WHEN IT MATTERED MOST, WE FAILED!!

Over the years, there's been the case of remembrance or celebration and when appropriate it should be done. Different schools of thought have either stated it to be before or after and at large defending their stance.

A little under a week ago, Ghana lost one of its illustrious football icon in Coach E. K. Afranie affectionately called Coach Hene after a short illness. The sports fraternity was saddened by his demise and a lot of condolences were sent to his surviving family and loved ones.

THE LATE COACH E. K. AFRANIE

A few days into his demise, the senior national team of Ghana, the Black Stars had a game to be fulfilled in their quest for a fourth FIFA world cup appearance against Egypt. Fast forward to the match day and some of us if not most of us spectators were expecting the entire team to show their utmost respect or remembrance to this icon of a coach.

Ironically, almost all if not all of the players that featured had been trained or developed by this man who was no more. It would have been prudent and in line to at least wear the black armband as a sign of remembrance to him. Nothing of that sort was done and I don't know who to put the blame on as I post this piece.

Did the management team of the Black Stars ever think about this?

Did the FA ever think about honouring coach Hene at any point prior to the game?

How about the playing body themselves? Did they project it, if they did was it rejected? If it was why and who rejected the proposal?

I am tempted to draw in the Sports ministry but on this day I feel they won't be an appropriate case to attack.

As a case of fact, nothing like this was done and as a nation circled down to the football loving arena must bow their heads in shame why?

Because when it mattered most, we failed as a group in honouring a son of the land who gave his all to serves in that small capacity and you can't deny the fact that he succeeded in that field for the nation.

AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE EXPRESSED – ‘I SEE YOU MUM’

A philosopher once stated WORDS really do not have meanings; WE make meanings out of WORDS.

I never got to understand this until a few conversations with some learned friends who broke it down citing examples and also trying to explain from the mind’s eye of this philosopher.

One fine morning, I was a bit tired after a few paper works and decided to log unto Facebook to monitor my timeline on what was running through. I am not a fan of long statements especially when I see the ‘See more’ blue inscription. Scrolling down this particular item from some of the few people I like to read their stuff on my timeline caught my attention. It was a poem so I followed and by the time I was done reading, I was taught another side of love and how it’s expressed.

The writer, a very good friend and yes a good poet at that penned this and shared it with the entire world. But if you missed it and haven’t read it, I bring to you this wonderful piece for which if I am to nominate on any poetry platform, I would gladly do.

It really hits to the core. A lovely piece I will want to have as a copy for myself hence shared here on my blog.

Read on;

I see you mum
I thought i saw you smiling
At the sight of dawn
Though you were but a figment of my imagination
Not that I am hurt
I just miss the purity of your love

I see you mum
With every ray that hits my eye
Dark clouds decide to cover the sun
And i lose sight of you again
No, I am not sad
I just miss your beautiful smile

I see you mum
Singing in the kitchen
I rushed in
Not like I expected the chance
I just miss that sweet voice of yours

I see you mum
Walking pass me at the mall
So I touched you
You turned and looked so different
But I could swear it was you
That long silky hair of yours was the reason

I need you mum
Yes, I have said it
With my heart turning to stone
I need a way out
14 years after, I am wandering

I need you mum
I never finished my cooking lessons
Halfway through
I left and you did too
I came back mum
Why wouldn't you?

I need you mum
Too many people deceiving me with love
How do i tell the right one?
Without you to scrutinize?

I love you mum
Do I even have a choice?
You never failed to see that star
Which existed in my eyes

I love you mum
You genuinely believed I was a special child
That believe kept me going
Did you do that to help me push on?
When you are gone?

Mum, I am all matured now
How I would've pampered you
I am not angry
Neither hurt
I just believe life was most beautiful
When you were around.

Need I say more? I guess not. Very touching right? Honestly we should be grateful to the creator for such gift He grants unto people to bless others. I am sure all the pain they go through to pour out their heart goes a long way to encourage others to push on in life.

LOVE is indeed real and each and everyone of us must make it a point to let all that matter feel and know how well you love and cherish them if the opportunity is available.

CHEERS!!!!

The Reconnection

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Does this popular saying ring a bell? "Anything that is meant to be will definitely be"

Some years back when snail mail pen palling was the in thing and a way of forming friendship all over the world was prime I met a young lady from Jamaica. Ok hold on, she didn't become my girlfriend or anything of that sort.

I received her letter in my mailbox box some 10 years or so, I had placed my details and mailing address on a lot of platforms. We begun communication by the exchange of letters and later became very close friends for which we exchanged a lot of items from photos, stamps, and some artistic pieces that I still have with me. She always stated that we will be friends forever and I saw it as one of the words that are used in the heat of any good friendship.

At some point of our friendship, we exchange telephone numbers and we spoke a few times on phone where I had the opportunity to speak to some her family members in Jamaica. The friendship grew that she at so many times wanted to come Ghana. I always wanted here to also come visit as she said if this is how sweet all Ghanaians were, then she'll want to experience it for herself.

In between time we lost contact, and for over 18 months or so communication was cut, anytime I called her, it was either a connection problem, call dropped and a lot that couldn't be explained then. So I decided to send her through our initial communication channel a mail to her address and wrote my cell phone number in the letter that if she got the mail, she could contact me so we rekindle our friendship once again. I never heard from her until somewhere third year in university when I received a foreign call and decided to pick it. She called her name that, "hey! Asheka here from Jamaica, remember me?"

My initial response was, " sure I do remember Asheka...where have you been?" the rest of the story was about reconnecting back as friends.

We had another friendship span for over 24 months there about and we lost contacting each other again. And for this time, it was for a long long time. I lost her number through losing my cellphone  and also lost some of the her letters - Eerm I didn't lose mine via an Alajo tsunami oo.

This time it was over seven years of no communication of a sort, I wrote a letter or two if I remember and had no response so I thought it wise to leave it. I tried several searches online trying to get to meet my only Jamaican connection but all proved futile. Since I had tried a lot of ways to reconnect with her and never had any promising response, I gave up and said to myself that maybe she had decided the least of putting an end to the long distance friendship.

On December 21, 2013 at around 12:56 pm, I received a whatsapp notification on my cell phone and decided to check it out immediately, it had a pretty girl on the Display profile and a +1 country code number followed by the call digits. I wondered who she was as she had changed(before I got to know who she was) so,I decided to ignore the message initially but later decided to play calm and see how the conversation goes with whoever it was. The initial message went like "Hi, how are you doing" which sounded like I was known in a way. I then replied " Hi, I am well thank you. You? "

In the next minute she was online to reply me and the next thing she said was " I am well. It's been years" well the preceding conversation brought our friendship back after seven years or so of non communication. We relived the past of how we shared things, showed her a few of the gifts I still had from her.

It was great reconnecting with her as all through our friendship, she has been such a good person with a good heart, no wonder I always went though almost every corner to try and reconnect with her again. Good friendship do exist!!

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE - HOOLIGANISM IS HARDLY BETTER THAN PIRACY!!!

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I don't get this Russian government and their case against the #Artic30 crew. Initially you charge them for #Piracy and put them behind bars ( they are still in anyway) amidst all the world changers and officials advocating for their release.

To make matters more annoying, you now bring a new charge that they are #hooligans and not #Pirates. Come on, I will prefer being a hooligan protecting that which will grant us a better future in terms of climate and safe environment than to be a "runaway can't stand the kitchen heat" advocate.

Charges against the #Arctic30 are disproportionate in my opinion and that which annoys as well as amazes me is that on October, 18th 2013 marked exactly 30 days of injustice when these Artic crew were arrested and put behind bars.

trust me, hooliganism is not any better than the initial charge of them being pirates so friends don't believe the hype of this new statements being bundled around. Well for your information, they could go in for the long haul of up to 7 years if judgement is ruled against them.

I know that some influential personalities in society has made a lot of calls for the release of the team but the Russian Federal security wont bulge. About eleven (11) Noble Prize Laureates made several calls and appeals for their release but they still find themselves behind the Russian bars.

I will want to take the opportunity to appeal to anyone who reads my blog at this moment to lend their voice on the campaign and support the call to RELEASE AND FREE THE ARTIC 30 CREW NOW.
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Where the Cemetery Serves Other Purposes.

It was touted the most expected game to provide all the fireworks that a Classico of the two gaints in Ghanaian football will give.

Wreath

On Sunday, 5th May, I decided to attend my 1st ever Hearts -Kotoko game as the May 9 incidence always scared me of going to such games between the two giant clubs in Ghana.

Grateful to Kofi Abanga of Accra Hearts of Oak, I was given a free ticket to attend the game. Well no doubt I am a full fan of the Oak Tree club and we are referred to as Phobia- Masters!!?
Great game by all standards with all the flashes of brilliance that such a game should provide. At the end the game ended with the two teams sharing the honors. It ended in a 1 all drawn game.

Ok I won't bore you with all the football talk because that does not really type in into my reason for the blog post.

Now the game ends and we all have to find our ways back home by whatever means. In trying to get a cab from the Parliament house side of the road to Kwame Nkrumah circle, I decided to pass through the Osu cemetary to pay a short visit and to pay some respect to my two late cousins buried there a few years back.

At the entrance I noticed a whole of things that made me to wonder whether I was entering a cemetary where some years back I believe is a place that, you had to have the strong heart to visit.

First thing I noticed was that the little space on the entrance had been used as parking space for the spectators with cars for which self appointed attendants were taking cash for helping car owners get a space to pack their cars. If I am not mistaking I counted about forty to sixty cars that were both being directed to leave the yard and those yet to be occupied by the owners.

Thinking that was absurd a behavior showed towards the dead, I was yet to face the shocker for which a guy I asked whether this happened often, the response was, "this is even small massa, if you go inside small, you go see what dey happen for here".

Out curiosity I decided to go a little further to have a look for myself what could have been going on there. Immediately, the thing that drew my attention were a group of guys with grown faces and facial hairs, sharing something. I then decided to pretend to be on the phone talking to somebody just not to raise any attention of spying to myself. In no time, smoke in the air, one of the guys had lit his and a few others were rolling theirs. I guess at this point you should get the kind of smoke in the air I am trying to refer to. Hmm you want me to tell you what is was? Come on folks you what I mean now? Lol!! They were really on cloud nine I guess as they sat on the various tombstones, sharing jokes, giggling and really fraternizing.

Tombstone

I then ignored them walking further into the cemetery trying to locate my cousins' tombstone to go do what I had come there to do. In negotiating a turn, behind a tree, was a sight that hmm, I wish I could take out but for the purpose of this post I feel like pitching it in no matter what.
I am sure you are like what aaa did this guy see that man no see before. Of course what aa did I see that man hasn't seen before, this 'couple' for which I initially saw the lady alone, realized that they were actually two. Simple they were making out seriously that, I am sure any passerby's presence wouldn't matter to them. My issue is not with them making out but seriously, like seriously, in the cemetery? How much horny were both of them that they couldn't keep it small till they reached home or even get some cool brothel around.
Or you say Nana Oye Lithur's order to close down all brothels was a case for them to have a qucikee there in the cemetery?

Have we lost respect for the dead that soon as a people where our traditions for which we were born into and that we are to inherit and rather make it richer, we close an eye to it and to have put up such practices there?

I am sure there are so many vices that go on there for which really must be looked at. I ask myself so many questions one of which was 'Do we have people who manage such places or even keepers'? These and many more for which I guess, I will get those answers very soon hopefully.

I guess I will leave it here and hope to finish this up sometime soon when some answers or even more of such vices that I believe is in disrespect to the dead and traditions for which our society and identity are built on appears.