Life can be innocently interesting saddled with riddles, rhythm and rhymes. We are all actors on the world stage. Yes, we are! The difference between us and professional actors is that while we act real, they sometimes (when at work) act fiction. By and large, we are all actors. I can tell you from my observation that all humans are the same but conditioned by their environment and prevailing tenets in their locality. Your confine confines you to behave in the way you do but most especially, the value system you choose to imbibe is principally responsible for how you show up. That’s why racial or tribal profiling is not only meaningless but extreme foolishness. There are only good or bad human beings, simple. There would have been no clamour for “Black lifes Matter” if we all know and act ‘in-tandem’ in demonstration of our equality that “All lifes Matter”.
Why is there so much blood letting in our world? Why is there so much crave for money, comfort and power? To what end? While it’s great to aspire and to have, why do so at the hurt and detriment of others? Why steal the commonwealth only to die unsung where illicit wealth “lost the saving power” it never had? I pulled a call to someone recently and while chatting, we reflected on something that “strucked” me profoundly. It is the fact that those who have peace of mind hardly age. Do you agree? As we reflected, we felt this observation have medical basis in that it is propounded that those who are happy (smiling) have their facial muscles more relaxed while those who are often angry exercise theirs many times over leading to ageing. Then came the question, what about those who are wicked and not ageing? We figured out that it could be wicked acts that gives them happiness. Why will someone be happy hurting others? Hmmmm….there are good actors and bad actors.
Puzzling – at the same time – is the fact that those who hurt others most times protect, defend and love their family. For example, Evans (the notorious kidnapper) actually relocated his family to safe haven about the time he was caught by the law enforcement agents. To his family, he was a ‘good man’. What a life? In the same vein, highly revered General Abacha’s family and acquaintances defends his goodness to high heavens but to some Nigerians, he was an “usurper of the throne who ruled with iron fist”. He was so dreaded (or was it down to his benevolent act?) in his days that five (5) political parties endorsed him as their presidential candidate in an election that he was supposed to preside over as the umpire. Unbelievable! How dramatic is it when folks are reminded not to speak ill of the dead but the dead cared less what you say to their faces when alive (at least judging by the choice(s) they made acting in their role)? Our prejudices are symptomatic of our acting prowess. Can’t you see that we are actors indeed?
Recently, I read a book – “Jokes Apart” – by Julius Agwu a veteran stand-up comedian and actor. In “419 comes to Nollywood”, he narrated a real life story of how a young man came to town as a producer of “Mirage” (supposed title of his film in collaboration with Warner Bros)”. He succeeded in fooling the entire Nollywood system – including the great and mighty – feeding free on caterers while conducting auditions for Mirage that never happened. Before they knew it, he had disappeared without a trace after some of them had spent the US dollars they never earned “Acting Mirage”! What an act? On your part, choose how you act well on this global stage. You are as insignificant in size as COVID-19 is to you in comparison to how you are to the world. What you do or what you give may eventually have such a huge (but positive) global impact. Be conscious and be deliberate about how you want to be remembered when you’ve left the stage. Even if no one remembers you or your works afterwards, choose to die acting well and hurting no one (at least try your very best). Die in peace so you can truly rest in peace. Live as a man or woman of conscience. Act well, don’t act mirage. Bye for now and all the best!
