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A REASON TO LIVE

By AbdulAzeez, AbdulMaleek 

I assume that sovereign powers are like living organisms; they procreate, grow up, mature and bite the dust. They don't rule forever. Rome and Romans. Persia and Persians. After 7 decades on throne, the longest serving cornerstone of the commonwealth has also checked out, what an era, a lifetime, a dynasty and a reign! Empires and political entities have risen and fallen. But it is not limited to them. It also resonates to socioeconomic unsteadiness in the fortunes in our societies. 


We've listened to stories, recounts of how life was so beautiful before we were born. The good old days they say. When our immediate and distant neighbourhoods, everywhere was a very loud party. Big food baskets in every home. Milk, sugar or honey flows at every corner of the street. Toilets, kitchens and stores, everywhere. Herd have very nutritious grass to feed on, - that could weigh a trailer load of limestone each. Very temperate weather. There was no hunger. Water lack of impurities was enough for all. Almost everyone own a mansion and the latest exotic cars, the class of Benz, Bugatti and Ferrari of today, - they only had to compete in best colours. Tales in the moonlight. How much true? We are all burdened by history, and it has a better way of looking than it was. 


Well, let's be the judge, and be my guest. 


It is not really worthy of our world; the rigour and stress of today. The pains and trials. The tribulations. Or the shortlived era of sweet cries and disappointing angers longing for answers. As it used to be in the 'good old days'. I've sat at feet of elders who made poetics of reality about the moments before now, they do not paint it that rosy. As well as scanning through pages of literatures. 


How can the crisis in far away Europe or Asia of gulf Arab entities be my headache? How can ours be theirs? It degenerates to my immediate backyard? A very long talk, maybe not coming into fruition. Or because those affected in foreign land are my neighbours, too? The later I think. We are all citizens of the world, breath the same air, struggle with climate change, and heat or cold and energy crisis and transgenerational fresh problems worthy of our attentions. 


How best to say it? Why should I not also amass wealth? In hefty figures, and as much as I can. No moral, or ethics or spiritual binding or law asking me not to. Of course. Or there is? 


Why should I not suffer for my indolence? Inability to strive and treat myself to the best treat ever. Why not? Education is free. Opportunities are endless. The world is broad, depending on the depth to which you can swim. Alas, sciences is alive. And what stops a disabled from getting married and bear child(ren)? Doing fine as the able. And who says the people around do not care? Or why do they not care? 


This my default setting. This, which is within my ability is a norm for me. Should I race? Pursue my shadow? How can I beat Tobi Amusan(Amazon) to such an hurdle? But how? Except for my faith is solid, so as my creed and contention about the inference created due to the realities around the world. Should I say I prepared my mind to accommodate shocks and accidents? And the worst of all? Maybe I say that. 


Folks, we are at the mercy of a few. But the universe is not docile for it to conform with our idleness and hope without diligence. We have something to pursue, but not desperately. I was going to say, "keep hope alive". I say that, too. And how make it happen? In perpetual longing and anticipatory hope with no equal charge at it? Certainly not. It should be otherwise. 


Words are insufficient to describe the whole picture of a reality, a truth or human belief. No. After all, beauty is nothing but a perception of the human mind, - it is the acceptance and confidence in one's own skin. 


In the lives before today, I mean decades ago, many wars were fought and won without a single shot fired. How was that? Ideological warfare. They never identified one another as foes or unfriendly tribal/religious adversaries. They had different and difficult times to struggle with, they did, and did it better. It was never rosy, they weren't plucking fruits on the trees or making sudden harvests without planting and months/years of post-planting activities. They were natured and nurtured as human that they are. Because there is no shortcut to it. Even, they had no x-ray machine to access their fractured bones as we do today, no sophisticated communications and machineries. Today is the 'rosy' days, 'the good new days'. 


Noting with deep concern, I want to reiterate that darkness is not the absence of light. It is the conviction that light will never return. Darkness is your hopelessness. Your hope without diligence and equal proportion of struggles. 


Life throws you a curveball, you are tossing a snowball into a forest fire, - now questioning everything. 


Should we face some reality and the truth? Not my truth. There is beyond a reason to live. Family, friends, aspirations, career goals, etcetera etcetera. But all sums up to one. So how? “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt” says Sun Tzu in Art of War. I guess you are wise and grasp the logic. 


Rough beginnings could be predicated by difficult times. Very hard moments birth strong men and institutions that ponder and proffer panacea. They eventually create good times, - which in turn create weak men. But what do weak men do? Wallow in the goodness of the land and in return recreate difficult times. 


So, if we are strong men that fight the storm and bring good times, does it mean we have a mandate to keep trying, make tracks out of darkness? I think yes. Those are beyond a reason to live. 


Friday, 9 September, 2022

AbdulMaleek can be reached through [email protected]

1 comment:

  1. Borngreat Emmanuel NwankwoSeptember 9, 2022 at 7:09 PM

    Thank you so much for putting out this wine, I am still sipping it and I am sure I will need more..

    ReplyDelete