Some people do not like making resolutions. They do not like to keep promises that cannot be met. This is the same dilemma that I find myself in. To be free from the troubles, I would rather avoid listing out a set of dos and don’ts that I cannot honour. Making of New Year resolutions can indeed be problematic.
We do not need a soothsayer to tell anyone of us that all is not well with our dear country. Is this the way things would continue? No. What then can we do as individuals and groups to bring about the change that we badly need? To continue to keep silent and doing nothing is to say everything is fine and postulate that we should maintain the status quo and continue with the rot.
This is my turning point that I should become this change agent. To start with, I would begin to drive with caution. No more over-speeding, excessive honking, driving with invalid documents and against the traffic; whether on busy roads or deserted ones.
No more joining of reckless security and patrol convoys to evade hold-ups. To keep doing this is like taking an advantage of my fellow citizens. Why not wait until the traffic is clear and drive alongside other motorists rather than driving carelessly? To continue behaving this way is akin to road terrorism and partaking in the same lawlessness that we blame our leaders for. How then am I different from them? Perhaps, the only difference is that I am yet to assume such a leadership position and trample upon the rights of the common man. It is high time I started asking after my neighbours, family members, friends, and colleagues that once needed my attention, but I chose to neglect them in the past.
At times, what these people require from me may not be money or material needs. Words of encouragement, visitation, or telephone call can save lives and make someone happy amid their trying moments. With a new disposition, there is no need to sit on the fence any longer. With my strong conviction, things would begin to change for the better when credible, competent and capable candidates are elected. I must be active in realising this desire for my dear country. My docility reminds me of the danger of sitting on the fence, as depicted in literary piece titled, ‘The Fence’ and authored by The Gambian poet, Lenrie Peters, who uses the proverbial ‘fence-sitting’ as a yardstick to allude the poet’s inability to cross the fence or take decision by being in a state of dilemma and confusion for ‘sitting on the fence’.
In the poem, Peters states that, ‘there where the dim past and future mingle, their nebulous hopes and aspirations there I lie. There where truth and untruth struggle in endless and bloody combat, there I lie. There where time moves forwards and backwards with not one moment’s pause for sighting, there I lie. There where the body ages relentlessly and only the feeble mind can wander back, there I lie in open-souled amazement. There where all the opposites arrive to plaque the inner senses but do not fuse, I hold my head; and then contrive to stop the constant motion. My head goes round and round, but I have not been drinking; I feel the buoyant waves; I stagger. It seems the world has changed her garment, but it is I who have not crossed the fence, so there I lie. There where the need for good and ‘the doing good’ conflict, there I lie’.
The poet’s dilemma is further reflected in the constant use of opposites ageing body and active truth, mind, and trust in backward and forward forms as well as the good, bad, past and future with several images to illustrate the weakness, indecision and the attendant effects of such moves. Borrowing from Peters’ counsel, I would never partake or abet rigging, electoral malpractice, or fraud. Hopefully, more fellow men and women would join me and be equally passionate at enthroning quality leadership at all levels for our nation. I would discourage people from littering the environment with waste, especially at the night. Certainly, there are other things that I hope to do towards making a difference in this New Year that are too numerous for me to reel out. Notwithstanding, I would be wary of both my actions and inactions.
Rather than seeing law enforcement agents as enemies and bad people, I would cooperate with them to stamp out cultism, kidnapping, senseless killings and other crimes from the land. Adequate attention should be devoted to bringing up cultured and disciplined citizens. Beyond fulfilling the New Year mandate, my pledge would transcend the new month, but continues thereafter. I would be constantly reminded to be firm and take a decision between need for good and ‘the doing good’ conflict, as Lenrie Peters suggests. I would struggle not to waver in this arduous task of pursuing a noble cause. It is truly the time to make a difference.
