Am I so ignorant of the state of affairs nationally and internationally, that I expect changes to happen at the twinkle of an eye?
Am I so malicious and care so less of this geographical section of the earth that I call home, to a level that I hardly care if all turns into fiery fire and later into dead ashes?
Am I so selfish that all must go my individual way even if it means that all else perishes?
Where is the education that I boast of, from rooftops, if I cannot give a thought to the future of my very off-springs, and be of profit to others around me?
What has happened to the religiosity and the spirituality that I ascribe to if I cannot make real the very golden rule of ‘do unto others what you would be done to you’?
True to it all; all that matters is I, me, and myself.
Even the very reality that man is a social animal no more makes sense. No degree of learning from history can change the very essence that no one else matters.
This appears to be the philosophy of a notable number of Africans; it is what appears to be in the minds of a significant number of Kenyans.
If this were not the case, we would have made use of the natural cycles, to know what needs to be done at times of catastrophes, at least to mitigate as we move towards eradication. Animals, make effort to manage the cycles.
If this previous were not the case, we would have cared a little more for the dying brother and sister in hospitals and in poverty-stricken low settlement localities.
If the case were different, we would nurture justice and honesty a little more, shunning more corruption and negative ethnicity.
The way we are going currently, again we appear to be consuming our very own, with some false belief that if all hell breaks loose, we can slyly move away to another haven. Or even, that everyone else shall be affected, but me. Is whatever I have, not sufficient to take care of myself and my family as all others fall off the support rope?
What a lie!
The fragile baby that is on our lap is crying for ownership and identity. Would I rather it be safely owned by another as I wait for my chance to contribute as nature dictates, or would I rather it be split?
If we continue behaving as we have often done in the recent past, we are proud yet foolishly yelling that the baby is split so that no one has it. We have a gem, one that is gifted with manageable climatic conditions, a wealthy youthful populace, and some democracy that shows signs of moving in the right direction. We have peace unless the sense you accord to peace is not the dictionary one.
There are immense challenges. Not so insurmountable as the media at times presents, though not so minute as to be ignored and matters swept under the carpet.
Nevertheless, sanity and harmony as we put our heads together are necessary. Selflessness needs to guide the thinking of each while according greater importance to sustainability and the future.
Being the rational animals that we are, there is a need to address the natural cycles, and put measures in place, to avoid cyclical avoidable catastrophes: countries in the desert Middle East sustain the lives of their citizens.
How is it that they do so while we can’t?
For those at the level of policy, it is not a right but a privilege. Indeed, it is a duty to serve, rather than an opportunity to enrich oneself and those of one’s close circles. It is not a chance to walk with shoulders up high in pride and arrogance, stepping carelessly on one’s subjects.
How important would it be to see the justice system, clearly actualizing consequences for those whose actions jeopardize their communities?
For those who may not be at the level of policy, there is still so much that each individual can put in place: hard work, delayed gratification, clarity on needs versus wants, cooperation rather than competition, a deeper look into one’s resources (including youthfulness and health), to strategically lead oneself and then one’s family through to the platform that is named ‘out of poverty’.
As that happens, let us always keep in mind that we are part of nature. In all, we are a section that is endowed with a sense of value, pegged on interdependence, dignity, and fairness.
This being our very earth, each has a responsibility to be a steward, thinking of sustainability.
For future generations shall ask of us as we near our sunset days, “What did you do with what you inherited from the generations that came before you; those that handed the relay baton to you?”
As a culmination, let us at all times recall that happiness, the hidden treasure of every human being, is not so much linked to how much one has, but rather to an inner fountain, that is replenished by above all, a value-full attitude and subsequent lifestyle.
