Where did the innocence go

We were told that In the olden days you could go and buy stuff without the seller being around. You can just put your money there in place of say yam and then the owner picks it up later. No one would have touched it. Children were taught to help the old woman carry heavy luggages and to stand up for the elderly to sit in the public bus. Well, yours truly didn't meet that era.

Now in some communities, old people are suspected to be witches and wizards! Some of them are beaten to death while some are locked up in a room with raw pepper to choke them to death. There is now the fear that if you help or talk to a stranger, you are in danger of your money or body parts disappearing or worse still being kidnapped for ritual. 

A family trip to Ghana for two weeks mid year 2012 gave me a little taste of what i had only heard about. My observation was that the people were not overly friendly but they were generally polite and helpful if you requested it. What struck me the most was their ability to trust total strangers. it was not something we were used to. On one occasion, we bought some stuff in a small shop and there was no change. The lady asked if we were passing through the same route again and if so we could come back to pay! On another occasion, we picked a cab from the popular makola market in Accra and on the way we had several unscheduled stops to the bank, the supermarkets, a quick lunch etc. We just assumed that the driver would ask for extra money. When he took us back to the hotel, we waited for it but it never came. We then asked again how much his money would be and he mentioned the same amount as he had charged us from the beginning. It was such a different world from what we were used to. Little wonder even in their remote villages, you had foreigners walking around freely at all hours of the day.

Now i ponder, what really happened to change our own society? What has caused the moral decadence ? Many have blamed it on poverty, greed, our leaders, new generation, even on the movie industry and so on. I really cannot answer the question. However, what i do know is that there is no respect for human life. Everyone is a suspect, everyone is a victim. Innocent, harmless citizens are maimed for not having enough money at home for the night invaders. The bus conductor is out to cheat the passenger, the passenger is out to cheat the conductor. You can't travel some places at night for fear of robbery and rape. The society at large is gradually falling apart!

The solution lies in your hands.

If you dare to be different, it's a matter of time before you influence those around you. By passing on your values, the cycle goes on. Let your thoughts be different, let your approach be different. Don't be typical anything! Dare to be different!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 KJV)

Cheers

Funmi Olutile