WE ALL NEED HELP

Again, I have chosen to push my pen for an issue that is germane to our continued existence as a people. But before I proceed I want to jolt your attention to the fact that I belong to the school of thought which believes that no man is an island. I said this because the fusillade of questions that came after the publication of my last article titled: “I Will Dream Again” gave a cause for reflection. While this article is not a repose, as it were, to the reactions of some concerned youth, it is principally meant to consolidate my understanding of human existence as exemplified in my last article. Hence, this vignette should not be pooh-poohed as mere balderdash deserving no thoughtful attention but it should be seen as a call for all of us to throw ourselves into the towel for pensive mood in order to think about how helpful we can be to ourselves. This ultimately, will prevent us from allowing a political blitzkrieg to alter our political equations so that we will not be left in the wake of a despondent and despairing populace and a dazed and disoriented progressive leadership.

Don’t we all need help? I think we all need help, no matter our status. Let me elucidate this claim with my recent encounter with a supposed bum. I was in a car with a man when the man parked to wipe off his car. As we alight form the car, we saw a presumed desolate fellow. He was indeed, a sponger. It was written boldly on his face that he had no home, clothes and money. There are times when one feels generous but there are times that one will just feel not to be bothered. “I hope he doesn’t ask us for money,” I muttered. Surprisingly, the presumed despicable young man did not. He came and sat on the curb in front of the Bus Stop but he did not look like someone who has enough money to take a bus. After a few minutes, he eventually spoke to us. “That is a very pretty car”, he said. He was actually putting on ragged clothes but he had an air of dignity around him. “Thanks”, we responded and continued wiping the car. He sat there quietly as we worked. The much expected appeal form him for money never came. After a prolonged silence, the owner of the car told me to ask him if he needed any help. I was sure that he would say “yes” as I held true to inner voice. “Do you need any help? I asked. He answered in five simple and profound words that I will never live to forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect wisdom from people of higher status and social class but wisdom can as well come from a bum. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. The five words ricocheted off his mind and hit me on my right palm. “Don’t we all need help?” he answered.

Yes I think we all need help. I need help. May be not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I need help. So colleagues, no matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded with problems you are, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. It might just be a compliment; you never know when you may see someone that needs just an ordinary compliment to make the person happy. Who knows may be the bum was just a homeless stranger wandering around the streets or he was sent by a power that is great and wise (God), to minister to souls that feel so comfortable in themselves. May be God said to the bum, “Go minister to that man wiping his car, the man needs help”. Can you see that we all need help? Dear colleagues, purse that exchange of banters over that that plenteous fricassee and ponder on what I have said. Give help, if you can. Someone else will also help you. Think over this gospel, I say unto you. We all need help. Please colleagues, this thinking must be done with historical hindsight and changing historical circumstances, particularly given the heavy erosion that has characterized the inner consciousness or our existence. We all need help. Don’t you?

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