By Ekekere Samuel Ufot…
In my early teens, my father often disciplined me especially when i
broke a law at home, or school or came back home with a bad school
result sheet. I had thought my dad was the only father who acted that
way but I observed that all the dads of the boys around my age that
time acted same. One statement never left their lips: look boy, I am
doing this so that you can have food on your table tomorrow. They
looked stern while they made this statement.
I have taken my time to observe too that it seems our dads were right.
All our trouble in life seems to end in our stomachs. Food and
clothing seems to be the focal point of every one’s struggle. I had
wondered why Jesus had spoken vehemently about not worrying about what
to eat and wear when one could as well have worried about owning a
horse or living in a house. Even Paul asked that Christians should be
content having food and raiment. It seems they knew very well what
others never knew that all the struggles in life are because we must
meet these insatiable needs “food and clothing”.
I took time out to tinker and I observed too that though we may grasp
all the benefits of life, one could never do without this two. One may
not have a house or car and may not need them but he can never do
without food and raiment. All the big industries, shopping malls,
business premises, banks etc are all secondary tools to feed these two
insatiable needs.
The reason we buy cars is just to ease our movements towards getting
to the place where we could get money to buy food and cloth. We buy or
build a house because we desire a conducive place to rest, keep our
clothes, and have our meals prepared. Hospitals are built so that when
you are ill and you find food appalling, you can run in and have your
health checked so as to enable you return to your eating capabilities.
Banks exist only as a store for the money you will use in the future
to feed yourself.
The quality of food a person eats, and the cloth he wears speaks
volume of the status of a person. You look healthy and good looking
because you eat right and dress to suit. One may not leave in a big
house or drive in a sport utility vehicle but he could still look
larger than his means.
Our greatest fear isn’t having shelter on our heads or having a posh
car to drive in. One may have and lose this things but the deepest
fear is having to go broke over what to eat and wear. One is not
considered poor if he doesn’t own a car or a house. Poverty status is
measured based on how one meets his daily need of eating and wearing
clothes. That’s why when you google poverty, what you see are pictures
of almost naked people, thin with pot bellies and sunken eyes.
I would be mesmerized to see a wealthy man who claims to have all the
wealth and doesn’t eat and wear good clothes. Not being able to eat
could be a huge problem and could tell signs of an end for such a man.
The fact about not having food to eat is that your clothes also will
look unfit and you look worn in them.
No matter how rich and wealthy a man may seem, his only gain of all
his wealth is what he eats and wears. The respect he gets is all
vanity and he could choose not to have them but if he fails to
pleasure himself in tasty meals, he would be doing himself great harm.
Whatever way one chooses to hustle, whether by hard work or soft work,
the goal is to put meals on the table. All the shouting of “be the
best” by parents to their wards, the “boss hunting your head”
phenomenon at the work place, the bowing of head to superiors even
when they are younger, the “be punctual always, be diligent and do not
procrastinate” talks all falls to one act, to place meals on the table
and dress to look nice.
You can take time out to do an analysis too. I am certain that you
will observe this same truth that reckons with Wiseman Solomon’s words
“life is vanity “.
Samuel Ufot Ekekere is a writer, teacher, motivator, and change causer
inspiring people to their peak performance. He believes everyone needs
motivation. Connect on twitter @inyang21 and
www.facebook.com/ekekere, +2347062809301