003|IT IS WELL

I’ve been trying to write something but I’ve just ended up deleting everything I come up with. So, here’s something, not a long read. Just a short story.

One of the most memorable days back in high school was when I was in my last year. That is the time when people (the society) expects the most from you but then there was me, who didn’t give a damn about anything. However much I didn’t play a major role in stage, drama club was where my heart belonged.

I schooled in the western part of Kenya where our school’s drama plays are know to be controversial. Well..up to this point, I guess you already know where I learnt. I didn’t understand why our director detested the police service which he termed as “the eagles” until when I saw it all happening.

Two years back, we staged a play “It is well”..twas about police brutality against innocent citizens. https://youtu.be/nA1FR9LHG6ob. “The eagles”ought to know that a human approach is essential when handling the civilians. We are not supposed to be treated, punished in a cruel, inhuman and degrading manner. But how we’ll they even know about this when 99% of them are allegedly “D” materials who ended up in a police force instead of a police service.

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The very people meant to be protecting us are the ones killing us in the name of “provocation”. This hasn’t happened once or twice… Police and policing structures only protect the state, property and capital, not you and me. Reform is no longer an option. Abolish it all! Otherwise we are slowly planting seeds of enemity in our hearts between us the civilians and “the eagles”. The power they have is not meant to threaten, intimidate or take away innocent lives. We need peaceful co- existence and this can only be done when justice is served.

002|SHARING IS CARING

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This is the time to embrace the act of caring. Sharing is caring and this is basic human decency. Check on your friends, colleagues, family members, neighbors and even your daily essential providers such as the mama mbogas and security guards at your home estate even if they haven’t checked on you. These are stressful times and caring shouldn’t be a competition.

Covid-19 pandemic is reminding us to be human. This virus is transmitted by human contact, an observable fact which explains to us that we are dependent of each other in good and bad times credence to the adage no man is an island. One of the measures that curbs the spread of the virus is social distancing in response to minimize contact which has led to a curfew in Kenya and a lockdown in some countries. This tells us that the actions of each and every person adds up and will determine whether the disease spreads or not.

When it is finally over, let us not forget the brighter side in making the world a better place to live in. And if not so, life will never be the same again, we’ll have to accept to live with it where a radical change of behavior is no longer optional.

001|NEW BEGINNINGS

Awakening is like a dream but not all dreams come true. It is much easier said than done and of course actions speak louder than words.We all dream to soar at greater heights, beyond the skies and beyond the limits. What if there are no roads leading to our dreams come true yet we still dream?, but is this really a dream or an illusion? Well, sometimes we let fate take its chance because however much long the dark nights take, destiny is inevitable.

Back are the days when we all were at one point children and you know..had these big dreams with the most common ones being those of to become surgeons, doctors, pilots, engineers and lawyers. As we grow up, often these big dreams begin to change in the long walk to a dream come true. Who or what is to blame? Should we put the blame on those who raised us? Ourselves? Or our befalling goals and ambitions? One thing Africanity holds dear is education. They say education is the key to success. I beg to disagree with the latter saying however this is based on different perspectives. Most parents advise their children to go to school, study hard and get a good job or so you can find a good company to work for, often as a cultural habit and the impact as they say “if you do not get good grades, you won’t get a good job” has a major effect.

Hi, hello there…My name is Shirley. The idealist. If you are reading this, it’s never too late. Today I choose to follow my dreams of becoming a good writer. Everything has a beginning and nothing starts easy. There is always some level of difficulty because even waking up in the morning requires some effort sometimes. I therefore decide to pen down my thoughts so write with me . New beginnings it is😊.