I have seen life , long enough to know what it is and what it shouldn’t be. I have lived long enough to understand and appreciate the reactivating and reinvigorating pills of camaraderie. Each time I see people congregate to drink, eat and exchange pleasantries, I see moment that is always charged with positive energy, circulating in ripples like waves, making depressed and forlorned souls renewed and refreshed.
The above picture is a group of jolly good fellows in a very good spirit, exchanging pleasantries and telling tales of events, laugh over them and make jokes of things that once tickled their fancies.
The picture represents different age brackets, social status, influence, accomplishments etc seated on one table, from same dish they all ate and drank.
These are people who share different political ideologies, on one table the drank and ate . Their language isn’t the same. Tongues differ, cultures poles apart but on same table the ate and drank.
They are different, their destination points different too but on same table they ate and drank.
They dressed differently with physical structures that are different, but on same table they ate and drank.
Life is easy, very simple we make it very complicated out of sheer human flaws and weakness.
Life is good and sweet but our selfishness and self agrandizement make it look like one hellish place for people.
Life is good, simple and easy but the sheer crave to outshine, outsmart and take the wind out of ones sails through sycophancy make it look too toxic to be in haled.
Look at that picture again and again. Don’t be distracted by the green bottles, you would notice the aura of peace, joy and happiness that radiate around.
Stil look at the picture again , however one tries, it will be very difficult to know who is richer and poorer, who paid what and who didn’t pay anything. It doesn’t matter who paid what, who bank rolled what, what matters is the availability and the non-discriminatory manner the drink and food were made available to them. That for me is life in its full expression.
Nigeria is such a rich country. What exactly would be the outcome if our life style, our approach to things and our socio-cultural relatability are weaved around the spirit around this picture? Where people don’t flaunt their resources and use it as an instrument of oppression. Where the status isn’t a defining factor for who gets what. Where tribe and tongues though different, they still ate and drank from same table. Where their political views are so divergent but their focus to oil their life together with life goodies isn’t marred.
In that picture I see Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, fulani etc in brotherhood they all sat round the table of happiness, joy and peace and savoured them without rancour.
If only we can be like this picture, our life as Nigerians would be good, cool and warm with peace and contentment.
Life is good! Please don’t pollute it with the dirt and negativity of arrogance, bigotry, hate, self entitlement and malignment of character. Life is too short to be occupied with dregs. Enjoy it before it crumbles!
Jarlath Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
