In
2007, while on reconnaissance for my departments' Theatre for Development (A
project every 300 level Theatre Arts student embark on) somewhere in Ikorodu,
Lagos State, I encountered genuine communal kindness.
The
men and women in the hinterland of ikorodu hemisphere were so kind, welcoming
and loving. They greeted us with joy, listened to us and gave us their full time
and energy so as to help us. I was perplexed, simply because I came from a
place where we all hustle each other. I mean in surulere, we rush the bus,
outwitted each other every day, try to outsmart each other, if possible we
fight each other, we cheat each other, we curse, blame, shout, wish people dead
and finally we attend their funeral with angst.
But
in this hinterland I experienced sweetness from the farmer on his way to the
farm but left his path just to lead us to ours. That wonderful woman whose name
I didn’t asked but her kindness I would never forget.
As
I boarded the bus (danfo) this
morning, I remembered that remarkable day and the contrast that my sight
presently behold. The people are very harsh towards the bus conductor (the guy that collects fare)
as much as the conductor is harsher
towards his customers. As I write this, I recollect a phrase from 9ice's song titled "Street
Credibility" where he sang and said "in this industry, there are plenty python" and I can boldly
say, in my society, they are many a-plenty pythons.
However,
we create this monster every day we step out of our homes. The opportunity to
be nice is dead already because of our mindset before an offence is even committed.
We are uncouth, expecting a battle every day. We drive out daily with the mind
to be on the defensive; we look out for the keke
rider that will try to hit us and the danfo
driver that will bash us. We are
always on the angry, sad, wicked mood and thereby we never want to show our
kind part so as not to be seen as weak.
What
is wrong in saying thank you to the conductor
after he hands us our change? I did that this morning and everyone in bus
looked at me strangely. It was a look of "Hey my friend, that IS your change, why say thank you" and it
got me thinking.
You
see, Desmond Tutu once said, "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can
all be humans together" and I believe that our struggles and pain isn't
about how much we cheat each other, it is about how much we help each other. Like
the bible said too, "we wrestle not
against flesh and blood…" therefore we should consciously be ready to
smile, give a helping hand, reciprocate love for hate and even when someone
bashes your car… (hmmm, I reserve my
comment)
I want you to enjoy this 9ice's song titled "street credibility"
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