Third opinion?
She died overseas in a prestigious hospital where the rich and famous fly to, to recover or die. Some have said sardonically that dying there gives one an automatic visa for direct entry to Heaven. She was famous and extremely powerful. She left behind an interesting legacy.
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Her trademark was that of slapping journalists who she thought had written uncomplimentary things about her! A caustic remark made on the news of her death was “hmmm? So, do they also know how to die?”
Death
The English writer Sir Rider Haggard wrote in his book titled Alan Quartermain, “The great wheel of Fate rolls on like a Juggernaut and crushes us all in turn; some soon, some late. It does not matter when. In the end, it crushes us all.”
Power appears to make human beings forget that we are ordinary mortals here on earth with an initial “entitlement” of three-score- and-ten years if lucky, and then an additional 10 with difficulty, and thereafter plenty of trouble! South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu recently stunned the world by saying that euthanasia is an option for him, considering his deteriorating health.
So why do we ask the question “Do you know who I am?” Why do we add “I will show you where Power lies?” We forget Shakespeare’s description that; “Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Johnny
Johnny was a good man. He made time for everybody. Not surprisingly, he touched many lives. I visited him last Thursday. My heart missed a beat when I saw him in his bedroom. Johnny looked extremely unwell. Notwithstanding his frailty, he was at his humour best. After educating Fred not to call him his cousin, but address him as his uncle, Johnny switched over to me. He teased me relentlessly.
Before we left, he reminded Fred and me that three days hence on Sunday, he would be 64. With that, we promised to see him on his birthday. Johnny died four days later on Tuesday at dawn.
Prof.
Prof. recently said that death must not be used as a weapon to remind someone who has suffered the death of a relative, no matter one’s dislike for the bereaved. It is even worse when it is done deliberately to inflict maximum pain on the target.
Prof. said this while commiserating with a man on the death of his wife. A few weeks before his wife’s death, the man went on radio announcing that a personality was responsible for the death of his wife years ago. Many were shocked at the callousness with which the man gleefully told the world about a death many had never heard of. In the words of Shakespeare, he inflicted “the most unkindest cut of all” using the most intemperate language.
Humility
Prof. asked the man a simple question. How would he feel if someone accused him of being responsible for the death of his wife, like he had happily done to a personality old enough to be his father a few weeks earlier? In life, one must be careful of what one says and be humble, and not play God.
“Boss”
On taking over as the new boss of his organisation, “Boss” behaving like possessed, immediately dedicated himself to making life miserable for anyone in sight. He even cancelled the few amenities pensioners enjoyed. He also refused to welcome his previous boss to the same office on the pretext that he was busy.
If his actions were terrible, his language was cruel. He spoke with total disrespect to his seniors. As destiny would have it, he was also retired, perhaps sooner than he imagined. Shocked, he ended up being hospitalised!
“Poetic Justice?”
Is that not what the English call “poetic justice?” Shakespeare said the evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones.”
However, sometimes, the retribution is almost immediate! Such swift justice should teach us that we can pay for our wickedness here on earth. If not, our children and descendants will pay for it.
“Third Opinion?”
Years ago, Carlos was involved in a fatal road traffic accident which claimed the life of a colleague. Carlos successfully underwent surgery. With age however, he often got reminded of the accident by the pains he suffered.
Recently, he went to see his doctor who told him that the treatment he needed was not available locally. There was therefore the need to fly him out.
A second opinion by a panel of doctors confirmed the need for Carlos to be flown out. Carlos therefore went to see “Boss” who was to make a recommendation for funds to be released for Carlos’s treatment overseas. To Carlos’s disbelief, “Boss” said he wanted a THIRD OPINION! When Carlos asked where he was to get the third opinion from, “Boss” asked him to go and look for neurosurgeons himself to examine him. Carlos was dumbfounded!
Conclusion - “Mr AAA”
The late Ghanaian musician, Akwasi Ampofo Adjei (Mr AAA) put it simply in one of his songs that “ IF YOU DO GOOD, YOU DO FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU DO BAD, YOU DO FOR YOURSELF. ” There are many examples of people who are paying dearly for the pain they inflicted on people when they were entrusted with positions of public service, which they converted to positions of sadistic viciousness!
Let us live in peace and at peace with one another as God’s children. Let us eschew arrogance and disrespect for authority, and rediscover the traditional Ghanaian values of humility, discipline, hard work and selflessness. For, no matter how long one lives for we are all guaranteed one thing ultimately…..Death! And then a legacy! How do you want to be remembered?