We live in a world of tried fallacy.
Regional dictatorship of the mind by ourselves. We raise our so-called voices
but our hearts are silent, hushed up like someone stole the fire, even though
we never bothered to light it up.
Where has the life gone? Was it even ever
there?
From my calculations the past two decades
have been the same…full of nothing. Yes we can talk about miss universe, succes
in athletics and all those minute-lasting hypes. but once you say you are from
Botswana out there in the world most people don’t know anything about us. maybe
our diamonds yes but what else? It is not enough. We need the international
world to want to know us, experience life here and seek us out.
It’s so slow here that even terrorists
don’t bother looking us up! You don’t have to have lived abroad to notice that
the pace of this here our country is ridiculously and unfavorably slow and
demoralizing. The customer service everywhere, the news, the pace we have from
child to independent young adult and everything is just so slow. It is like we
have a completely different time set from the rest of the world. We always talk
about development and international recognition, well, that will not happen
until we let go of the past which we eloquently put as tradition, culture and
originality! Pphssww! it wont work!
By the past I mean:
1.
Insisting on speaking Setswana
on most if not all media entities. How do we expect international recognition
if the world can’t even understand us?!
2.
Providing education that does
not emphasize self confidence and independence in children. Botswana’s young
adults leave home to stay on their own at the average age of 25! Shocking right
but its true. while most countries out there young adults live on their own at
18 and have jobs, cars and even families, here we still live at home become
less experienced in life survival skills and pass on the same pace to our kids.
3.
Pushing the traditional dance
and dikhwaere agenda down the nation’s throat by marketing it all over and
encouraging everyone to be part of it through our very own national television.
All because it is said to attract tourists. Well here is the thing, tourists
are attracted by things that are not there in their own countries, things which
are special, rare, and unique presented in an internationally acceptable manner
which we have a mountain of. The thing is we don’t cultivate the right things
in this here our land. We are cultivating the same things we were at
independence and that was how many years ago? 60?
4.
The fear of our very own
government which we elect every four years. In the proper dimension of life I
would very much rather be in, “governments should be afraid of their people”-(taken
from V for Vendetta, the movie with that Kierra Knightly girl or is it Natalie Portman,
they always confuse me, they look so much alike) anyway back to governments, we
chose to put them in power then we fear them?! It does not make sense.i am not
trying to be all political and revolutionary, I am just being realistic and
sensible.
On that realistic
beat I will end with saying, it’s about time we accept that our country is a
dull country, nothing pops up in the minds of the international world out the
when you mention Botswana. And the sooner we accept this the faster we will do
something about it and change things then turn around and refuse being a dull
country.
It’s a sad but
true reality that we have nothing going on, because we have so much potential,
so much originality, talent, uniqueness and resources to be one of the best in
Africa and the world but we are too naive, lazy and downright slow to do
anything that will help us. I am doing something right now talking to you about
it and offering solutions. I strive for my independence as a young adult
through two jobs and school. And most of all I vote, vote for a government
which I believe can help my beautiful Botswana, me and my people.
What do you do
and what are you planning on doing?
