Diamond Birth: The Tales of a Bell Boy

It undoubtedly feels amazing to be ‘special’ or at least to have the perception of being special. Turning 29 on a 29^th makes me feel indeed special. A feeling I only find grounded in my weird sense of humour. I guess for many special must be in the big things which by all means should confirm our uniqueness. I seek to tell you an interesting life tale with the intent to inspire you to believe in your uniqueness. I guess for me I have settle my ‘awesomeness’ in the facts of how young I turn today and the date on which I turn such number.

I know a little something about rejection and that makes me wonder if I have the moral right to talk about feeling special. But again who else to guide our fragile humanity to the sacred yearnings of loved but he who knows a little something about the search.

A short while before my 13^th birthday in 2000 is a good place to begin. Unbelievably 16 years ago which makes me feel literally like a dinosaur. I was in junior secondary school, the day of the ‘selection’ of the school’s leadership. I grew in a small town in the Brong-Ahafo region. Our senior prefects for this local authority junior secondary school were revered and loved. For a small town as Duayaw Nkwanta was, been selected as the school prefect for L/A was a big deal. That was about all the honour one could bestow on his family. You may even get lucky with the most beautiful girls crushing on you.

Every year all the students looked forward to that day when the announcements will be made, the day the new Eagles are hatched. The news of who was selected to what position will usually spread in town and you are sure to get some attention if even you were as invincible as I was. The feeling of been ‘selected’ was I guess the best part of it all since it makes one feel special. I looked forward to this day with hopes to at least boost my self-image which had at best eroded under prior life experiences or at worst to find one for confidence which never was. I did believe I could make the school prefect because although I was not the best student (never have been in any class ever), I guess I just believed in hope.

The dread of the moment came in the slightly hilly grooves of our school. The foliage appeared more peaceful as though all the vegetation had settled to hear the call to greatness. The silence was deafening when the teacher finally appeared to make call. The announcement will always start with the most honourable and end with the least remarkable. All the people who had merited the call had been called out separately before the general assembly and everyone waited anxiously for the bell to summon us to witness such hallowed moments.

Of course, my hopes went even higher when I was called as part of the bigger group of nominees. To cut through the long story, the teacher started calling the leader. With my hand literally clutched in my mouth and my eyes closed, praying to the God of my hope that my name becomes the first person. The first name was mentioned and as you may have guessed by now, it wasn’t mine. Still hopeful for the assistant, that again wasn’t my name. The teacher went through all the ‘important’ leadership positions even through the session leaders which was for the average ones. All the session were gone and I had still not heard my name. At this point, I was not only confused but was cold sweating. Everybody in the big group was called but me. There was yet one position and I was the only one left but that definitely couldn’t be I said to myself. Perhaps this was the worst position and it was indeed the practice to give this post to a first year student because it was deemed demeaning. So I thought again maybe a new position had been created for me, yet dreaming of how special I was.

For the first time, recent history had been broken. The bell boy had to be named and ‘tadaa’, there my mine comes shining in lights. That right there, I was frozen in time overwhelmed with a feeling my 12 year old brain could not understand. I remember crying whiles everybody laughed at me, I had not only gotten my hopes crushed but the self-esteem I had sought to find had taunted and escaped me.

I was teased terribly on my way home, although that was not the first time I had suffered such mass ridicule, it is probably the worst. And it was because of broken dreams, a feeling of being special had been flushed out with the force of hurricane Matthew perhaps. I swore never to touch the bell but again I was only a joker who was beaten (literally) into conformity. For the early days, I will not ring the bell and I will be caned in front of everyone as a sign of my insubordination. I was fragile and young, however ambitious and strong willed. My will couldn’t last a week, I had been broken into a miserable helpless child who was at the whip of a teacher who sought to put me in my place for being ‘too-known’. I will pick the bell after several beating only to feel what I looser I was. I rang the bell for almost a year until the next year when a new bell boy was selected, and it indeed did go to a first year student. I did then feel special, but the looser kind of special.

I wonder why I tell this story on my birthday when I am sure most of my mates may have forgotten and this will be almost impossible for anyone who knows me now to believe. I share this because the just ended year was equally humbling. Exactly a year ago, I had the first robbery in three subsequent once. I spent my last birthday missing the few love I will usually get annually. Having been robbed three times in a year, with one at gunpoint, I most definitely must be tempted to fell special for all the wrong reasons again.

For some readers today, you may be beautiful, charming, intelligent, or any such thing that makes you a favourite and likable by many, if not all. By all means enjoy such graces and never be apologetic about it. This post however is for the one person who may have felt the sting of rejection and pain and seeming have nothing to make them feel such special.

The story will definitely not be complete if I fail to share the amazing gift these life realities turned to be. The circumstances were packages of a present, a gift I surely did have need for. I was but blessed with Grit and Gravitas. I learnt to pick the bells not knowing I was learning the value of time. I usually decided to end everybody’s break earlier getting all the backlash and remaining unperturbed about it. I learnt strength and focus from what my young mind had only interpreted as a failure. Grit and gravitas has been the two most helpful gifts I have ever have received judging with the benefit of hindsight. Like diamond these virtues did not come easily and I was privileged it was forged into my very essence before I could even get to be a teenager.

Let me conclude with reflection from Aya Stark from Game of Thrones (Yes, I am hooked too). She is my favourite character in the whole TV show and I am sure many love her too. I love her for her strength, maturity and resilience. Every stories of any hero/heroine that is ever told is a story of extraordinary strength. Do I pretend that the scares of some of these events doesn’t exist? Of course they do but the truth will remain that I have been made a better person because of these events and many other lessons learnt the hard way. To give perspective of how flourishing God has made me from these tough times, I am on my third amazing job in the same space of the last one year excelling at two different expansive and extremely important managerial positions in three banks. Strength I couldn’t have found but for grit and gravitas, lessons I have only have to learn in the corridors of great pain, rejection and discomfort. I share my birthday with you, urging you to hold on and refine you character. Let the diamond forge its might strength in you and discovery shall come. Sooner than you can believe if you did build grit and gravitas you cannot be withheld.  

A Voice for the Unlikely Merger

In 1987, a class action was brought against the Hawkins County Board of Education of Tennessee in the United States of America. This law suit gave a legal voice to the old debate in Political Philosophy, the debate of statehood and religion. In this particular legal action, a group of students and parents under Bob Mozert claimed that the teaching of alternative religion infringed their rights under the First Amendment of the United State Constitution which prohibits the enactment of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing of the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceable assemble, or the prohibiting the petitioning for governmental redress of grievances. Although the court of first instance was of the opinion that the rights of the children and parents were breached, on appeal the decision was reversed. The circuit court was of the view that, the required reading was only to make known the views of others which is necessary for effective citizenry. This article has been inspired in part by the immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey and also some views from readers of my last post, http://theagleswingfoundation.blogspot.com/2016/08/sacrilege-president-rapes-our-spirit_23.html .

Thomas Jefferson established the concept of 'building a wall of separation between Church and State' in his Danbury Baptist letter, https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpost.html, and the concept has evolved to used literally in jurisprudence to delimit the relationship between statehood and religion. Let me be quick to quote some disagreement with such position by notable jurist such as Justice Potter Stewart and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist as pointed by James Hutson in his Library of Congress article- "In 1962, Justice Potter Stewart complained that jurisprudence was not "aided by the uncritical invocation of metaphors like the 'wall of separation,' a phrase nowhere to be found in the Constitution." Addressing the issue in 1985, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist lamented that "unfortunately the Establishment Clause has been expressly freighted with Jefferson's misleading metaphor for nearly 40 years."

I do not seek to argue for or against why religion and as such religious leaders must stay away from politics or nation-building, but I intend to share my own conflicts and lessons as an ardent believer in Jesus Christ and yet one who considers as his life's purpose to be involved in matters of state. 

1. The actual conflict is the battle for minds and hearts. It is without doubt that both politicians and religious leaders aim to have influence sometimes to the point of domination. To effectively do that, the leader's ability to capture the minds and heart of his followers are critical. It is in the light to 'lead' that any strong voice of opposition is seen as a threat. It seems to me that, men of religion and politics thrive as authoritarians if people have less courage to disagree. The presumption of sanctity of both officers as either 'head of state' or 'man of god' is what gives the false confidence of being infallible or beyond the tentacles of an individual's exercise of reasonable conscience. My biggest challenge growing up is having a mind of my own, being bold to disagree with whoever and the ability to preserve the rigour of my own independent thinking. I hope and can only pray that as we draw closer to election, neither politicians or religious leaders shall usurp the will of people by manipulation, but that as individuals we will find our own minds to rationalize among the options and to effectively decide for the state and ourselves.
2. The price of silence is more expensive than we can pay. It is truism that, evil thrives because good people are silent. It is unbelievable the culture of silence and the price 'leaders' will pay to buy such silence. Fortunately for most of us, no one will seek to buy our silence, we sell it ourselves daily. We pay the price buy selling our reasoned opinions to fear of rejection, fear of being wrong and even sometimes a false sense of loyalty to 'party' or 'church' members. I hear in the news an alleged offer for silence and a claim of it haven been sold already. Whatever it maybe, I hope we will all reflect on the value placed on it. I dare say, we all have such value in our opinions. And if we all will be vocal enough and pursue what we believe to be right in reasonable dialogue the cost will be too expensive for anyone to offer to buy. I hope this inspires somebody to find their tongue, to defend what they know to be good.
3. Rationality and confidence does not rob tolerance. It is unfortunate how disagreeing with someone creates a hostile environment, even to the point of insult and fighting. I find it unbelievable that people will automatically attack you because you disagree with them. Maybe it is psychology at work, just maybe in our primary self we are defending our ego and 'value'. May I suggest that, the contest of ideas needn't be aggressive. I hope we can view such contest as scouts aiming to find truth rather than armed guard protecting our walls. John Locke's, A Letter Concerning Toleration, is relevant. He asserts that it is futile to attempt to coerce belief. We can all at best reason our sound judgment but if anyone disagrees so be it, only hope that in democracy majority agrees with you than disagreeing. And for matter of religion let it be between you and your god. I am convinced without a doubt that by cohesion is an effective state. I pray that together we may agree to disagree and by such collectively harness our diversity to nation building.

Let me end here by being as emphatic as I can, I do not belong to any political party. I am only a young man who is curious enough to question everything till I find answers and I advocate for such as I find, hoping that in sharing my reasoning in the honesty of my conscience I may liberate myself and others who are tied to the cloak of others.

Sacrilege: The President Rapes our Spirit

Youth still rages fierce in my blood, of course for a bubbly young man in my twenties it is to be expected. The energy of the youthful, if even at heart, is inspiring. It is for that reason, Mr. President, your election was undoubtedly a statement of hope for me. Your presidency was anticipated to be vibrant with drive towards national development and democracy. 

It breaks my heart to write this open letter, knowing that you may never read it. Hopeful as youth is, I yet write. I write of disappointment however not with you, I am disappointed in myself for hoping for too much. I am saddened that I believed in you and hoped you will be different, even better.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is not political but a patriotic expression. If in doubt, the only public, close to political statement I have ever made was a eulogy of President Mills on my small blog, http://theagleswingfoundation.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-lesson-in-history.html. 

To what end do I rant without course? I write these few words because you just raped the spirit of the constitution for which you are supposed to be the chief custodian. I do not intend to speak of the legality or not of your action, because I am not a lawyer, and there are so many lawyers to analyze the inaccurateness or otherwise of your action. I do not even seek to speak to the political inaccuracy because your opponent will do a better job at cashing in on such, if any. I only write as a believer in leadership and a young man who believed Ghana could be better under your leadership. As a passionate advocate of the idea that we can build stronger institutions and be civilized in the best interest of posterity, your decision to remit the sentence of the contemnors is heart-breaking to say the least.

By all means, Mr. President, exercise your constitutional right in Article 72, I only hoped you averted your mind to the precedent you were setting. How different is this pardon from any of the political ones we have seen in this country? How innocuous is your action for which you must be worried for such? I only notice three things you may not have intended but posterity will hold you a failure at, these are my thoughts in my simple mind:

• First, you abused the very currency of democracy, Trust! The whole system runs on trust, trust that state institutions are authorized to act in good faith, to protect all of us. Such trust exist because, the Judiciary keeps that trust as the final arbiter. The seemingly impartiality and appearance of apolitical judiciary is the life-line for any democracy. It is obvious no one disagrees on such gross misstatements of the contemnors for which trust in its sanctity had to be restored. To purge themselves, they were ordered to 4months in prison. Your action directly says, ‘You cannot trust the final arbiter to be right’, the executive for whom we know thinks in circles of 4 years, for good reason, cannot be left with such sacred responsibility to guard ‘trust’. Mr. President, your breach is philosophical, you have made a clear statement of distrust of the judiciary, and your actions drives them right into the politics which is unfortunate. How did you do that perhaps? You did that exactly by remitting the sentence of persons who claimed they will rape and murder the custodians of our sacred trust, a side no one needn’t support but for political gains, it hurts that you undoubtedly supported such a side.

• Secondly, you failed the leadership test, Grit! I will not pretend to understand the political pressure you were faced with. We all however appreciate this is an election year with a lot at stake. Indeed you were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea and such battle to satisfy electorates cannot be underestimated. This is a trap no leader wants to be caught in, but in my humble opinion, this was your true leadership test. I hoped you will hold on and at least persuade your supporters to the end that, nationhood is bigger than the executive, and such an act will not only be scandalous but usurping the judicial powers thereby weakening such an institution no one will dare.  I hoped you will not interfere if even it proved to hurt politically, that you will not choose the part of least resistance, that will persevere for the sake of the state but clearly you deserted your sacred vow to defend mother Ghana when it needed you the most to protect it and insulate it’s lady justice from political invaders. 

• Finally, Mr. President, you just entrenched the already flourishing culture of impudence under your reign. One that says, find a shield in political party’s card and you are untouchable. Unfortunately, I tend to believe wielding a party card is more powerful than a national identity card. A reality your great grandson will wish you had not supported. It is unfortunate I rage about flourishing impudence when ‘Yentia Obia’ is still on the playlist.

Dear Sir, I have written this with great hesitation and in ultimate good faith, hoping that all the many financial scandals for which we have seen little action were your worse legacies but to have remitted this sentence, you consolidate an unfortunate memory for youth leadership.

Mr. President, let me end yet with tears, hoping that you can redeem this evil you have caused. I hope all Ghanaians will reflect on this, that all partisan and nonpartisan Ghanaians will ask ourselves, if the judges were our mothers, and such threat of rape and murder were made, will we not do anything? Of course we will, some of us may sue for threat of death, some even break the law to defend our blood. I dare say, the judiciary-in every sense is the mother of democracy for all progressive states, and in this particular instance our mother was not only threatened, she was abused. Heart-wrenching as the reality is, the father who swore to protect her, raped her for punishing the wayward child who abused her. Her spirit in whose light the letter of the constitution is construed just got violated by her very First Gentleman.