THE JOURNEY (Part One)
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Life’s Journey…. our background:
A famous saying tells us that “No man is an Isle”. How True. We share common backgrounds, live in similar cities or rural areas, grow up in families (most of us at least) unless you’re an orphan or destitute.
Oh Yes… an ever growing number of children are left forsaken lately. Be it due to war, displacement, family breakdown, poverty, or just one of the ‘socially tolerated’ reasons for abandonment. Do not forget the devastating influence of Drug Abuse.
It is wreaking havoc on society and destroys anyone’s life journey.
What a bleak picture but Reality nevertheless.
If only of more were by the means to undertakejourneys of a more positive kind, the world would be a better place…
I shall Not here dwell exclusively on the abject poverty which a sizable chunk of humanity find themselves in. Rather I’ll stick to the average experience, which includes my own.
THE Journey of yearning. My quest to understand it all and make sense of the Bigger Picture….
Where did it all begin?
Where are we headed?
From early school days we are taught to respect authority- your teachers, the priests, policemen, elder folk, etc. Schooling, we are told to believe, is our ticket to a better future.
“Not so”, says Robert T. Kyosaki. Refer to his first book, “If you ever want to be Rich and Happy don’t go to school?”.
Surprised?? You bet I am! Or rather I was. When I first saw it. What a Revelation it was.
But then everyone goes to school. We are told “It’s the Right Thing to Do”. But does school REALLY prepare us adequately for our future?
Or does it merely equip us with the bare minimum so we may join the common modern day phenomena, called, workforce. Come and sell your time and labor for a pittance.
At least that is our common lot… a journey to nowhere….
Lucky are the few who are able to attend institutions of higher learning. It merely gives them an edge. How much? Just to earn a ‘little’ more. Nowadays it (college) is pretty much out of reach for many.
Has Your School Journey been Hijacked…?
I attended school. At the time I was never a bright student. For some reason or the other I was included in a group of ‘eligible’ students who sat for an exam, qualifying them to receive a Bursary (to cover the cost of books for High School).
I come from an ordinary worker background. No silver spoon in my mouth . Pretty much the same scenario of the general population at the time.
Was it a pleasant Journey? Thank the Lord I was fortunate not to have been at the receiving end of Total Hardship. The bare basics to survive was there. Some of my neighbors struggled more though.
In my time schools offered a cup of milk and a butter with jam sandwich for all hungry tummies. Leaving home in the morning with little to no breakfast was at least supplemented with a little energy.
But then we also enjoyed a social fabric interwoven as it was with Care which gave a healthy expression to:
‘HELP THY NEIGHBOR‘ as you would have him help you in your hour of Need.
Yet across society a Herd mentality existed (amongst the majority). Most would accepted that they were destined – after school – to land a job, if they were lucky. A few refused to accept whatever limitations there were though, and battled their way to excel in whatever their calling was.
Yet others accepted mediocrity. Languishing in struggle from day to day. Being the underdogs. Stressed out and confused. Looking for a happier outcome but not quite knowing where to start.
A generally low self esteem would rob them of making any significant advances. The social/religious/political Leadership was at best self serving? Feel Free to differ…
When the majority of a population ends up not being able to make it to institutions of higher learning, purportedly their ticket to a better lifestyle, something is WRONG!? There has to be an alternative.
The human spirit for ingenuity is surely not dead! A Healthy Alternative there sure is.
If you you interested to carve out a better path…
Motivated enough to challenge yourself…
And Serious about making a difference!?
Then do accompany me on The Journey to unravel it all….