Reflections
Reflections, reflections
Despite human beings’ individualistic & narcissistic interests and tendencies, let life be:
In our Society, often times, people who show traits such as honesty, faithfulness, openness and commitment (especially in marriage /love relations) among other positive actions tend to be judged as weak, too ‘serious’ in life or even perfectionists.
Yet, it must be accepted that people who show some of the traits as above mentioned could be naturally ‘wired’ thus apart from being much disciplined. Not to be forgotten is that cultivating discipline calls for much efforts and dedication. Change of behavior is possible and calls for much discipline and efforts and disregard for public or friends and peers opinion.
In a Society that increasingly tends to disdain positive traits such as self discipline, self control, care & concern for others & neighbors and the general environment, and generally people who ‘toe the line’, there is little incentive for citizens to be patriotic and responsible human beings.
Yet, not to be overemphasized is the fact that sheer lack of personal discipline and commitment for good of Society is responsible for many of the ills afflicting our Society today and especially in Kenya, East Africa.
The wanton destruction of our environment including the destruction of trees, flowers and natural vegetation and the destruction of roads furniture (including road signs and barriers at bridges edges etc) to name just a few leads to lots of inconvenience for many and even to deaths at times.
The wanton littering on our streets and roads and in our villages and estates is blamed on sheer lack of personal discipline and responsibility leading to huge inconveniences and lowering of life quality for many people.
Plastic & related solid waste collectors and sellers who daily burn down the residue waste or electrical appliances waste seeking to recover ‘precious’ metals imbeddedin the plastics are daily wrecking environmental havoc in our villages and estates (even as authorities responsible such as NEMA busily perform their roles).
In Nairobi CBD, for instance, the county government (commendably) has greatly beautified many streets and has put continuing efforts towards this end…
Yet, evidently our irresponsible behaviors are working against this not only in littering flower gardens and walk paths.
Worse still, people are not disciplined enough to use the wide and beautiful foot paths choosing instead to criss cross the flower gardens; they are making footpath left, right and centre across the beautiful flowers gardens without ‘blinking their eyes’ and without an iota of shame and without consideration of all the arduous efforts put to nurture the gardens for instance along the ‘Aga Khan walk’.
In recent days, on the other hand, our adults and children who consistently dwell along the streets are currently, either deliberately, maliciously or innocently, or even inadvertently and ignorantly, soiling the concrete sitting spaces also provided by the county government also especially along the busy ‘Aga Khan’ walk.
Yet citizens along the streets provided with sitting concrete spaces are now yearning that shades be provided… They currently rely on the shifting sun rays which provide shade depending on times of the day to get the much required shade and shelter from the sun which can also ‘burn’ citizens’ skin and body mercilessly….
However, one thing that comes to mind when I ponder such irresponsibility is the fact that it is merely one person, just one, who makes the first error in stepping onto the flowers gardens trying to create short cuts instead of following the marked footpaths.
Soon after other people follow and ‘identify’ the dirty short cuts and eventually they become the paths that replace the marked and beautiful foot paths.
Woe to you the person ‘who throws the first stone’ and shows the way to uncouth behaviors that wreck havoc to what would otherwise be great social order in our towns and villages.
Woe to you if you are the first to dump garbage on our streets, roads and open or fenced spaces in our country.
Woe to you as the very first people who breaks down roads and related infrastructure furniture.
Woe to you if you are the first one person to misbehave and wrongly prove that you are man enough and not weak or too serious. Woe to you….
