Yesterday's VIP, Today's Stranger: The reality of positional respect

Have you ever noticed how some people are treated like royalty one day and ignored the next day? There's a saying in Ghana that explains this: "Y3 som tumi. Y3n Nsom nipa." This means, "We serve power or position, not the human being in that power or position."

Think about a judge or a politician. When they're working, people open doors for them and treat them with great respect. But what happens when they retire? Suddenly, those same people might walk right past them without a second glance.

This doesn't just happen to important people like judges or politicians. It can happen to anyone who loses a position of power. Ex-wives and ex-husbands fired company bosses, and former government ministers all experience this change. Even diplomats who used to be treated like VIPs can find themselves waiting in line like everyone else once they leave their jobs.

If you want to see this happen right before your eyes, look up videos of chiefs being removed from power in Manhyia, Ghana. They walk in as powerful chiefs, respected by all. But when they leave, they're just regular people again.

So, if you're in a position of power and people treat you extra nicely, remember: It might not be about you as a person. It's probably about your job or title. When that changes, the way people treat you might change too.

This idea reminds me of something the famous American writer Mark Twain once said:

"I am not an American; I am the American. For I am from nearly every one of the older States and nearly every one of the newer ones. The amount of my travel and the breadth of my acquaintance with our people prove this. And in all that wide spread of time and territory, I have found that men are but men, after all; that they are not superior to other men in their moral and spiritual qualifications because they hold high places."

Twain is reminding us that no matter how important someone's job is, they're still just a person like everyone else. Having power doesn't make someone better than others.

So, what can we learn from all this? It's simple: Be kind to everyone, no matter who they are or what job they have. Treat people well because they're human beings, not because of their position. After all, positions come and go, but how you treat people is something they'll always remember.

Remember, true respect isn't about power or position. It's about recognizing the worth in every person, no matter who they are or what they do. That's a lesson we can all take to heart, whether we're in charge of a country or just in charge of ourselves.