Taking things for granted, the genesis of mediocrity

The most outstanding attitude among Rwandans is that of taking things for granted. We almost take everything for granted to the extent of not even valuing our own lives. That is why you will find people walking right on the tarmac, forcing vehicles to either stop to avoid collision with oncoming vehicles or try to make way around the people who are walking on the road without even shuddering. In their wisdom, it is the driver’s duty to make the vehicle ‘see’ what is ahead and therefore avoid hitting it at all cost, after all, didn’t the driver undergo a rigorous driving permit test? Numerous deaths have occurred on our roads countrywide as a result of this kind of attitude but there seems to be no change in mentality whatsoever. Unfortunately, this pattern of thinking is quite general and widespread among Rwandans, and is more pronounced where road use is concerned. That is why there is a general comment that if you want to get a Rwandan pedestrian out of the vehicle’s way, what you only need to do is pray for a sudden drizzle or drive a herd of cattle their way. It is baffling that people should fear cattle which are generally harmless and rain for the only fear of having their clothes drenched and not a vehicle that can instantly kill or render one permanently disabled in the event of sudden loss of control. But the inherent attitude of taking things for granted is also evident in other spheres of life in Rwanda. The issue of customer care has been featuring prominently ever since the President (the whistleblower as usual) took it up on several occasions. But, personally, I don’t think that Rwandans have a natural contempt for their clients and that is the reason they fail to treat them with respect. Rather, it is the attitude of taking things for granted that is unfortunately surfacing as contempt. Deep down, Rwandan people are quite hospitable and this has been proven since the advent of foreign investments in the country which have been successful in transforming local staff into very hardworking and customer caring personnel. It is the attitude of taking things for granted that makes people who are in positions that give them powers to receive or serve people not offer the right services to those they are supposed to serve. Don’t regard it as contempt when, for example, you are at the reception of King Faisal Hospital asking the hospital admission officer to open your file so you can see a doctor and the officer is busy on phone talking away without even showing any slight sign of noticing your presence. Most likely, in his or her own thinking, you are supposed to see that she or he is on phone and grant them the pleasure of completing the conversation before she or he attends to you. She also has her rights, you know! Actually, she cannot understand it if you decide to demand that she serves you first before she continues with her conversation. Don’t be surprised if she turns out to be more offended by your ‘insolence’ and even ask you to “go and seek services in another hospital if you think her services are not good.” Believe me, deep down the officer does not think she or he did anything wrong. She thinks you are just being difficult for no reason. The other big problem which is especially more pronounced in Kigali offices is the issue of signage or directive signs. There are many offices in Kigali where you have to make inquiries from people you meet in the corridors or from the nearest offices in order to locate a certain office. I will give an example of Electrogaz headquarters which is an office building with three floors. If you are visiting the offices for the first time, believe me, you will not get anywhere unless you stop someone to ask for directions to the office or the person you want to see. Since you don’t know what offices are on either of the floors and yet there is no sign to aid you locate them easily, the only option, if you are the shy type or a foreigner who isn’t sure of what language you should make inquiries in, is to start moving from one office to the other, peeping and craning your neck to try and read the small labels on the doors. This can be quite embarrassing and bad for one’s confidence especially a first time visitor. This, compatriots, is one of the effects of our attitude of taking things for granted. Someone just puts a sign on top of the building that suggests this is the Electrogaz headquarters and assumes that once you are in the building, and since you are sure you are in the right building, you will be fine inside there-that you will find your way around in one way or another. Have you ever passed somewhere, and the sideway is apparently tiny but there are two or three people standing there conversing and apparently blocking your way, and they don’t even seem to worry about the fact? Don’t ever imagine that they might be trying to block your way out of arrogance or any bad feeling towards you. To them, since they were there before you, you are supposed to find your way around them and continue with your business. I think that the attitude of taking things for granted originates from the poor background of conception of one’s rights. People were made to misunderstand their rights and ended up not understanding the fact that there is a thin line between one’s right and another’s- that one’s rights end where another’s beign. The fundamental problem with us is that we also take it for granted that since we speak the same language, then tuvindimwe (we are all related). Well, we may be related in one way or another but that does not necessarily compel us to have the same interests, the same thinking, the same likes and dislikes, the same passions, the same perceptions, the same level of understanding, etc. Any attempt to force ourselves to work in tandem for the mere reason that we are ‘related’ will yield disastrous results. In my opinion, the attitude should be “everyone for him/herself and GOD for us all.” Of course this does not necessarily mean that we should not trade, share ideas, exchange commodities, help each other, work with each other, etc for our mutual good. The fact is, at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, everyone is on their own. So, next time you are walking in the middle of the highway and see a vehicle coming, don’t just assume that because the driver speaks the same language as you, he will be compelled to compassionately maneuver the vehicle to avoid hitting you at all costs. The attitude of entrusting someone else with your life or that of your family is totally unacceptable. Until we change this attitude, this country will continue to be a haven of mediocrity and embarrassing attitudes. Someone should devise a way of tackling this. Ends