[FONT=Tahoma]Am walking through an alley and meet this woman, probably my mother’s age-mate. Approaching a puddle of mud in this narrow alley, I stop and step aside to let her pass before I proceed. I don’t think over it. She is obviously my senior and that takes precedence over everything else. However, she also steps aside to let me pass. Am standing here waiting a little longer to let her have the way and she’s also standing there waiting signalling me in a respectful way to go ahead. Now am wondering whats up ee ?
This particular day, I have decided kuchwara a nice fitting blazer so I can kunywa someone with a straw later in the day pale Kaldys over a cuppa hard coffee after a day’s hustle. I made sure to pass by those shoe polishing guys who turned Fiatu Fyangu into mobile mirrors ee ? iKiratu was shining like no one’s business, sijui hio cream wanaekaga nini.
A build up begins to grow behind me and ninjas are like, “Wee masuti si usonge kama hutaki kutembea ?”. For fear of being the victim of a stampede, I rush through and the pack of hounds follow me briskly, some jumping over the puddle of mud, not giving a hoot about this respectful lady pressing herself against the wall. Walking ahead, I looked back and saw that the woman had to wait for all the ninjas to get through before she proceeded.
I realize that, the little heshima I have for people older than me doesn’t really count these days. In this small pack of lone rangers who still practice respect the old way, you will realize that senior citizens who feel not up to scale financially have become timid and no-longer claim the respect they deserve. Financial success is the only success that counts these days. And it usually manifests itself through a good dressing code and other material possessions. Our unofficial National Mantra being “Fake it till you make it”, people will go out of their ways to look good, smell nice, act great and basically be above the average pack to enjoy the best offerings the city has to offer. Since our society really respects those with the quid more than those with wisdom and experience (including experience at doing nothing, trust me, some people are better at idling than you due to years of experience, and that’s worth respecting :D), you find senior citizens referring to guys in their late twenties, to late thirties as “[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma]mzee[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma]”.
I thought that this was part of the reason why this woman looked so timid in her position as she pressed herself against the wall, waiting for these fake ninjas, including me, to get through. For crying out loud, she was my mother’s age and she looked like a decent lady. I have been in situations where senior citizens felt the need to accord me more respect than they expected back, so much that it gave me a great deal of discomfort. It doesn’t mean that all older people are all wise and respectful but, really, before you seek to confirm this, respecting them is first priority.
Money and wealth is really messing up the balance of nature ee ? Si mbaya kuheshimiwa but some of us don’t find it pleasant to be bowed down for or branded titles we feel we don’t deserve more than those who actually deserve them. [/FONT]
I respect rank, and seniority is one of the most important ranks. Yes, I may change my opinion of someone only after further interraction but, heshima kwa seniors comes first. Sprinkle some respek on that age ee ? The Japanese have managed to keep riika alive in Tokyo, why not us ? its in our culture.
Sand sana wakumbwa na wakumbwettes.
