EMBRACE THY NEIGHBOUR

Before anything, my valued reader, allow us to kindly observe a moment of silence for the dearly departed Peggy Adhiambo.

Frankly, I still refuse to believe that she has left us; such a lovely, lively young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, who sought nothing more than to spread joy, love and kindness - a quirky girl who also happened to be a Fashionista.. a Diva ..a Friend ..a Confidante.

And yet, and YET... I act despicably, hypocritically, shamelessly!

Yes, she was a dear and, in fact, irreplaceable friend.. but only for the brief moments we shared together.. after which I took little if any initiative to foster, let alone preserve, our companionship.. on the pretext perhaps that she should have included me more in her life, or simply that the opportunities never revealed themselves.

And so this is a classic case of the highly inimical, inexpedient human habit.

 

 

A defect that spares no one, not even you, my esteemed reader.

 

However, before I delve any deeper into the hominine inadequacy, I am compelled, and even obliged to speak out against an equally disquieting (and contemporaneous) turn of events: The signing and effectuation of a most inhuman and outright irrational law: The infamous Ugandan anti-gay bill.

 

To live next door to such draconian rule, that so easefully assents to this retrograde bill.. based purely on fallacy and shamelessly endorsed by narrow-minded rulers..

 

 

To break bread with a country that inequitably deems "homosexual acts" as crimes punishable by life imprisonment, on the pretext that this sexual orientation "was learned and could be unlearned" as Mr. Museveni would have it..

 To feel trapped and in fear for one's life daily

 

It's heart-wrenching.. and to think that we (Kenya) mirror the same gutless idealism; it is in a word 'unsettling.' Take heed, however, that I speak solely from the vantage point of a sympathist. One stirred by the cause..

 

And so.. pondering upon this embittering issue, I take this as a call to arms for us all! For the international community to press upon the breach of human rights of a silenced minority in a tyrannical land. For the Ugandan authorities to proactively review the facts on this scarcely comprehended minority and to effectively acknowledge its plight.

 

And above all.. for us to pay more attention to those around us.. the Peggy's all around us.. that seek only to generate connections, to be loved and to love; For us to accept and embrace them, irrespective of their individuality; and furthermore to cherish them while they are alive and kicking, to essentially 'make hay while the sun shineth' ..because we don't want to be sorry tomorrow.. as I am ..today.

 

A painful lesson that demands painful application.

And so the question that hangs in the air is, are we willing to step out of our comfort zones, for the greater good?

You tell me.

Regards,

Jude.