LEGACY: /’l∑g∂si/ (Latin: legatus, Old French: legacie, medieval English: legate
Oxford ALD/The Internet: Something left or handed down by a predecessor.
Life is an interesting thing nature has endowed us with, several times I am always happy and grateful for this great offer I am dabbed with. As long as there is still life, I believe it is more important and full of thoughts to understand what goes on and what is needed to be done.
I grew up in a community, a bracket, an enclosure not particularly talking about a place or an abode, but a strong tie where everybody is anybody and everyone is anyone, where there is a meaning to all life, no matter how simple or calm you look or might look, no matter how hard and strong you think you are, my community contains and will forever contain your short comings. You are always loved, you are always cared for, you are always watched out for, you are always sought after, your success is always a reason for the community to shout for joy, and your pain, a source of thought and concern for everyone, shared by all. No matter how small you are or feel, you are welcome. No matter what sort of thing or matter you are into or going through, the community still holds you in high esteem and sees you forever like their own.
I grew up in a community where LOVE, LOYALTY and FRIENDSHIP is a bond, and a three fold cord that can never be broken and will never be broken. Right from the ages where I am yet unborn, I have heard of how loyalty played out, where friendship is and forever was cherished, where trust was like a stream that forever flows and never runs dry. I remember the days where love was shared, no matter your age, sex or class, where you are loved not because you have it all, or have preference for what you have or less privileged or you are deformed or look different from the rest, you are all treated equally. It does not matter whether you are from, far or near, you are loved, reproved and rebuked by all. Even then, there was an adage that I still remember and rings a bell in my head “Only an eye gives birth to a child, but two hundred eyes look after the child”.
Our growing up was done by all and sundry, we had reasons to be slapped, chastised, beaten, caned, scolded and punished by anybody at any place or venue, depending on the level of your childhood crime or our wrong doings. You can be dealt with by anybody within the community, and when your parent arrives or sees you during this period or having this punishment, they will simply join others in chastising and scolding you, without asking what went down or what caused it, because its all encompassing. Our community lifestyle made some of us who we are now, it brought out the best in us, it brought out the quality of who we are, we had our own level of reasoning, we had reasons to live life to the fullest, we visited farms, had reasons to farm, we knew what hoes, cutlasses and manual labour brought to our land. We have first class experience of agriculture, we had experiences of everything, we had breaks after school, we had time to play and not watch or play with anything, other than members of our community and beyond. We ate fresh fish, fresh veggies, fresh meat, fresh meal and all were the order of the day.
All those passed down the memory lane. I wonder where those ages went to, I wonder where the love now stays, I cry and weep where loyalty is these days. I wonder why friendship has lost its savor, trust is no more, we have lost these days and times, and I wonder where they are at. I wonder and marvel at the wash out that our homes produce now. I seek for community lifestyle even around me, but never found. It's an eye sore when our growing ones cannot stay with uncles or daddies now without being molested, our community has been shredded. Like the black eyed peas, “Where is the Love”? We have nothing in store to extend to the generation after us because we have nothing left to give. Our nation suffers greatly, our lives feel the effect of these legacies we met and all gone in our eyes and era. That’s why I ask and I will keep asking, is our Legacy forgotten or left?
Nigeria
