We each have plans, desires, wishes and plans as go about daily in life. We set goals for ourselves. We develop mind pictures of how life will be for us after certain number of years. We do not always do it consciously but as life progresses we wish to see ourselves a ahead of yester years. We celebrate when these plans, desires and wishes materialize. We thank God, jubilate and celebrate, proclaiming verses like "I am the head and not the tail", "He gives us the desires of our hearts", "prayer answering God", etc. but a time comes when our plans, do not go as planned, our desires are not fulfilled, etc. That is the time when we are quick to look around for somebody to blame.
I am now in my mid forties, only now do I fully comprehend the adage that goes: "education is a life long process". I sometimes feel like a tabula rasa, I oft feel like I am continually unlearning and relearning. It is like I knw nothing at all. I look back and ask myself, what really happened to the four decades of my life? I ponder, I wonder, I pause. There are things that are tangible that many can point at. It is easy to point at kids, certificates, degrees, houses, spouse, cars, etc. But what if you can't point at any of those? I daily learn some things can never be counted or enumerated. There is so much impact we exact in the spiritual that the physical being can never comprehend. We are eternal spirit beings and there is good reason why we had to live at this juncture in history within the confines of our bodies.
I am an African primarily because my body, which houses me, is a direct descendant of Africans in Africa. My lineage is traced here as far as everybody's memory and intellect can go. I am an African. Africa is my pulse, it is my heart beat. My love for this continent keeps growing by the day. I often feel like there is so much I need to imbibe about this continent and her people and there is simply no time. I am oft awestruck by the similarities between us down South and our siblings from other parts of the continent. Similarities in features, words, behavior, it daily affirms that we are intricately intertwined. That we do not seem to love ourselves that much is sad. That we seem to always hate our dark skin, our kinky hair and our deep tones, is sad. We seem to not be aware of the riches we are born in.
We are the world's princes and princesses that are ignorant of their royal lineage. The world over acknowledge that our home is a the cradle of human kind. It is everybody's knowledge that many super powers are where they are today because of slaves they from Africa and the minerals they looted and continue to loot from the continent of Africa. Humanity started here and Africans should teach the world how to love and care for one another. Africa bleeds. She bleeds for her children that never knew who they are. She bleeds because her offspring go all out to look like others, speak like others and hate themselves like they are hated. Africa bleeds quietly. Her oozing blood never ceases. Her pierced heart keeps pumping. The beautiful natural landscape everybody longs to catch a glimpe of, the inhabitants do not get to appreciate as they think the other is better than them, oh Africa, Why?
It has always been my dream to know my continent better. The more I plan to touch different areas, I see many open doors, flung wide open before my eyes. As I take a step to walk in, I learn the doors are actually closed, then I sit down with clasped hands, resting my head on them, wet by tear drops from the ever flowing heart, whispering quietly, "Africa I love you, I really love you Africa, you have made me who I am. I love you". We are now francophone, lusophone and anglophone, I saw doors closed that seemed open. They seem to be open to the ones who gave us this new identities, the originators of these languages, they walk boldly as they actually own this beautiful land. Africa you are beautiful, I love you Africa, I really do. Wipe off your tears dear Africa, put that beautiful smile back on, plait your hair, walk tall, it is almost dawn, closed doors shall open to your offspring and their eyes shall open wide. Those who walked in and looted shall realize and learn, some doors though open but are closed to them.
I am now in my mid forties, only now do I fully comprehend the adage that goes: "education is a life long process". I sometimes feel like a tabula rasa, I oft feel like I am continually unlearning and relearning. It is like I knw nothing at all. I look back and ask myself, what really happened to the four decades of my life? I ponder, I wonder, I pause. There are things that are tangible that many can point at. It is easy to point at kids, certificates, degrees, houses, spouse, cars, etc. But what if you can't point at any of those? I daily learn some things can never be counted or enumerated. There is so much impact we exact in the spiritual that the physical being can never comprehend. We are eternal spirit beings and there is good reason why we had to live at this juncture in history within the confines of our bodies.
I am an African primarily because my body, which houses me, is a direct descendant of Africans in Africa. My lineage is traced here as far as everybody's memory and intellect can go. I am an African. Africa is my pulse, it is my heart beat. My love for this continent keeps growing by the day. I often feel like there is so much I need to imbibe about this continent and her people and there is simply no time. I am oft awestruck by the similarities between us down South and our siblings from other parts of the continent. Similarities in features, words, behavior, it daily affirms that we are intricately intertwined. That we do not seem to love ourselves that much is sad. That we seem to always hate our dark skin, our kinky hair and our deep tones, is sad. We seem to not be aware of the riches we are born in.
We are the world's princes and princesses that are ignorant of their royal lineage. The world over acknowledge that our home is a the cradle of human kind. It is everybody's knowledge that many super powers are where they are today because of slaves they from Africa and the minerals they looted and continue to loot from the continent of Africa. Humanity started here and Africans should teach the world how to love and care for one another. Africa bleeds. She bleeds for her children that never knew who they are. She bleeds because her offspring go all out to look like others, speak like others and hate themselves like they are hated. Africa bleeds quietly. Her oozing blood never ceases. Her pierced heart keeps pumping. The beautiful natural landscape everybody longs to catch a glimpe of, the inhabitants do not get to appreciate as they think the other is better than them, oh Africa, Why?
It has always been my dream to know my continent better. The more I plan to touch different areas, I see many open doors, flung wide open before my eyes. As I take a step to walk in, I learn the doors are actually closed, then I sit down with clasped hands, resting my head on them, wet by tear drops from the ever flowing heart, whispering quietly, "Africa I love you, I really love you Africa, you have made me who I am. I love you". We are now francophone, lusophone and anglophone, I saw doors closed that seemed open. They seem to be open to the ones who gave us this new identities, the originators of these languages, they walk boldly as they actually own this beautiful land. Africa you are beautiful, I love you Africa, I really do. Wipe off your tears dear Africa, put that beautiful smile back on, plait your hair, walk tall, it is almost dawn, closed doors shall open to your offspring and their eyes shall open wide. Those who walked in and looted shall realize and learn, some doors though open but are closed to them.
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