.jpg)
The person who just asked that question is driving a new car - probably one of the newest models of whatever brand (I'm not too keen on brands if it's not Mercedes, BMW, or Range Rover), and there's 'poor' me - at least the person thinks that, otherwise he/she wouldn't be so arrogantly asking me that question. I'm driving my classic Mercedes 230, that has never let me down- sure we have a couple of dents here and there, but still in very good shape if I do say so myself.
I'm wearing a pair of faded jeans and a shirt with no label (or maybe the label got torn off, or something- who cares!), not sure if I ran a comb through my hair this morning- ok I probably did, but knowing the nature of my hair, it has probably coiled itself back into knots.
Yea and lest I forget, on the car is a sticker that identifies the owner as being a graduate of one of those overseas universities - so yes, maybe we are not educationally equal? Yea right, bite my head off. I mean I graduated from the Lagos State University, (I'm very proud of my alma mater) and from where I am standing, if you were to judge by listening to us talk, I should be the one with the University of ...(any fine university you know overseas would do).
I spent my secondary education at Queens College Yaba, Lagos, and boy didn't I meet a mixture of human beings (from the daughters of governors, magnates, judges etc to the daughters of janitors) and well, quite naturally the segregation was clear in some quarters; yet there were some very humble 'rich' girls, daughters of some powerful men. I will not particularly forget this certain lady (whose name I won't mention for obvious reasons). She is the daughter of one of Nigeria's past presidents, but her humility was so divine, it was almost unbelievable.
Oh well, that's life. Quite a number of us have experienced such outbursts, where people go ahead and start asking us if they know who they are, like it matters.
Even if there are no outbursts, there is a certain aura about them that says "I'm better than you because I've got this and this and that". You know them when you see them. They walk only with their own kind, sharing jokes and making fun of the 'lesser beings'. They live by a set of criteria, sizing up anyone who wants to be in their circle, and if you don't match up, well...
I mean so what if you've got a fleet of cars at your disposal, a huge satellite on your lawn, a string of degrees (1st, Masters, Doctorate) that were not obtained on Nigerian soil, and you're related to one someone in the presidency, or one of those oil and gas moguls and yada yada yada.
Last I heard, we poop the same poop, yours isn't gold, or can be recycled to something of value, otherwise we probably wouldn't have heard the last of how much worth your s^*%t is. Truth is, you and I are going to end up the same way- as a pile of dust; and I haven't heard of it yet, but it's going to be the same dust - brown. Yours isn't going to be gold, or silver or platinum; all your wealth and assets won't follow you after you lose your physical form, so what's all the fuss about, like why do I really have to know you? So I can tremble at your feet and lick your boots?
You've got it all wrong, and the earlier you start to get it right, the more life will make much sense to you.
Sadly though, these people also pass on these false values to their kids and it just goes on and on.
I thank my parents for teaching me the value of living an honest, humble life and learning not to worry about where and how one was educated. I thank my husband for also being a constant example of those values, and for continuing to teach me.
We waste too much time on inanities and material gain. We are constantly trying to outweigh each other, indulging a race that isn't even worth running.
Now I am not saying that wealth acquisition is bad, No! Just don't make it your priority in life and a yardstick for your interactions with others.
In the end, the preacher has said it all: "All is vanity."
