Arts and Life
Humanity! Beyond Money.
By Dr jarlath Uche Opara
People will forget what you said . People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya is a very inspirational writer, who speaks to situations with words creatively couched to soothe lives with hope , vigour and pleasantness.
Each time I see how this world is drifting and the very undue importance we attach to money, celebrating it, honouring it , idolizing it over humanity, the above words of Maya Angelou comes alive. People certainly will forget what you give them (money , clothes, food, cars, houses) etc They may not forget how those things make them feel, nice, important, lowly or dehumanized . Each gift one gives or recieves comes with feelings that get entrenched in ones subconscious, poping up at the most sober moments of ones life.
Life is not about money, food and drink. There are more to life than those transient things which perish with time and their values dwindle so fast. Within a second what looks like life definition, sags and wears away. Humanity and its dignity is key, considering it first in what one does leaves a lasting positive impression to the soul that embraces it. Money, cars, material things are immobilized without humans.
The truth is, the money one gives to people, the gift given, rice shared etc as long as they are not flowing like a living water daily would one day fade off their consciouness , while the warmth of love shared, the eyes of affection locked together, the smiles of godliness, company and jokes enjoyed , no matter how long would be remembered and cherished forever.
Everything is not about money. The warmth that flows through our hands to those in need of emotional support is indelible. The smile we share with those in pains, agony, distress etc worth more than money. The time spent, listening to the gory account of ones life story is more than money.
Stop throwing money to people without having time to share their space. Money is good, but human feeling of emparthy is the best. Stop thinking it is only money that people need. Money is good , human relationship is the best. Stop throwing money at people from a distance, come closer and have a feel of their breath. Stoping treating people like a piece of dirty rags because of your hand out to them. Come closer and feel the warmth of their body.
Money is good and neccesary but not the absolute. In the order of priority, human relationship, cordality, mutual respect come first while money trail behind. A lot money cannot do, human relationship can pull them through succesfully.
Give money but give affection more!
Give money but find time for interraction more!
Give cash to the needy , hungry etc but give love and mutual respect more.
Let not money be the only thing one can give. If it is, one is no better than an ATM machine. They may be in dire need of money, but their worth is beyond money.
They may beg to eat, but their worth, more valuble than money. We are human first and our situation secondary. Cap in hand today, but riding on the back of affulence the next day. Such is life, human is beyond money.
Never get to that low level of your life where money becomes a cherished pot of porridge over the diginity of your humaness. And never either become too engrossed in the flow of money around you to think what people need is money alone.
They need warmth, they need sense of belonging, they need diginity, they need companionship etc. Even in this T-Pain economy, money still isnt the most cherished to those who understand what relationship is. Money plus human relationship the best gift to humanity while money without human relationship, a bomb that would surely shatter the very foundation of our human values
Dr. Jarlath uche Opara
Jarlathuche@gmail.com