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 To Live or Die!
This column is not for the faint-hearted. The line here is bold and brass, and this surely is the place where we call succubus by name. Dare you to read on; or would/could you go the extra mile and step forward to be counted. The almighty GOD is my provider; all my needs are taken care of. GOD has established me in a place where I thrive. GOD leads me to walk in places of safety. GOD renews my spirit and soul. For His name, GOD ensures that I live right by Him. Should there be a time when I find myself in danger, I will not be afraid. GOD is always with me. His Word and His Spirit, they testify of his presence and thereby reassure me GOD is not ashamed of me and so honours and blesses me, even in the presence of those who do not like me. In their sight, He chooses me and promotes me. All those around me see that I live in abundance. Most definitely, I will live in joy and fulfilment all the days of my life on this earth, and when I die, I will go to be with GOD, in a new life that lasts forever. Second Half on a Man's Lifetime ... It is a good time now in my life, to take stock of how I have lived, being that I have been around for more than half the typical life span of twentieth century man. If this were a football match, one would be some way into the second half, and for better or for worse, the game would more or less be won or lost already; except for the hand of GOD, and I do not mean "Maradona". This therefore is time to ask the question, "has one lived a good life"? If not, then what can one do to make the second half better than the first? Win or lose! For me the challenge would be, how to be the best human being that I can possibly be, without harming other human beings nor the environment. The ideal would be that one did only good, but being that this is nigh on impossible, the next best thing is to minimise the amount of evil that one inflicts on the world. Life, Galileo, Newton, and Death A great Architect, Engineer, and Artist, Galileo said that the greatest power that anyone can have is that which one has over himself/herself. Nowhere is the need for that power greater than in deciding to, and actually living, a life that minimises harm on fellow humans and the environment. The aim or at least a side product of choosing to live a positive life, is that one creates a ripple in the pond of life, the change that begins within a person affects the environment in which that person lives, and so has the potential to change that environment. Time for another quote, this time from Isaac Newton, "for ever action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" (Newton's Third Law). So by extension, the man or woman who so dares to change himself/herself carries the potential to change the environment in which he/she lives - so much so that it may thereafter be difficult or impossible for miscreants to survive therein. Such ones are likely to provide, or at least attempt to provide the "equal and opposite reaction". So therefore, a person who chooses to live a good life, risks harm and possibly death. What a [frightening] paradox! No Fear!? The question then is this, "is it worth risking death for the sake of life"? The answer anyone gives will be very much influenced by the power that fear has in that person's life. I will attempt to bring this monologue home to roost with yet another quotation, to wit, "my people self them fear too much" - Fela Anikulapko-Kuti. In a survey carried out recently, it was surmised that Nigerians were the happiest people on the planet; perhaps the study should also have examined the subject of Fear in a people/nation. If I were a betting man, I would conjecture that Nigerians would come out tops in such a study too. Our tolerance level for suffering is legendary, however, our tolerance would appear to be no more than a mask for a deep-rooted, endemic fear. Is it that the nation, having suffered at the hands of Abacha for so long, and then wearied by the misdeeds of politicians, no longer has the stomach for any kind of a fight. Perhaps the men of the nation have prioritised a simple life over and above justice and liberty; perhaps we are not even aware of the choices that we have, living or dying, perhaps we don't care, anymore. But we should, and indeed we must. The battle for the very soul of this country has, by and by, begun. Nigeria is on a one-way road to change-and-progress, however, unless we overcome our fears and join in the struggle, we will be handing the baton of this struggle to our children. By so doing we would have mortgaged our chance of seeing the dawn of a new Nigeria. A struggle that we could have won in our own lifetime then becomes the legacy that we bequeath to our children following our demise. Is there a price that we will not pay to live an extra day, never mind how deprived that life would be?  Please allow me to share with you, a powerful but disturbing truth; one day, you, my friend, will die. It is part of the package, you live therefore you die. If you did not die, like the rock or the sand, then you could not have been alive. However, since you have enjoyed the pleasures of a lifetime (however brief), you will also have to pay the price of a transition, when your time comes. So why not choose today to live; you only have one life after all, and this is it. Why not make the best of it, without harming others, or at least with minimal harm to others. Live a life that you will be proud of at the end of your time in this dimension. Live a life that leaves the billion year old universe better, even though you are only here for seventy (70) years. But you have to start from somewhere, and the place to start is within you. If you can change, then your life may be what Nigeria is waiting for, you could be the Saul or David, the Jonah or Joshua. You could be the Moses that brings Nigerians out of this forty-four (44) year trek through the wilderness, the end of which we cannot see just yet. If you are the one, please stand up to be counted. This country has been kept waiting a very long time. I will say no more; for now! Daring to Move On Having persisted with quotations, I thought I should end this piece with one as well. This lengthy one comes from Fitz-James Stephen. "We stand on a mountain pass in the midst of whirling snow and blinding mist, through which we get glimpses now and then of paths which may be deceptive. If we stand still we shall be frozen to death. If we take the wrong road, we shall be dashed to pieces. We do not certainly know whether there is any right one [road]. What must we do? 'Be strong and of a good courage.' Act for the best, hope for the best, and take what comes ... If death ends all, we cannot meet death better". It is clear to all that without change, we are all doomed in Nigeria, as such, doing nothing is not a realistic option, however, if we hope to see a new Nigeria in our own lifetime, now is the time to begin to live for our country, even if thereby we die. Still standing up for the truth. "Otolorin" July, 2004 Remember; if you are not part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem.
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