And So Is Life

Mr Asare originated from a time, when machines were not yet dominating the lives of human beings. Men took pleasure in crafting objects and things with their bare hands. Moreover, the spirit of truth and honesty was still roaming freely amongst men. It had not yet taken flight or deserted the earth altogether. Children looked up to their parents for counseling. And the parents provided this counseling to the best of their abilities. Families exhibited strong cohesion and society exhibited less confusion. Men were free to take upon themselves as many wives as possible. All because, a single wife was considered not generous enough. Moreover, a man's social status was not only measured upon the quantity of his earthly possessions, but also on the number of his wives. Of course, there were also other men, who believed that they had only one heart to lose. These particular men swore their eternal allegiance to one woman and live contentedly. It's overly argued that children to some extent take after their parents. An inquisitive father is more likely to beget a scientist. A lover of books is also more likely to beget a writer. An orator might give birth to a great exceptional spokesperson. These are some of the few examples. See, humans are fashioned by nature to pass on their genetic codes to their off-springs. These genetic codes include everything from our innermost selves, addictions, character, emotional baggage and our mental state of being. In essence, our children are more or less the continuation of ourselves. They take after our personalities, physical features, fears and also our hidden secrets. Mr Asare was considered a good man, and a decent father by most of the people who knew him. He was always there for his friends and family. He also supported his twelve children, together with his four wives to the best of his abilities.

Of course, Mr Asare was a man just like any other man. And like any other man, he had his own shortcomings and secrets. One particular secret which he had, and kept closely hidden to himself was his self-loathing. His lack of self love. Mr Asare would look at other people's children, and think that their children are better looking than his. A great carpenter by trade, yet he couldn't love nor even appreciate his own handiwork. He would look at himself in the mirror and curse his own features. "Look at my nose-look at how big it is" he would say. "Look at my hair-look at how kinky it is." "Why must my skin tone have to be so dark?" "Why must my country have to be so darn hot?" "God, I hate myself-please take me away from here" he would say. In fact, Mr Asare was truly blessed, only he couldn't see pass his self-loathing to appreciate all these blessings which surrounded him. He never quite over came this false illusion, which he sadly had of himself.

Regrettably, he passed it on to his sons and daughters without knowing the full consequences.

Mr Asare's children grew up manifesting the same hatred of self, which their father has been struggling with all his life. They to would be overheard complaining negatively about their own surroundings and features. They would exhibit lack of confidence and trust in all their endeavors. They would look somewhere else for a so-called better life, even it means risking their lives and humiliating themselves. Mr Asare, now an old man, looks at his children with weeping eyes. He knows that he has failed them. He sees his children leaving one by one to foreign places, where he knows that they would be treated like slaves. His children's lack of self love would arrest their developments. Because he knows, o yes he knows from his own experiences that; as it is within, so shall it also be without.