Do you really care?

When the popular Nollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe, died some years ago, the story that made the rounds was that he had suffered a kidney disease and needed funds, but was too scared to reach out to people for help. Some of you blamed him for dying in silence and some judged it as pride! 

I have also seen on FaceBook where some motivational speakers will be posting things like "speak out, don't die in silence, we are here for you’’, blah blah blah! And, I laugh!                    

                      You know what's missing in today's world? 

Genuine things, Genuine thoughts, Genuine care, Genuine affection, Geniune intentions, Genuine love and mostly importantly Genuine Humans - Emiliya

A few weeks ago, I made a post on Facebook and What’sApp, saying that “I needed help in this period of the lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic”. I can bet, a lot of folks probably saw this post but ignored it. Only a handful of people actually reached out to find out if everything was okay with me. Just a very few of them actually! They went the extra-mile to call and text, and I really appreciated it!

Over time, I have come to observe that as a people, generally, we are far from being as kind-hearted as we want to project ourselves to be. Oftentimes, it is all about ‘’showmanship”. That is why your neighbour knows that they'd rather eat their cold food in peace than come to knock your door to ask for a box of matches, on that rainy afternoon when theirs suddenly goes too wet to strike or is exhausted.

This is why your friend who has had a bladder failure and wet her bed, would rather keep the mattress indoors (even at the risk of it getting rotten!), than bring it out to air dry. That is why some would rather stay indoors and drink garri without milk or sugar for days and keep smiling, pretending that everything is great, rather than opening up to the next person.  

You, yes you that says you care, do you really care? Are you not just saying it to sound relevant? That woman (single mother of three) that approached you for assistance last term towards paying her children's school fees, didn't you turn her down after preaching a long sermon about why women should keep themselves? Didn't you throw in some 'useful' pieces of advice to her about 'how not to be lazy'? That pregnant girl that died having an abortion, would you have taken her in had she come to you for help?

During this pandemic, did you reach out to anyone? Were you able to give out a cup of rice from the one you have? Yes, you that gave out food packs to the less privilege and took a picture of them (without their consent), do you really care? Do you really care or was it just for a good PR and approval ratings from the public especially on social media? Do you really care? The last time you saw that stranded man/woman on the road; did you bother to reach out? Or, did you just assume that the stranded man/woman is one of those co-operate beggars on the road? 

Well, we need a change! What we need is love, real love! That kind of love that is never enough! That kind of love that is so compassionate! So merciful! The kind of love that understands what empathy is.

Let us really have a change of attitude. Let us endeavour to DO GOOD!

xoxo

Gpland

House_of_GP

Contributions from

Emmanuel Ohia and Godspower Dickson