YOU ARE NOT WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE!
Personality. It is gained over time, cultivated and structured to fit a certain character — you. Or in this case me. I remember sitting in the office feeling like I was in a sauna, the only difference is I was not in a towel but in a blue, crisply pressed shirt and black khaki pants. All the same I was still drenched in sweat.
A friend was seated right across from me evidently in the same boat when he asked; Do you think we are inherently born with dormant knowledge that kicks in when we get older or we are born completely empty and our experiences grant us wisdom and knowledge?
Well, what do you think?
I grew up in split worlds at the same time. I was exposed to a vast foreign part of the universe from behind the couch more than my present surroundings could allow me. Therefore, I found myself learning and picking up habits that were not for my social class. See when you live in Washington DC/Smallville/ New Orleans / Townsville when you are meant to be living in Naroibi’s Thiong’o Rd, then two things happen depending on the balance of this multiple residency sitch.
One; You either pick up more of the various white-culture mambo jambo and get alienated and become a complete airhead when it comes to your “real” one. This means that you have been completely absorbed by the screen and strongly believe that the way of life that has been created for you on the other side is more logical and should be adapted by everyone.
Two; You will have to live in your “real” world but always questioning your daily experiences. You live wanting better or thanking God for what you have. I think this is a struggle that most of the windows/portals present in the internet 2.0 (social media and interactive sites) have created. Though subconscious, many people find themselves attracted to the New and Trendy. Just like how peer pressure works, you are made to feel like an outcast if you cannot meet the worldly standards of whatever — FOMO, they call it.
As I looked at Johnny Mc Whits — Not his real name. I flashed back at all the experiences I had had. From the struggle with my dark melanin to the success in the English curricula in various academic levels. I really had no guide to navigate through the murk I was in. Various people provided teachings that laid the foundation of values that allowed me to sense the bull sh** as I grew up. “ So what do you think?” Johnny asked, looking at a spaced out zombie like Nzuki.
When I snapped out of it I had the answer. Looking at him and scanning through the little I knew about him, it was clear as day. In fact, I would argue that it is true for most of civilization from time in memorial.
Charles Darwin spoke of a world where every organism originated from a simpler version of itself. Forged by the need to survive the ever changing environmental dynamics. Morphing into better versions of self up until about 50,000 years ago — Apparently some cosmic cock block happened to evolution and now we are stuck as Homosapians.
While some still believe that we are evolving into some apex version of the human race, and are even taking matters into their own hand using science to explore possibilities of bionic enhancements (merging human and machine) and biological mutations(enhancing physical features and abilities biologically); Much like that “ Earth is flat” notion, I do not subscribe to such. Why? Story for another day.
So I agree that Nzuki is a culmination of past events and experiences and will become a result of future ones. Yet I can’t help but feel that there is an inherent understanding capability born inside of us that helps us sieve through tonnes of experiences and guide us to becoming the people we become. Maybe it is just the holy spirit — but what do I know?
I learnt to listen, I learnt to observe and then pray . As long as you keep experiencing, then you keep becoming. So Yes. Nzuki is Me.
