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I know you have listened to and perhaps agreed with songs that insist the future is now. I know you have read and maybe adopted the persuasive position by literary entries and giants that the future is now. I know you have reasoned out the matter and had possibly come to accept the verdict that truly the future is now. However, may I argue that its technical slant notwithstanding, the future is hereafter -the future is not now.
If you are poor -no home, no food, no clothes, no money and no friends- your future cannot be now. Your future is hereafter. Your future is in something called change. In your future are loaded all the aforementioned deprivations of the present.
The show is the same for your wealthy neighbour, colleague, mate, friend and enemy. Their future is not now. Their future is after now when -God forbid- all that money vamooses and they can no longer live their oppressive lifestyle. I need everyone to muse on that. Also, I need our (Nigerian) men, women, children, cronies, and pretenders in power complete with their fronts- to reflect on their future which is not -and cannot be- now. What happens when eventually they leave Government House or that lucrative position or when they lose authority over our commonwealth? Would they be happy being treated the way they do us? Would they dare complain?
We need to have this particular conversation and, the most opportune time is now. The man who has houses all over the place, how does he react to the homeless or to his tenants who are behind in rent? Stop wondering how that is his business. Willy nilly, the building blocks of a man’s future are his heart reactions or disreactions (‘you get the point now?’ apologies, Billionaire Prince White) to others whose bread today is not as tantalisingly buttered as his.
I know you are itching to go back and reread the last statement. Permission granted: please go over it again. Read, reread, re-reread and imbibe that wisdom: you need it in the now and for the future. Our reactions or disreactions (spoken and unspoken) to others whose bread today is not as tantalisingly buttered as ours are the building blocks of our future, willy nilly.
Remember, our future includes that of our children, children’s children, and children’s children’s children, all the way down our lineage. If the great, great, great, great, great grandchildren of a wealthy man today live in abject poverty in say a century now, that history of wealth becomes useless and a shame. The same surname that swam in monumental affluence suddenly wallow in grinding penury. Be humble, my dear, be humble: the aces are not in your custody!
Which brings us to an important even if interrogatory juncture. Why is it so impossible for humanity to live by the golden rule? That is, why can’t human beings just know that the earth would transform into El Dorado only when we do unto others as we would have them do unto us? How can we think that we would misuse money or power now and not pay for that in one way or the other later?
The future is not now. The future is not (while) planting. The future is in planting, because planting inseminates the soil that bears the pregnancy all the way until it births harvest. Yes, the future is harvest.
If all you do now is plant mockery, greed, oppression, abuse and their allies, you should fast and pray against a future or harvest of identical fruitage. Alas, even that will fail. You cannot reap other than you sowed. You cannot pray to harvest yam when all you planted was cocoyam!
From the foregoing, it is up to us what colour of tomorrow we shall have. It is down to what we do today -which indeed is about the only truth in the future is now. If we keep the present dull, abusive and uninteresting, the future will not be too unsimilar. This future is not what was worked by witchcraft, nor by enemies: this future is what was garbaged in yesterday -by us!
With this realisation that the future is now, action-wise, a renaissance is not only possible; it is also the only way to go. Let us rework the way we spend the currency of the present so we have enough deposits of goodwill to draw from in the future. And, never forget that the future is not the present; that the future is to come. God bless Nigeria!
BUSH @ 50 school project: Update 1
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As promised, here’s the follow-up to the introduction of last week vis-a-vis my 50th birthday on August 12, this year. The appeal is for my sponsors, supporters, friends, fans and admirers to join me in renovating Adiahaobong Secondary School, in my Uruan LGA, Akwa Ibom State village, Ekpene Ukim. This week, by His grace, we would conclude on the nitty-gritty (authorisation by government, cost implications as well as bank account) and next week you would know cost estimates, the account details, etc.
Please, plan to support this project. Those who have reached me to ask what gift I want should convert whatever they plan and pay into the school account for this massive project. I know you can, I know you shall.
And, do me a favour even if you can’t. If you know an admirer of any media product by Bush House Nigeria or me, please ensure such a one avails self of this opportunity. Many thanks, and may God bless and keep you!
Don Jazzy: I can see clearly now
In spite of 28 years and counting on radio, I’m not a music person -like that. Only a handful of songs make sense to me.
Let me break that down more. I really like popular music producer and singer, Michael Ajereh, aka Don Jazzy, but I have never listened to or watched any of his songs.
Last weekend, the guy who has been over-eyed and over-badmouthed as a chronic eligible bachelor shocked the world by telling of being married 18 years ago and divorcing only a couple of years thereafter. Then, he took responsibility: it was all because he paid more attention to music than the marriage.
Come out here in the sun, Don Jazzy -and take a bow. You are too much!
I now see why I am so fond of you. So mature to hold back such information for nearly two decades, and in the face of all the tantrums that Hypocrites Nigeria Ltd threw at you.
Furthermore, those who were or are in your circle who knew but never sang like that little bird must along with you be employed by Nigeria to teach Nigerians class, loyalty, friendship, information management and restraint. In conclusion, I like to say -with congratulations- that I suspect this confession is a precursor of your wedding announcement!
Loyalty forever: An Udo Ekpenyong tribute (2)
Apologies … It will now be concluded next Monday!
