The Lion King | 49
Experience
S
itting at a friend’s funeral recently,
as I listened to the admonishing
words of a preacher, I did a little
introspection; “what would I be remem-
bered for?” Would it be for any great
ideas I conjured? Would it be for any
goals achieved? Would it be said that
I was a role model, swiveling around
all the time on my seat and if need be
on my feet to ensure that someone’s
parting shot is a nod and a wink?
It was a moment of truth for me as I
re-examined the man in the mirror. And
this was what I was doing as my friend
got lowered into his final resting place,
six feet below the earth, alone.
Crying their eyes out, were his children
and wife. As much as they cried, it was
a journey that they could not accom-
pany him on. Unlike the many journeys
they have travelled in the past; this, he
had to embark on alone. The things we
consider so important, at this point, had
no meaning. It was a journey science
has no tools for. Man’s knowledge,
sadly, comes to a stop at the foot of the
grave.
With every day of our lives come new
challenges that call for an adjustment
of our thoughts, a fresh sense of resolve
to tackle things differently or to confront
circumstances in a new context. As all
this is done, our days are marked with
new understanding that life is such an
untenable burden. Can we still voice
our outrage about what ought not to
be with the same prudence in temper-
The Man in
the Mirror
By Michael Nwabuzor
ament? If your thoughts don’t leave
you despairing about this situation, then
you have survived and triumphed over
life’s puzzling parcel and imbued your-
self with an abiding belief that the best
days are yet to come.
But in the final reckoning, how will you
be judged by history? What does the
mirror say about you? It goes beyond
the hollowness of your absence or the
empty seat at the dinner table at home
when you are gone. It is about what
you have brought to humanity’s cock-
tail. What has been the transformative
quality of your presence or leadership;
how much has your presence affected
lives? These questions are worth pon-
dering.
