Skip to main content

LOOKING FORWARD AS A VIRTUE

Today we took our son for immunization and it got me thinking. Why immunize? The response is simply that the child will have immunity from diseases in the future. In Africa, there are 6 killer diseases: Measles, TB, Whooping Caught, Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus. However there are many threats to life than just that. This brings to light the concept of looking forward.

Now the culture in Africa gives very little mention of looking forward, may be that explains the reason why we are so subsistence in nature.

I recently did a simple study asking many people from across Uganda the simple question on the word for Good Morning which in English is a wish for one to have a good day looking forward - all the responses across all the tribes was; How did you sleep, how did you wake, how was your night, how was your morning, did you sleep, did you wake and the list goes no. Basically they are all looking back. While the English word on the other hand was forward looking in wishing the person a good morning.

I have also been reflecting on the very nature of creation. If you believe there is a God then we can credit it to God that he made every thing forward looking in nature. Eyes at the front of the head, nose at the front, hands swinging forward, legs moving us onwards. Our reproductive organs all placed at the front side and not the rare side.

In most cases our wastes are deposited at the back or from things positioned at the back. That is the very nature of creation and yet in many cases we are driven forward with the things that have been experiences. There is a saying that the things that make me are Past Experiences, Environment and Choice (Steven Covey) In reality not many look at the choice aspect of things. The way in which we respond to like is Stimuli – recollection of experiences – response giving no ground time for reflection and choice based on your values.

Two things have guided my mind in my desire to look forward with confidence the first is to value all relationships. It is relationships that make us. If we did not relate with the people we are relating with then we could not be the kind of people we are at the moment.

So please value your relations and make them count

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IS A GOOD MUGANDA IS A DEAD ONE

A GOOD MUGANDA IS A DEAD ONE - this statement is attributed to Former president Obote whether of not he said it is a different issue, my concern has always been on how this is attributed to him, it is normally stated with a not so good tint. I have always wondered how Uncle Milton Obote who is arguably one of the greatest orators and with a very high level of intelligence could go so wrong in making a statement like this and in all honesty that is if he made the statement at all – knowing that he himself was married to a Muganda and needed votes from the Baganda to keep in power. I am yet to get a satisfactory explanation and my search rages on – this week I meet an old friend of Obote for lunch and I was marvelled  by this explanation although I still have many questions I will hold on to this one because it seemed authentic and personal. This was the explanation: One of Mama Maria’s relatives is abandoned. Mama Maria is wife to the former president. This relative suffers...
1 comment
Read more

The Big Man

August 17, 2018 Kampala, Uganda - Just seen an article in the papers purportedly written by our big man that “Uganda to be the fastest growing economy by 2026.” Two things I must give to you sir – I loved your optimism and the photo! How especially the photo compared to the ones where the opposition keep sharing and tagging me in depicting you as tied and sleepy. This one was spot on it makes us love you sir. Other than that I totally agree with the big man. How can I not agree with you sir? How could you even think that I can question this wisdom? With you firmly in charge of things in statehouse. With birth your hands on the elements of power. How can Uganda not again this position. How can we even be thinking of questioning his wisdom? I also loved the for principles – patriotism, Pan-Africanism, social-economic transformation and democracy. Wow for once I thought we were moving away from the 10-point thing but bang there they were in bullets. I mean bul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tribute to Katiti Henry Bernards

Today is 12 July 2018 and I sit here reflecting on the impact Henry Katiti Bernards had on me. I am lost between celebrating his life or feeling sad. I chose to do both. First because he has impacted many with his kindness and generosity but also I am sad because he was so young with a lot of potential. I have tended to think that a life lived well is a life lived in the Lord, or a life lived in relative success to the eyes of the world – driving fancy cars, building and living in bug houses, dressing up in suits and showing off. The past few weeks however as I reflected on the death of my good friend and brother Henry, I have tended to question this notion. As I have gotten to reflect on how my life was affected by the life of Henry, how he has affected me with his little life calling me and talking to me, sharing with me what he is doing in his life, introducing me to his wife. I am even now sure I should be thinking is this way but here I am questioning this very thing that...
Post a Comment
Read more