THE MAKING OF A FOREST…
I have come to understand that every malfunction that occurs in old age is traceable to a continuous misbehavior in youthful life. Little habits that we take as fun things and the normal trend of youthful life condense and become the dregs that haunt adult life.
It doesn’t count whether it is of good or bad or amoral. What we practice daily, we perfect wholesomely in no time. We indirectly cultivate our habits with our little continuous acts of daily endeavour. Good habits and bad habits, none is formed overnight. We never really plan to be who we are but the decisions we make and don’t make team up and form us…seemingly out of the blues!
I have been severally accosted for “trying to be” and acting in the capacity of a moral sledge hammer or a righteous judge of conscience. As much as I find it a better label than
an outright evil identity, I yet would want to clarify that it is he who knows the value of being alive that can tell whether exercise is punishment or not. I say what I say and do what I do because in it I see the possibility of getting myself better. It is never possible for a tree alone to make a forest but you don’t need proof to believe that it can start a forest. I tell my flesh that it is free to do what my conscience permits, I tell my conscience to be true to itself and the standard that gave it breath. It’s hard to be right and say it, it’s easier to keep mute and get by but I would say what is right and be ready to get haunted tomorrow if I stray from the path I foreran.
Back in my university days, a classmate of mine made a profound irony of a statement. I clearly observed as he helped another classmate in the exam hall to acquire answers to a question. After the examinations, I asked him why he had to do that and he told me it was brotherly love. Brotherly Love?
Indeed, sure, who has made me a judge to challenge him? Brotherly love! I thought brotherly love was bold, why did he whisper? I thought brotherly love was freely shared, why did he do it to only the one? I thought it was unconditional, why…..oh my. There is no case here! Love is never the product of ignorance and moral laxity. How much more in an environment that seeks to build moral beings!
Our standards in academics and schooling as a whole has fallen below the origin mark and the descent is obviously continuous. What I did as a student I would inadvertently promote as a tutor and as a tutor it is my duty to produce more of my kind. God help the geometric progression that the next few years would bring and grow if our footholds are made of such flaky reed.
You don’t have to preach or work your way into leadership to do what is right. Right where you are, do your own part: Lecturer, Doctor, Mechanic, Business man, House wife, Student, Banker, Activist, Politician, name it. We all are leaders in our class, our followers may not be on twitter or our friends on facebook but you surely know that even evil men know to trust righteous men. No evil man trusts another evil man no matter how friendly they act and behave.
Two can’t walk together unless they agree. Right never agrees with wrong. You can be right and still find agreement and even if you never find it, you can be rest assured that even the wrong ones knew you to be right. Granted, things are easier said than done. I don’t really care which is easier as long as I get the SAID, DONE!
I am just a tree today but I see a forest tomorrow! Don’t throw stones at me or casually sit in my shade, plant yourself by my side and let’s grow this forest for posterity and for NOW!