It is exactly five months today for which reason I decide to publicly share this experience. An experience that comes as close to my 'Twifo Praso Saga'.
Life has offered me many graces, yet this two tales are my best bet of conceptions of greatness, focus and an honest appreciation of the fleeting nature of life. I write to share my experience of yet another rebirth, a birth of purpose and courage to pursue same. You can catch up on the first experience however by following the link (http://theagleswingfoundation.blogspot.com/2014/06/twifo-praso-blood-bath.html).
It was a Saturday, I drove into the house at about 9:30pm. It was a beautiful calm evening and as usual I was enjoying good loud music. I had parked my car still in pretty much high spirits enjoying the rhythm of the music still in my mind. As a single man who lived alone, I had to go lock the main gate to the house after which and whiles still dancing and walking towards my room, the dread of the moment struck. The terror sent chills down my spine and whiles lost in the moment, there my life had been subject to the test of death yet again, howbeit this time not by an accident but by the wills of young men like me. In about the longest few minutes I have ever endured these were my lessons. Permit me to share the lesson after which I will conclude the story.
- In helpless moments, choose your battles. Here I was, hurled to the wills of one slender teenager who is barely nineteen years, a well built mid-twenties young man under whose leadership I assume I suffer such terror and yet another who I cannot recollect. These three young men and possibly more had overpowered my will and completely rendered me helpless. I had to decide whether to fight back and perhaps die with pride or elect to surrender in bruised ego and apparent shame. A decision which many of us face daily in varying forms. The noble pursuit and obvious teaching of many are to fight on and die with dignity. I cannot remember how many times I have admonished and written, 'do not surrender, fight to the end.' I will not deny I was tempted to follow my sermon and the many of the noble motivators. To watch such impudence, fighting was a better cause than my ego and pride been wounded. In the frozen state where I must elect a thought among the many flashes, wisdom whispered, choose your battles. In as much we might want to win every time, there are days we are just ambushed or perhaps the circumstances are just not something we are able to deal with yet. The lesson is in strategy, loss some battles to win the war! Cut down your loss, objectively consider your strength in the battle and retreat to your standard to regroup if you must. Yes, it is surrender but it is living to fight yet another day. Do not die and lose the opportunity to win because in your death indeed is no gain.
- Do not settle for a broken system. I had heard many times how broken my beloved country was and of course have had course to believe same when I was processing my passport and driving license. But I was yet to see the extent of our ruins. I called the police that night on their hot line, still under the dark sinister clouds, shivering, angry and distraught, I could barely say much after reporting the incident. A relaxed man at the other end of the line, I am sure has a pot belly and pretty much carefree retorted, 'Why are you caught up in such awe, master you are not a woman'. I wish I was a feminist in the moment but I was less in shape for such a stretch. I would have understood if the man didn't know what had happened and as such only wanted to know, but he had just being told, or perhaps my ideas are utopia seen in American movies, where the 991 receiver reassures, calms down the caller and solicits all the relevant information. The exact opposite was happening and I was wondering if the telephone experience was worse off than what I had just encountered. Assuming he is just a jerk who needs to relax, I let it go after which I got very good police people calling that night to ensure everything was alright. Two subsequent incident led to me resolving not to accept Ghana just as it is. I went to the police station the next morning to officially report and the police person said, 'Master do not blame the young men, blame the economy and unemployment'. Here was an officer of the law justifying breach and I could hardly appreciate. He had effectively said, usurp somebody's will so far as you are inconvenienced and that is just fine. Five months down memory lane and not one clue to resolve the apparent mystery. I had a phone I could track but certainly not for long and again, the mobile network had terrible network to provide a stable network and apparently when you indicate a named street on google maps, not many of us know, not even the police sometime. It is in such systemic failure only the victims can appreciate and rebuild. After experiencing such terrible customer service, complete carelessness, deprivation of justice, failed internet infrastructure, terrible road networks and the many unfortunate realities we live in as Ghanaians daily, I resolved to pursue change. For which reason, I pray we will at least vote for wise people.
- Let every unfortunate experience count for a new beginning. I speak of rebirth because from the memories of that day, I learnt from my loss and life goes on. I licked my wound and just kept moving on. Five months on, the loss still counts but it has only served to make me more determined and focused, counting my days and learning wisdom. Being relentless and accepting no mediocrity. I am living life each day at a time and so should all who have suffered any adversity.
In concluding, I was robbed and my car which is the inset picture was stolen. It was about the only property I had. I depended heavily on it and had books and significant parts of my life in it including my passport. I am yet to find it but the pain of the loss is not greater than the lessons for the future it presented. In the moment of loss I share with you a gunpoint robbery, yes like in movies where you are not sure if the two warning shots were their last or perhaps a third shot will pierce your skull. In the moment where I thought my life had ended for yet another robbery gone bad, these were the lessons I walked away with. I pray as a nation we will not tolerate such impudence and I hope together we will build a safer, prosperous and humane Ghana, one that is far better than the mess we call home now.
