THE SOCIETY PAYS ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE BUT NOT WHO YOU ARE
The cascading respect in the streets
Sometimes, you wonder why you are liked, loved, respected and hailed but suddenly, you are disliked, hated, disrespected and undermined. That is part of human nature. We have a compromised aspect of us which is usually swayed by ‘WHAT’ we perceive others to be, than the ‘WHO’ they are. Therefore, we are mostly tempted to judge them by what we see and hear about them, and worst of all, what we want them to be. In that regard, the respect we accord others and even non-living things around us is most often dependent on their WHAT part. The paragraphs below highlight briefly how we disrespect ourselves anytime we step out of our homes.
The pedestrian does not respect the ground on which he walks because he feels it is his right to walk the way he likes. Whether he jumps, stamps his feet, kicks the stones, jog or run, it does not concern anyone.
The bicycle rider also does not respect the pedestrian because he feels the pedestrian is so poor that he cannot afford to own a common bike therefore, must not be accorded any respect.
The motorbike rider also feels he must earn more respect for riding a motorbike because he has worked hard and saved over years to be able to buy the motorbike.
The tricycle rider also does not respect the motorbike rider because he thinks his tricycle is more expensive hence the motorbike rider must always give him free passage when he, the tricycle rider approaches.
The saloon car driver also does not respect the tricycle rider because he feels tricycles are a nuisance on the road. Similarly, the taxi driver of a four-wheel car wishes the tricycle rider a misfortune because he feel he is competing with him for passengers. In that regard, he is sometimes tempted to knock the rider off into the gutter.
Finally, the heavy-duty truck driver also does not respect any of the above including the salon car driver irrespective of the brand or price tag of the vehicle because he feels they delay him when he hits the road. He will not hesitate to save his life and truck when the pedestrian, bicycle rider, motorbike rider, tricycle rider and the saloon car driver suddenly cross him.
Lesson: You can be served a plate of hate or love at will by people. However, they come in levels. If you are a moon, do not insist you should be addressed as a star. Just accept your moon status and you will live peacefully.
Evans J. Taurus
