There was once an ill-bred man who lived in a village called Jyambere. His name was Masezerano. He was a very handsome man who always made sure he looked nice in public. He was motivated by the glances of the young ladies in the village. He was good at fishing. His fellow men appreciated his skill because every time he went to the lake, they expected a good catch.Masezerano, however, was very ignorant. He never cared much about anything. He always did things because he was told or because he was under the influence of something or someone. Men in the village always cautioned him about the dramatic changes of the weather in the lake. Water waves would create very strong tides that could even capsize a ship. So, they encouraged him to start learning how to swim. But when told about it, he had this “talk-to-the-hand” attitude. One beautiful sunny day, Masezerano and his fellow fishermen went fishing and suddenly the weather changed and a strong wind blew their canoe upside-down. All the fishermen including Masezerano were terrified as they all struggled to rescue themselves from the disaster. Masezerano cried for help but no body could save him. The last voice he heard before drowning was “we told you to learn to swim—swim or drown!!” The village mourned for him but they all had the same issue with him—ignorance!This short story applies to many young people today. There is this negative attitude when it comes to building character. It starts as a habit, becomes a character then later becomes your personality. That’s the trend! The Bible says “Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today.” Life is based on the choices you make. We are born differently and we all have purposes to fulfill here on earth. The time we become complacent or ignorant of things—life loses meaning. Don’t leave any stone unturned in your life. Make use of your gifts, talents and personality to help yourself and others. Two very important things are knowledge and charity. Seek knowledge in reading and experience. Knowledge will elevate you to places you never dreamed of. Seek knowledge and understanding and you will never live in darkness. Charity is not for you but for others. This is a level of maturity where ‘ME’ comes out of the equation as ‘OTHERS’ take over. Charity means pouring out what you possess inside and outside (material things) to help other people. The greatest happiness for me is seeing other people smile and enjoy life because of something I have done for them. It is a double blessing to give than to receive. When you give, your works remain after you are gone. It is an amazing heritage for your family or generation. Remember to communicate with God and stay humble.
