Opinions of Sunday, 30 June 2024
Columnist: Rockson Adofo
A scholar lived in the valley of a town in the Ashanti Region. He was such a gentleman, admired by most people. He was ready to help whomever he could.
He was also helped by others, especially his extended family members, when he moved to the capital city to pursue further education. He was grateful to them and sang their praises when they were there for him in his great times of need.
They offered him free board and lodging. However, for unknown reasons but probably out of jealousy, he became angry and bitter towards the very people that he had a few years ago held in high esteem. A breach of the saying “do not bite the hand that feeds you," of course.
He became like the usual loquacious parrot, running his mouth and insulting them amid invocations of curses on them.
He had become an absolute sociopath, intransigently sticking to his beliefs, which are totally off-tangent.
It was strange that he had chosen to live his life in a manner that would negatively impact his future, that of his children, and that of his wife.
He does not care, regardless of all the advice to the contrary that he may have been offered by loved ones. He stuck to his guns, deceptively believing that he was always right. O, Mr. Right!
What an obstinate individual he was, mired in his obsolete mentality!
He thought he had done people well, but none had reciprocated his kindness; hence, for some time he has been uploading quite insinuating messages and songs onto his WhatsApp status, indirectly for the attention of his targeted enemies, who were not long ago his friends and idols.
What an obvious manifestation of the proverb “friends today, enemies tomorrow”!
Why, when, and how would a person say thank you to another person? Is it not when one is expressing their gratitude to someone for the good that they may have done to him or her?
The man in question had several times in the past said thank you to almost all those he later decided to attack, hurling expletives at them.
However, a Ghanaian pastor called Kwaku Ɔbofoɔ had advised that one dare not insult anyone to whom one had ever said thank you. "If you do, you bring a curse upon yourself," he concluded.
Why now the needless assaults on the intelligence of the persons the man had not long ago been singing their praises? Why is it raining insults on them? Why the issue of threats against their lives by way of praying to God to make their lives miserable, if not take away their lives?
How I would want the man to speak to the facts rather than beat about the bush, devilishly pursuing a colluded agenda to usurp the innate right of the beneficiaries to equal enjoyment of the testament of their late father or grandfather.
Until that man learned to comport himself as a rational being, seeing the sense in any advice, suggestions, or examples presented to him, he continued to wallow in corrosive anger and bitterness, two agents that wear thin one’s health.
The more he cast insinuations about his alleged enemies on social platforms, the more some viewers saw him as ungrateful and an exemplar sociopath unworthy to associate oneself with.
Like a very disrespectful woman going into marriage, she is said to not last long in the marriage as her bad character would sooner bring her back to her parent’s home, as is the fate of the badmouthing man.
If the man were wise, he would get the gist of this and other publications intended for his reformation and upliftment. But because of self-pride and stagnation in narrow thinking, he saw it all as nonsense to his ears.
Anyway, you can take a horse to the riverside, but you can’t force it to drink.
Advice to all those who lopsidedly lent an ear to the man: it is said that when you find an animal sitting on someone, do not say, Leave him, but Leave Us, or else, once it leaves the person, it will come and sit on you.
This is better explained by Martin Niemöller, who said, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”.
Do people now understand why I speak and write about facts, exposing the lies the man threw into the eyes of many who lent him their ears?
From today onwards, I promise to leave him alone. He is free to continue to cast insinuations, distort the facts, and relish in his obstinate self-hurting narrow-mindedness.
However, if he realizes his mistakes, changes for the better, and apologises to those he jealously thoughtlessly attacks (surely, he won’t), they will forgive him and welcome him back into their fold.
Will he seize this olive branch extended to him, an opportunity to redeem his image?
Let me advise myself by the content of the video below to do the needful and bring closure to the issues relating to the man in question who once lived in the valleys of a town in the Ashanti region, surrounded on its four corners or sides by hills.
To my family members and loved ones, I will heed your advice, requesting that I discontinue responding to the verbal attacks and lies told by that holier-than-thou fellow.