Tradition is changing rapidly

Our fathers must wish they were born when we were. Granted, our generation has been ravaged by unemployment, despair, corruption and even Aids. But there is one thing that men in this generation have reason to smile about, getting a girl for a song! With population explosion delivering girls in consignments in this part of the world, women staring at the 302 and dying to have someone pick them up are in every nook and cranny. In fact, any girl still sending requests to FM stations for Shania Twain’s hit single That Don’t Impress Me Much ought to have the entire home-based fellowship camp at her house for an intervention from on high! So why would our forefathers have wished to have been born at this time of plenty? In their day, marrying a girl often came with difficult and sometimes frivolous conditions. My grandfather used to tell me that he had to visit his in-laws with a beehive full of live bees. This was meant to show that the old dude could fend for the fair lady. As if that is not enough, my grandfather was made to strip to his briefs by my grandmother so that she could examine his legs prior to making a lifetime commitment to the geezer. Can you imagine a suave and upright looking corporate type stripping to his boxers so that the girl can okay the deal? Are you for real? That wouldn’t happen in our times for two reasons. First, I don’t see a man daft enough to succumb to such acts of desperation. Second, with the many women hovering around, this is a luxury men can hardly afford! If there is a girl foolish enough to expect to land a lion-killing man in our time, then she should better quit whatever substance she is on. The days when a slew of life-threatening customs were held in high esteem to prove one’s manhood are long gone. Actually, today the world has embraced technology to such an extent that recently, a brilliant fellow who suddenly found himself without enough cash during dowry negotiations had to act swiftly. He contacted his associates and he was sent some frw 100,000 by Mobile Money. Upon receiving the money, he promptly sent the same to the team leader on the girl’s side. A sharp beep on the man’s phone confirmed that the cash was truly home. Can you imagine that transformation, from having to carry beehives and killing lions to paying dowry via Mobile Money?But what then would happen to the folk who claim the sodas on behalf of the women? Oh yes…I know a gift voucher from the nearby supermarket would suffice and serve the purpose. If this trend continues, I shan’t be surprised to be in the thick of energy sapping dowry negotiations for my little niece. Only this time it will be done via email or better still, by teleconferencing. Talk of taking dowry negotiations to the next level. dedantos2002@yahoo.com