HOW DO I TELL THE DEAD THAT THE WORLD IS STILL MOVING?

by Chidiebere A. Okoroji, M.Ed.

I’m not that prolific to start with, but sometimes I just want to be expressive and share my views to the living beings, a very difficult task to do. Humans! The imagination alone shrugs, giving in to doubts of a possible solution to the future problems. How do I tell people that we will all die someday without offending them? I’m struggling with words. I’m struggling at work. Then, I struggle and ponder the reason for life. It’s August already the world is still moving.

I remember Solomon, just like yesterday, we were here together, having fun and planning the future, all of a sudden a news about him broke out — that Sunday morning while heading to morning mass, we learnt Solomon had died. His illness wasn’t disclosed. We still went to church despite the sad news, while in church we mourn him, remembered all his good times, we weren’t bothered of the bad times. We just wanted to keep his best memories with us knowing at that point, no human is perfect about life. Solomon died young, reflectively, he died hoarding on to many dreams.

How do I tell Nnenna that life is worthless in it’s truest form? How do I tell Fabian that we can’t measure happiness, as every moments comes with a swings of moods roaming for clarity of the mind, a restless place for humans? How do I stand firm? Honestly what is dream? If fulfilment is insatiable? What’s interest or passion, if we have to keep pressing to retain or sustain it? What’s living, if death is inevitable? What’s pride, when ego kills? What’s me, if I’m just here for all the reasons and for no reason…

Some time ago, some of my friends preached opportunity and luck to me, as I still wonder why they used such unprecedented words. Their antecedent are archaic and their reasoning is old fashioned. I was calm, though annoyed as they said; “You ought to be grateful for what you’ve become, where you are and the opportunities you have, some aren’t lucky” at this point I wasn’t sure of my respond as I went deeply reflecting on their intentions for such statement and at this point when I’m struggling to understand my existence on earth. The quakes in me, didn’t allow me to dish out my anger, I was calm but not stupid, I knew it makes no sense arguing with someone who doesn’t understand life. Who only see life as a yardstick for opportunities and luck and licks the butts of tomorrow goodbye, as he doesn’t care much about tomorrow or have any meaningful thought to that direction.

The world is moving forward. The world is changing. Years from now, there will be drastic change. People will be force to adapt. Many will be force to die, unintentionally. There probably might be shortage of food. They probably might preach more on peace while the hunger keep strikes. There probably might be an added population, even in the middle of the crisis, the human nature. There could be revolution… It’s possible! We might be witnessing another new world, but this one must gradually fade swiftly. The human race will be forced to do things differently. Many might not survive it. Many might not see it. Even those clamoring for a greener world might die the next day. Many inventors had died and forgotten probably, read in books by those in that field of specialty. Change is constant but human nature is inevitable. Death is death as living is living but the world remain renovated at the cost of human’s existence.

Thanks to no thanks… Everyone is a work in progress but never finished. Everyone is aiming at something but never satisfied. Everyone is a dreamer but always on the run. Everyone is quasi never complete. I could have said something terrible but we always reject it using “God forbids.” We fear earthly condemnation as heavenly race is justified. We are just immortal beings with absolutely nothing interesting or meaningful to give.
No matter how we colour living; sugar quote existence; give meaning to after life— no matter how we try to motivate ourselves; one bitter truth exist, humans must die, and the world must keep moving. We can’t live forever! We aren’t even guaranteed the next meal or day! We aren’t sure of the future! We can’t possibly predict tomorrow, and if you succeed to live to old age, you can’t escape the pain of aging, and then death. Afterwards, we are all collections of memories, with the word, “our ancestors.” My father is now an ancestor, one-day, I will be one.

Wale used to cheer me up about what it means to live a better life, or great life, or a good life. I really still don’t get it! I don’t understand it! Is it that there is a record grading living? Or someone to reward living, or is it the lifetime achievement award or some sorts? Honestly, as much I try to find good in life, and seeing how bad living is, I can’t justify anything— everything is still a mystery and the misery is still metaphoric and rhetoric, so meaningless. I tried to believe in so many things, just to see reason to life, probably, death is scaring, as bad as it is, living is illuminating — you can think and act but, seeing people dying —makes you feel and react… If only there is something somewhere to counter this and give me more reasons to find peace, till then, life is just another missed call, unintentional, unplanned and unpredicted — one can’t explain it clearly. As you live, you find more reason to grief, whether in riches or in poverty, life gives us no second chances. Despite this, the world will continue to move-on, no matter how terrible or suitable living is.