By
Obododimma Oha
I traveled to our village to join my kinsfolk in performing the annual ritual of sending the old year packing and ushering on the brand new year. That gave me an opportunity of listening attentively to the village, to learn from the village. It was in the process that one of our kinsmen who was overwhelmed by the litany of misdemeanors associated with contemporary social life exclaimed: "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" (The illness is the human being"). Yes; the human is the epidemic, even the pandemic. I thought that it was a personal expression made out of shock. But I heard the expression again and again from other people as I navigated from age-grade meeting through marriage ceremony to burial. The human is the disaster!
This expression may be amplified, even serving as dysphemism, but the main point is that humanity has failed woefully and the maker should think of changing the technology. Listen to the human being! Listen to what the human is saying and tell me if it was not a grevious error for this technological product to be speech-using. Look at how the human is behaving and tell me if it is not an insult to animals to call that thing an "animal." Indeed, "mmadụ ka a na-arịa."
I am glad that the expression recognises that there is an illness out there, an epidemic! It is important for humans in society to attempt a diagnosis, even of speech, to realise that "mmadụ ka a na-arịa." A good diagnosis is always important in a medical treatment. Treatment? Hold it there! And do not be frightened. We will find a cure. It is not a Corona Scare! Where there are sincere physicians, there is a sound treatment. Provided the "treatment" is not itself a symptom of illness!
If we listen attentively when somebody is speaking, it is possible that we can initiate a diagnosis, provided we are not ourselves infected. There are many ways of getting infected or submitting to contamination these days. Anyway, whenever the human opens the mouth, throw in the hook and catch the nonsense swimming! There is always a swimmer to catch with your adventurous hook! But you must be ready to listen attentively first to catch the swimmer. If you scare away the swimmer, you will catch nothing! That is also an illness!
"Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" and society is a big hospital. The society is where the human hopes to be treated, but is re-infected, even by self. So, it is an endless cycle! The infection is also the treatment! Imagine!
When the human is now virused, it has become an obsolete technology and should be discarded. The terrible part is that the human does not even know that it is a form of technology and is dangerously virused. That ignorance is itself a form of illness! So, "mmadu" in terrible ignorance "ka a na-aria"!
Whether in leadership or ordinary social life, the illness is taking its toll. Exile may not be the solution, neither could hermitage. The illness of the human would spread to hermitage and ruin it. The illness of the human would get hold of exile, even internet exile, and bring it to familiar discomfort. Once the human is the patient and the illness, forget it. The treatment is futile!
" Mmadụ ka a na-arịa " in government; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in education; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in commerce; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in religion; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in everything!
Obododimma Oha
I traveled to our village to join my kinsfolk in performing the annual ritual of sending the old year packing and ushering on the brand new year. That gave me an opportunity of listening attentively to the village, to learn from the village. It was in the process that one of our kinsmen who was overwhelmed by the litany of misdemeanors associated with contemporary social life exclaimed: "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" (The illness is the human being"). Yes; the human is the epidemic, even the pandemic. I thought that it was a personal expression made out of shock. But I heard the expression again and again from other people as I navigated from age-grade meeting through marriage ceremony to burial. The human is the disaster!
This expression may be amplified, even serving as dysphemism, but the main point is that humanity has failed woefully and the maker should think of changing the technology. Listen to the human being! Listen to what the human is saying and tell me if it was not a grevious error for this technological product to be speech-using. Look at how the human is behaving and tell me if it is not an insult to animals to call that thing an "animal." Indeed, "mmadụ ka a na-arịa."
I am glad that the expression recognises that there is an illness out there, an epidemic! It is important for humans in society to attempt a diagnosis, even of speech, to realise that "mmadụ ka a na-arịa." A good diagnosis is always important in a medical treatment. Treatment? Hold it there! And do not be frightened. We will find a cure. It is not a Corona Scare! Where there are sincere physicians, there is a sound treatment. Provided the "treatment" is not itself a symptom of illness!
If we listen attentively when somebody is speaking, it is possible that we can initiate a diagnosis, provided we are not ourselves infected. There are many ways of getting infected or submitting to contamination these days. Anyway, whenever the human opens the mouth, throw in the hook and catch the nonsense swimming! There is always a swimmer to catch with your adventurous hook! But you must be ready to listen attentively first to catch the swimmer. If you scare away the swimmer, you will catch nothing! That is also an illness!
"Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" and society is a big hospital. The society is where the human hopes to be treated, but is re-infected, even by self. So, it is an endless cycle! The infection is also the treatment! Imagine!
When the human is now virused, it has become an obsolete technology and should be discarded. The terrible part is that the human does not even know that it is a form of technology and is dangerously virused. That ignorance is itself a form of illness! So, "mmadu" in terrible ignorance "ka a na-aria"!
Whether in leadership or ordinary social life, the illness is taking its toll. Exile may not be the solution, neither could hermitage. The illness of the human would spread to hermitage and ruin it. The illness of the human would get hold of exile, even internet exile, and bring it to familiar discomfort. Once the human is the patient and the illness, forget it. The treatment is futile!
" Mmadụ ka a na-arịa " in government; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in education; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in commerce; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in religion; "Mmadụ ka a na-arịa" in everything!
Comments