by
Obododimma Oha
Life can be configured as a journey, and along that line of thinking, as a
race, a relay race in which earlier runners have to run fast enough and hand
over their batons to their team members, to put them on the lead. Runners of
this relay race have to have the kind of commitment that could be manifested,
not just in terms of running very fast and leading others, but also not
stopping once in a while to find out out whether they are getting an applause, or
whether those who ran earlier and handed over the batons would run again for us
or tell us how to run. The relay race of life requires running as if the
runner's life depends on it or can depend on it. And it depends on it.
You have to hold it and run and not look around to admire yourself as a
holder. You are holding what others have held or will hold. You are holding
many in your hands. You are holding the victory of many. Yes; you are the one
HOLDING the victory and must deliver it!
I saw this lovely update on Chidi Ugwu's Facebook wall:
"I am my PARENTS' retirement BENEFITS
I will continue to pay up till they die
Take it to the bank
Tenkiu"
So, there are still people who think this way? Are they not
old-fashioned? I thought that school children are going to school for their
parents. I thought that we should dig up
Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe from their cold graves and force
them to continue running the race for us, to condemn colonization and go to jail or be
shot at sight! Tenkiu, Chidi Ugwu and fellow relay runners. It is good to think
of what and how we owe our parents for making us runners, too.
In a normal relay race, one should, as a subsequent runner, start getting ready
to receive the baton when it is handed over. The handing over and the time of
handing over matter a lot. A runner should be worried if the handing over is a
bit delayed. Running to make up for a little delay in handing over is crucial.
Watch subsequent runners getting ready: emotionally, they are not there; in fact,
they are already running ahead. They want the team to lead and to win
ultimately.
It is not wise to keep subsequent runners waiting or ill-prepared. Of
course, they are already under tension and the whole experience of winning or
losing depends on how they run their race. It is not wise to think that the team
of runners is only you. You are contributing to the victory of the many.
Run life; run in life; run for life! Run to the end. If you drop the baton
you are holding without getting to the rope at the end, it is tragic. Tragic
because you have just dashed hopes!
Fine, let us make it clear: run for self; run for family (tree), run for
community; run for nation; run for humanity; run for life. Run, because you
must. Run for the vision, not just for the trophy.
Were ancient thinkers not close to the idea, when they declared: ọsọ ndụ agwụ ike (The race of life is not tiring)? Yes; they declared it for me. The
race of life may be imposed, for instance, none of us signed any agreement to
be born, what more, in a particular family, ethnic group, race, or galaxy. I am
sure that many would not have consciously signed to run for any group or race
or even family. Many would have preferred to be mere spectators, instead of being
born to run for others. Many would not have signed any agreement, or many would
have kept a safe distance from mess in
destinations.
All the same, keep running. It would have been worse if you had refused to
run. It could have been worse if you had to run from running! It is better to
feature in the relay race of life than to live with the shame of not being in
the race at all.
Comments
Eze, Michael