Try and be a human being

Why do people not know how they feel?

I always know how I feel at any given time of the day. I am happy or sad, frustrated, tired, nonchalant, angry, etc, ask me, and I'll tell you. Like right now, I am feeling "bothered” because I am thinking of things that are bothering me and one of them is the funny fact that people do not know how they feel. If you know how you feel about something, then perhaps you will be able to give a reaction that is necessary for a given situation. If you know sitting in the darkness, without electricity, makes you feel angry, then perhaps a good reaction would be to show the government your anger and not just sit there, doing nothing. If you know you are frustrated by the conditions of the roads in the country, then why not show your frustration? Do you not know how you feel?

Why do people not have empathy?

I think I know the answer to this one. Some scientific fact that says if a child has not developed empathy at by the age of three, then the possibility of that happening later on in life as an adult is almost impossible. What a pity! It is so sad that any human being would want to hurt another and not understand what he/she is doing. You know you are hurting someone else and you just do not care. How is that possible? For example, I find it hard to understand how the Minister of foreign affairs, Ojo Madueke could open his mouth and suggest that the poor children in Akwa Ibom (who were accused of witchcraft, tortured and abused, abandoned by their families) were all paid to say that they were tortured. How can any parent, any human being, not understand the grave nature and consequences of abuse? Must we all be stripped and tortured before we understand what pain is? It is a shame.

Why do people easily forget?

I still remember the senior that helped me with my bucket of water on my first day in boarding house. I was only ten years old. I remember how grateful I felt because I just could not carry that monster of a metal. I remember her just stopping by me and taking it from my hand. Her name was senior Chidinma and I have never forgotten her or how relieved I felt when she took that bucket from my hand. I remember mostly how I felt and who made me feel that way. So how come people can so easily forget such moments? How is that possible? Do you not all remember better times in this country? Do you not remember when you could walk on the streets without fear of being robbed? Have you all forgotten when people could actually learn Latin in schools? Do you not remember when children could play football outside until it was dark? Have we forgotten so easily, the greatness that Nigeria once had the potential to attain?

Why do people say things if they do not mean them?

I mean, except I am under the influence of something, most words that come out of my mouth, are mostly true, so how come people open their mouths and just “blab”? Just for the sake of “blabbing”? Why do people say so many things when they obviously know they do not mean any of them? How can they open their mouths and lie about so many things? Why do our politicians keep telling us one thing and then doing the total opposite? If they do not mean anything that comes out of their mouths, then I suggest they keep quiet.

If we cannot be human beings, at least, let us try.

waffywaffarian@yahoo.com