12:52p.m., Thursday, 21 May 2015
You know what irks me? My people. Okay, not necessarily my people, but their way of thinking. I love my people, but their way of thinking (or nonthinking) frustrates me. As beautiful and overpopulated on this incredible planet as we are, it's strange that we've fought for every cause to liberate ourselves in every way imaginable, except for what I feel to be the most important one: The fight to learn to use that mushy thing between our ears -- the one with the left and right hemispheres... Our brains. As it stands, I feel it's a case of not wanting to use them, and not knowing how to. For instance, people who live in very impoverished places like villages and townships (with a few exceptions), have very little to no ways of receiving quality education. They have no access to the internet, and even if they do, it's often a luxury they cannot afford to make use of. Basic education and computer illiteracy in these parts also add on to the problem. Urbanites, on the other hand, also experience their fair share of setbacks and hardships, but have every service of convenience at their disposal: world-class infrastructure, good quality schools, internet access and devices with WiFi capabilities, book stores, public libraries, public and private training initiatives... the works. It's disappointing to see that even with such a wide range of learning portals, we still fail ourselves when it comes to the art of thinking.
When I say thinking, I'm not referring to the mundane acts of pondering on tonight's dinner, the meaning behind someone's last text to you, the colour of the shoes you need to match your new outfit, who you want to hook up with later, or what beverage you'll be sipping on after this post. I'm referring to the ability to think coherently, critically and analytically: to ask and answer serious questions, to question your ideals,beliefs, actions, interests, motives, purpose, and to find ways of understanding and reasoning these with yourselves, if not with others. This is not to impress anyone, but to truly understand the importance and significance of all that we do that contributes greatly to the lives we lead. Even people with a certain level of academic experience aren't exempt from this one because our priorities as a people still seem to be disorganised.
It's a no-brainer: Black people know how to dress. We know how to photograph, get the party started, know of the best and most expensive clothing brands, hang out at the most exclusive spots, drive the fanciest of cars, sought out the best neighborhoods, drink the finest alcohol, befriend the coolest of cool and use the very best in gadgets and electronics. In fact, we do all of these and more, so well, that we usually do it better than every other human race on the planet. It's undoubtedly a title that's our for the taking -- hands down. I just have a question or two: How is that winning? What legacy is there to gain from this? Sure -- we get our 30 minutes of fame and might rake in a bit of cash from being brand whores while we still matter, but what real legacy are we leaving behind about ourselves as consumers besides Best Dressed and Most Monied Up Person You Know? We cut it when it comes to endorsement deals and advertisements, but why aren't we good enough to head up at an executive level for these companies? Why are we settling simply for being the face of this or that company? For as long as we're not heading up, creating or revolutionising anything worth acknowledging, the history books will never know us. We'll simply remain a means to an end and as cash cows for companies that have no respect for us but continue to flood our shores with their franchises because they know we don't have the drive and discipline to sustainably create our own.
With that said; wouldn't it be nice for us to have something to offer the world for change, instead of merely just receiving from every other country? Wouldn't it be nice to contribute towards your own economy and legacy?
Think about it.
Just think about it.
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