Anger Management

By Yero Jallow, (Piece, Courtesy of a former classmate).

Amo boy as was fondly called spared neither the lizards nor his peers. He would curse, rattle, fight and do all sorts of cruelty including trespassing even those that haven’t done anything to him. His dad (Kebba), worried by his son’s future, designed a plan for his son whose anger and rage has caused much terror, destruction and shame in the village.

Kebba bought a hammer, a crowbar and box of nails and walked to his dear son (Amo boy) to a side of the compound fence made of concrete blocks. Baba dedicated a whole area on the fence to Amo and told him to put a nail on that fence whenever he loses his temper.  After 30 days, Amo had already put in all the nails, over hundred nails all nailed deep down on that fence. Kebba now reversed it and said please take the crowbar and remove a nail whenever you lose your temper.  Soon that fence was free from the nails but what remains were permanent marks (scars) that would last forever. Kebba informed his son that even though his anger was cooled but the permanent scars remains on that fence and it showed the level to which we do damage to others when we let were-wolf spirit of aggression take charge of our destinies.

Moral Lesson: Guys as we deal with sensitive Gambian matters, please be careful that you don’t hurt yourself and others with permanent scars, unjustifiably.  Gambia’s problem is larger than an individual. Remember that every tiny bit of injustice amounts to full injustice. As we deal with a mightier aggressive force (the terror force of Jammeh), it is better that we focus on the things that unite us as a nation than the things that divide us. We must act better and offer better things than those we criticize and trying to replace.

I wish you all the best of 2013,

Yero