New Year Old Problems

As the new year settles in I have been pondering these two subjects extensively lately.....

Youth Disparity

I realize it took over fifteen years to destroy Liberia, and it will take longer to rebuild. Yet, I hate I am bombarded daily with the ills of my society. Knowing in the depth of my heart there is little I can do to change it, and the little I do does not make the intended impact. Liberia was inhabited land of my ancestors; I will not give up on it. Change is coming, and I hope it is inclusive….

I’m Too Young To....

I grew up knowing I was a child of King Zulu Zumba.

My forefathers were gatekeepers of the land.

My mothers had the last words. 

I learned and understood the meaning of life through the Sino and Poro Bush.

My forefathers were strong, independent, and enlightened.

They cherish the land, and the fruits that sprout from its tender soil.

I lived in a home of discipline, love, and precaution.

Today, I am a child of survival. I live a life of destitute.

I live in a home of self-reliance, and inflated pain.

The soil beneath my feet can attest to my struggles, and frustrations as I pound it left to right trying to regain all I have lost.

I wake daily to dread the mornings, afternoons, and nights.

The mornings commence with the unknown.

The afternoons are reminder of my self-reliance.

The night helps me escape from my inflated pain to the days of my forefathers.

I dream of my future…...… I am discipline, love, and enlighten.

Moments of Serenity 

Infidelity

The first twelve years of my life I grew up thinking I had the perfect family, only to find out nothing is perfect. I never saw my parents argue (true to this day), I got along with my siblings, and my immediate family was always there to hear my whinings. We didn’t have everything we wanted, but we had everything we needed. The luxury of having both parents and the privilege of knowing they were indispensable was a blessing. I discovered at the age of twelve nothing is, as it seems. My close to perfect reality was disoriented when I learned of infidelity in my family. I didn’t comprehend at first the possibility of such an act, plus I never ever saw my parents argue! They seem to love each other, they were always together, and everyone knew they were partners. So, how can one partner cheat on another when everyone is aware of their commitment to each other and does not get reprimanded? 

At the time I didn’t think much of my discovery; I thought I made a mistake, but four years later my mistake became a reality. I discovered I had two siblings I never heard off, and I was going to meet them. Disgusted, mad, excited are few words I can use to describe how I felt at the time. While exploring my own trauma I talked to others, and discovered infidelity was not just in my family, or among my friends’ families, but it was an accepted behavior within the Liberian cultural.

I explored the subject with several individuals and was disgusted by the normalcy towards infidelity. Although many concluded it was wrong they showed little or no remorse. The effect of infidelity does not only disorient the family structure but breed individuals with demolishing morals and ethics. How can we rebuild our country when individuals do not respect each other, and consistently repress their moral obligations to enjoy moments of pleasure? Such attitude towards life does not impact individuals solely, but the society in which they live. In response to the normalcy towards infidelity in the Liberian society….

Bartee, OOOOH! Bartee…Bartee!

(Listen, OOOOH! Listen…Listen!)

Men oh men!! Men!.......Bartee.

Men oh men!! Men!.......Bartee.

My fathers, my brothers, my hustlers, my down on the corner chilling peakins.

Every day I am slap in the face with a behavior I detest. I wonder why you act this way.

At first I thought it was normal, but…I later realized no, no, no it is just down right f*** up!

Can’t you see your mothers, your sisters, your big jue are going through?

Inside they scream for you to stop!

They bare your children because they love you.

They endure the pain because they hope you will change.

They stay because our society has adapted this disgusting behavior as the norm.

In the depth of your heart, you know it is wrong. 

It is damaging to your mothers, your sisters, your big jue, but most of all to your children.

I am sick of seeing it, hearing about it, living it….

It sickens me to see siblings that will never know each other.

It sickens me to watch women grow cold in silent hatred.

It sickens me to acknowledge no one is reprimanded.

It sickens me to know it is encouraged, through silence.

It is time for our culture to deviate from cultural norms that take away the essence of who we are. We have to eradicate old practices that are no longer conducive to our culture.

I say to my fathers, my brothers, my hustlers, my down on the corner chilling peakins, STOP!

I say to my mothers, my sisters, my big jue, DON'T ENCOURAGEGARE  IT!

I say to my generation we are our parents’ children, not our parents, CHANGE IT!