There are these times when something happens and you kind of get the feeling that it is far off, or maybe it will not get to where you are. What often cushions our pseudo fences or rather fears of such life threatening news, especially where it is a disease like ebola, nodding syndrome or HIV AIDS, is the make belief that where it is happening is far off or that it is not affecting a person near enough or known to us.
It is in Kagadi, or in the West or North! The people living in the actual fear should be those dwelling in such places. Often whether Christians or not, people kind of would talk of praying for them; whether in fact they do is another story.
Yes, it is all over the news, TV or Radio discussions but it kind of sounds like what has been there before and somehow you feel it will go away somehow or they will deal with it anyhow!
Then walks in a gentleman to my office that carries this poise of a political analyst of some sorts and tends to speak intelligibly about issues in the news, what’s hot and ne bigendereko! (I hope that is right). His view is that ebola is a sign of poverty! It is not my view, I know you know! By no means I’m I undermining the impact of such diseases!
Well, the ordinary me enjoys and loves to greet. Not touching the palms of another superficially but giving a thoroughly firm grip of their hand; may be a sign of my own villageness.
Then walks in another young man who had this amazingly inviting smile to which one would of necessity be drawn to respond to definitely with teeth flashing! And as is my trend, out-stretched went my hand to greet him. This time round, the gentleman hesitated, held back his hand and retorted there is ebola! The president says people should stop giving handshakes!
Shamefully and shyly I drew back my hand and it struck me that this ebola scourge, whether the analyst opines it as poverty, besides killing people, can actually kill off some of those cultures and practices we all have been so fond of.
No comments:
Post a Comment