he took our name and promised to send us one....and would not accept payment at that time, but said we could send him a check once we received it. Truthfully, I didn't think we'd receive one, and had forgotten about it until today.......IT CAME! Our special package from St John, and it is even signed by Guy Benjamin, himself. Guy will be 96 years old on Oct. 18th. (and BTW, he still sings in the choir at the Moravian Church!). I plan on sending him a birthday card ....along with a check for the book, although no bill was enclosed, so I'll have to find out how much to send.
Where else but on St John? Guy Benjamin and his book will be treasured always!!
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This is an amazing story. I would love to meet him. What a treat!!

Thanks for sharing!

I don't know who on earth Guy Benjamin is but your story was really heart-warming. It sounds as if visiting with him will forever be a treasured memory.

michele....we also had the same honor last trip to STJ: spending an incredible afternoon with Mr. Benjamin. Theodora (Mooie's daughter/Mooie's Bar) encouraged us to go & see him. BTW: she is also a treasure to talk to & get to know!

Truly such wonderful people there on STJ....just love to hear about STJ history from their perspective & to hear about their lives. So glad you got to experience that also.

What a great story! He sounds like a wonderful man. It's little experiences such as yours that make STJ such a magical place!

We have had the pleasure of spending time with Mr. Benjamin over the past several years, both in St. John and in NYC, when he used to spend time here. I've never met anyone quite like him -- he is truly a Renaissance man and has the soul of the island. I just reread Me and My Beloved Virgin. It is a splendid memoir -- lyrical and rich. If you love the Virgin Islands, especially St. John, you must read this book.

They usually sell it at Connections, or you can write to Mr. Benjamin in Coral Bay, and he'll send you one. I also noticed that it's for sale on stjohnbeachguide.com.

Anthony, you should carry this book!

Sounds like a must-do! Anthony, I second that you should carry this one.

We had the pleasure of spending time with Mr. Benjamin. We are both teachers, so we spoke at length about our careers and of making a difference in the lives of children. He autographed our book with beautiful sentiments. It's a gift we'll cherish forever. We often enjoy hearing the laughter and screams of the kids at the Guy Benjamin school at the bottom of our hill. Guy Benjamin is an incredible person and his book is a delight to enjoy.

Seagrape

I adore that book. I really need to get a copy. I have asked for it several times and I think Ned always forgets when the holiday rolls around.

I'll buy one, Anthony! I could read it a hundred times.

I had no idea you could just drop in. The last time we were there we drove by and I was just hoping so bad he would be out there. But he wasn't.

What a gift to have met him.

We stopped in to Mr. Benjamin's home last July. Similar story, except that he had his book in stock. One of the nicest people my wife and I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

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Hi, These are all lovely stories, we look forward to meeting him & also getting a copy of his book !