Opinions of Tuesday, 2 January 2024

Columnist: Abdul Rahman Odoi

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In the latter part of 2022, I did contemplate certain acts I need to work on and others I’d have to refrain from, going forward. Though men were created weak, I had to try my possible best.

????????????????????: I have lost some good people and friends. And death as often as it is — always normal until you lose a loved one. I had not stopped being emotionally torn apart after losing my special person, ℝ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? and ???????????????????????? ????????????????. Not long ago it was Scizo, then last four days it followed with Jerry One, my first childhood friend who gave me not just my first nickname (“???????????????? ????????????????????????????????,” ???????????????????????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ????????????????????’???? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? ????????????????, ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????????. ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? — ???????????????? ???????????? — ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????) but indelible childhood memories. Death had taken all of them away.

And so, any plan I did put forward, death was the first item. At any given period, I told my people the people I owe and those who owe me so that whenever I’m gone, I’d not die with and in debt. And I learned to be more conscious about my ℝ???????????? and people. What if I were the next to go and not prepared?

???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? (????????????); If I had learnt any lesson bitterly this year, then it’s TVM. We all know TVM, but still think we have some more time, like we do with death. I remember buying my other Air conditioner (1.5hp) for ₵1,300. By 2022, the price was hovering around ₵1,500-₵1,600. Only for inflation to surge and the price plunged to ₵3,500 and ₵4,000. Imagine I had considered TVM when buying this in the late 2021, I’d have bought like ten units with the money I had and just kept them. That money had not seen any rise except depreciation.

And now it can buy me only three of these units (if the price is 3,500), which it could have bought me seven units some 15 months ago. What I now do is enter into ???????????????????? ???????????????? ℙ????????????????????????????, since it’d help me to evade TVM, unlike medium- or long-term projects. The little I have, I put them into use so that I won’t lose the value.

???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????????: I have seen that I sometimes lose precious hours trying to settle for peoples’ bigoted ideas. Like a racist, an atheist, tribalistic, or hardened ignoramus who when intelligence is being preached would keep arguing in ignorance. One who’s not ready to learn but ready to argue flawlessly. I learn to ‘???????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????????’; they have the problem so they should worry about it. I so didn’t become responsible for people’s ignorance and foolishness.

???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???? ????????????????: Though I claim I accept whatever ???????????????????? has ordained for me, I’m yet to learn to find that peace whenever I lose something precious. Early this year, I wanted to rent an apartment that meets my expectations. But I didn’t get there early so I lost it to another potential tenant. Anytime I pass by that neighbourhood, I can’t hold but think about why I couldn’t get there earlier than the other person did. This is what I’d want to build upon — that even when I lose I’d find peace — knowing that it was written I’d lose and there was no other way I could win.

???????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????: Any time I was stressed, I jumped on Ras Nene’s handles, for laughs. His skits resonate with me because they were the very things we went through as kids, especially whenever he’s acting like a stingy guy who doesn’t want to share his food with others but would go ahead to eat the food of his friends.

And so whenever his friends saw him they began to hide their foods. (???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????????.) Though I don’t understand Twi that well, but with Ras Nene and Mujahid Yahuza Ismail Obeng, their oratory skills make me want to learn. Well, my favorite local language is still Fante.

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