BAD PEOPLE & DOING GOOD

“Really?” I said to myself as the aged man approached me, I could vividly recollect his face even though it was past 7pm. It was almost the same place that I met him the last time. We met some few days ago, in the hustle and bustle nature of Kwame Nkrumah circle. He was so good at pitching. The last time we met, he said he was going to Nkawkaw but short of GHC2. I hurriedly put my hand in my pocket and gave him exactly the amount. He showed appreciation and said literally in Twi, “If you don’t do this, who will?”

I didn’t give because I had enough but I knew how it felt not to have. Moreover, he is older than my father, so thought to myself, “Why will an elderly person lie?”

I passed by like a dumb person this time. A lot rushed through my mind as I look for the Trotro going my direction.

In the Trotro stuck in vehicular traffic, I slipped the phone into my pocket out of slow internet frustrations.

Then immediately my old buddy came to mind again. My mind was stretched to the time I was growing up. It was a basic untold instruction to collect the load with any elderly person, known or unknown. One could abandon whatever he/she is doing to show someone any needed direction.

Somewhere in February 2014, around the same Kwame Nkrumah circle, I saw an elderly man in front of me carrying his bag. I realized the bag was heavy so I stretched my steps and said to him in Twi, “Daddy, please let me help you”. He looked at me and said “No thanks. I am grateful”. Trying hard to hide his suspicious-look behind a smile. I understood him. People pose like what I just did and run away with bags and other valuable items.

Because of the sophisticated tricks of criminally-minded people, it has become too hard to differentiate between those lying and those who genuinely need assistance. Laziness has also taken over the DNA of some abled body men who adapt all ways to take money from comfortable-looking people. There is a man who is always having some drugs and asking for top up to get the rest of the drugs. Another gentleman who is a ‘student’ at University of Ghana and always misplaces his wallet.

How does these bad people affect your doing of good?

I know you have fallen victim to a couple of such tricks but my question is this, “Are we going to stop doing good because of such people?”

I will say listen to your intuition. Whatever you feel like doing, do it. If you believe in what I believe in, then the Holy Spirit will always minister to you.

All these happen in the DAYS of my LIFE.

THIS IS LOVE.

Somewhere in 2012, I became friends with this pretty lady called Sarah. We met on social media platform Facebook. I was residing in Bolgatanga in northern Ghana then.

Fast forward, I relocated to Accra and destiny brought us closer. I stay around where she works. We became closer as I saw her almost every day after work. We had our own small fights but we were good friends and enjoyed our time together.

The hustle and bustle of life sent me about 700m away from where I was staying. Speaking on phone was strained. I never knew her house; neither did she also know mine.

On the 19^th August, 2014, I called her to pass through after work as I was to wait for someone around her office.

She was point on, “You don’t check on me. I am at the hospital at Batoor in the Volta region” My jaw dropped to my chest. “Had a surgery but I am ok and under observation”

I nearly cried. I was silent for seconds. I apologized and asked how she was doing. “I will call you after work” I told her. Remember I was going there to wait for a friend. It was not really because of her.

As I walked to my desk at the office, I felt 1000% guilty. Technology has made communication very cheap, yet what do we use it for? Instead of using it to build relationship, show love to our relations, friends and people who come our way in life. We use the various social media platforms to spread rumors, malicious reports about people, unconfirmed reports etc.

In my case, I am lucky is doing ok. God forbid, but what if she was gone?

At any point in time, we can remember a friend we have not heard from for like two months. Enough airtime to call and checkup on the person, yet we ignore. If you have all the money you desire, will you be happy sitting on the beaches of Hawaii, sipping coconut juice alone? Man is a social animal and we can hardly function minus other humans around us. We hear of people committing suicide and ask “He had all the money, well doing children, beautiful wife. What did he lack?” Wait till you get there. We have replaced love with greed, hatred, selfish mentality, giving room to loneliness among over 7 billion people in this world.

Everybody is some way bi, let's try to see the good side of people and ignore the weird part. We are all weird.

Your 60 sec call, SMS, WhatsApp message, email or voicemail can put a smile on the face of a friend somewhere who is not having a good day. Pick that phone, login and send that mail, make that contact now!

This is what love is about, not the one that takes us to hell. Let us show concern(love) to people. 

T: @isaacamoyaw
F: Facebook.com/iamoyaw