When Life Does Not Make Sense
During much of my teenage years, I had quite a simplistic view of life; one that I presume is akin to that of many teenagers and adults. I held the general view that good things happen to good people and that bad things happen to bad people. One of its variations I thought, was that the serious and hardworking student is the one who eventually lands a good job and does well in life.
This outlook on life is expressed in our daily conversions, howbeit in different ways. A teacher sees a truant and wayward student and says: “you will not amount to anything in life”. A parent looks into the eyes of her promiscuous young daughter, and says: “you will not find a good man to marry in future”. Another parent sees his obedient and respectful son, and whispers: “this son of mine will make me proud some day.” Yet another parent looks at his brilliant daughter and says: “she will become a renowned professor in future”. These are all well and good. However, over the years, I have discovered that things do not always pan out as expected.
Today, I see some of my school mates who were truants, rascals, wayward and academically weak and I marvel at what they have become as adults. Some of these persons are great young achievers; lecturers, bankers, engineers and so on. Many such persons have gone far ahead of some of our mates who were brilliant and hardworking students. What changed? One is tempted to ask.
I have also seen people who years ago lived promiscuous lives happily married to the wealthy and prominent. I have heard about many ladies who were sexually involved with several men right from adolescence and who as a consequence had to abort numerous pregnancies, and yet when they got married, they had no problems whatsoever with childbearing.
On the other hand, I have seen and heard of very decent, responsible and hardworking young ladies who are desirous of settling down with decent men who are still unmarried; they seem to only meet men who are either only interested in the money or the bodies; only married men approach them. And their biological clock is ticking. All they need is a godly and responsible man who will love them and be willing to marry them.
Some promiscuous ladies are getting married while the descent and responsible ones are struggling to get married. The noble wife who was chaste until she got married is having challenges giving birth. Some very good women are married to irresponsible and abusive husbands, and vice versa. These are cases of good things happening to “bad people” and bad things happening to “good people.”
I also know some individuals who were serious-minded and hardworking students, graduating from institutions of higher learning and yet struggling for several months and sometimes years to land a good job whereas there are some (who though academically weak) who landed well-paying jobs shortly after school without sweat and struggle.
I know of some individuals who completed school many years ago and are still job hunting whereas their younger siblings are gainfully employed.
I know of others who have worked hard, investing time, efforts and money into advancing their careers who are still struggling to make ends meet; the much-needed progress isn’t being made. I also know others who launched into fame and wealth shortly after launching their careers.
I know of some highly talented award-winning actors and actresses in the West African nation Ghana, who have been in the movie industry for several years but who neither won the international awards nor the acclaim that a child actor had upon the first acting role that landed him in Hollywood. When life doesn’t make sense!
You perhaps know people who are ethically bankrupt and are engaged in fishy deals who command a lot of wealth and are doing very well in business. In stark contrast, you may know persons of excellence, hard work, and integrity who are financially bankrupt, and whose businesses are struggling. These are the stark realities of life, that which my young mind could not grasp while a teenager.
You may be wondering why life simply does not make sense sometimes; why in spite of your best efforts, little progress is made while others get a substantially favorable response when a little effort is expended; why your peers seem to be doing so well in life while you have struggled for years. Well, I do not presume to have the answers. Such questions flood my mind too; why bad things happen to some “good people” and why good things happen to some “bad people.”
When life does not make sense; when the circumstances of your life do not make sense, what do you do? Do you throw in the towel? Do you consign yourself to a life of misery and hopelessness? Do you become angry and bitter? Do you focus on the success of others? Or do you focus on your own race; the race of life? Well, I will focus on my own race. I will focus on making the most of the odds life has thrown at me. I will focus on overcoming the hurdles and becoming better at what I do.
I will focus on beating the odds. I will focus on unearthing and unleashing my potentials and I will focus on outperforming myself. I will focus on a future that seems a mirage but in reality, is possible; a brighter tomorrow. I am persuaded that one day, it will be time and season; it will be my turn to shine. I am getting ready for it. I hope you do the same.
P/S: “I have seen something under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; BUT TIME AND CHANCE HAPPEN TO THEM ALL” (Ecclesiastes 9:11, emphasis mine).
Written by Daniel Dela Dunoo
(Freelance writer/editor, blogger & published author)
Email: dudelda3@yahoo.com / danieldeladunoo@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment