Have you ever wondered why
the question ‘WHO ARE YOU?’ makes many of us lose our composure and start to
deeply think through our responses albeit its simplicity? Depending on the
context in which this question is asked, usually the chain reaction is that of
discomfort, uncertainty, memory lapse and the list goes on and on.
One may ask, why would a
question so simple and straight forward give way to that kind of reaction? Is
it that we are not comfortable with our persona? Are we scared of how people
perceive us? Is it that deep-seated longing for acceptance that then gives way
to fear of rejection? Or is it that we just don’t know who we are?
For some people, it is not
about the perception or acceptance by society that springs up the fear but the
hard realization that we all need to leave a legacy and not just any legacy,
but one that we would be proud to pass on to many generations to come.
Last Wednesday, It was
intriguing when the guest speaker requested that each one of us anonymously
write about someone in the room during fellowship. It was excitement for people
like Tush, who had just been surprised by the unexpected presence of his ‘French
Mentee’ Priscilla Ajiji (thank you for a pleasant
surprise Jiji). For people like IPP Solomon, it was mixed feelings with the
fear of being described by his best physical feature; “the dreadlocks” being
the most dominant. While for people like Mildred, no amount of persuasion by
the guest speaker could convince her to participate in such an exercise.
The guest speaker then
went on to call out individuals randomly and asked each one to let the audience
know who they think they are and later he read out what had been written about
that particular individual. I must say, this made me realize how we often sell
ourselves short. Kind, loving, caring, committed were not the words any one
around the room used to describe themselves. Many went for the more serious
descriptions while carefully avoiding the negative boundary.
Does anyone remember the
priceless blush on Edgar’s face when someone literally poured out their heart
and described him as kind, committed, generous… and good looking? At this
point, the young man could not bear the agony of not knowing who this might be
and requested that the speaker make an exception and reveal the identity of the
individual to which the speaker declined. I must say, I am not certain whether
Edgar was curious about the person’s identity because he wanted to reward the
individual or because he wanted to rule out the fact that the individual could
be either sex. I’ll let Edgar worry about that!
I believe we all learnt a
thing or two from the speaker’s captivating and engaging discussion. Personally,
I was challenged to be that person that not only makes an impact but also
creates change. Think about it, Rotaract is about service above self, about
making better the lives and communities of people who are less privileged than
we are. But what good is a one day medical camp if one week down the road, the
community will still have no access to basic medical care? What good is a
onetime donation of sanitary towels or scholastic materials if one month down
the road these supplies will have run out? There is absolutely nothing wrong in
carrying out a medical camp/donating scholastic materials, sanitary towels etc.
However, this will only create impact for a while that may be forgotten along
the way. So my challenge to all of us is to get more creative and innovative
with our service ideas. I challenge us to carry out more inclusive projects,
projects that will equip communities with skills that will transform a generation. Because while impact is ephemeral, change
is perennial.
In
addition, I would like to challenge each one of us as individuals. The Rotary
platform has given each Interactor, Rotaractor and Rotarian such a unique
opportunity to make a difference in our society and the world over. How have
you taken advantage of this? We have just lost an incredible Rotarian who used
this platform the best way he knew how to; we will definitely miss his selfless
service and leadership (Rest in Peace
RIPE Sam Owori, you fought the good fight
and run the race!). This should bring us to deeply ponder on what our
individual contribution to our clubs and the entire fraternity has been thus
far and what kind of legacy we shall leave. If you were not part of the Rotary
family tomorrow, what would your club miss? What would the fraternity miss?
Change starts with you and me, when we step up to the challenge and bring our
unique contribution to the table.
Join us at Bukoto every
Wednesday at 6pm, Nommo gallery for more insightful and impactful discussions.
