It’s been a potpourri of sorts in recent weeks and I will try and get in as much as my brain (which is no more as trust worthy as it used to be back in the day) would recollect.
A few days ago, we stayed glued to the TV networks and surfed online while the International Olympic Committee holed up in Copenhagen, Denmark as politicians, technocrats, veteran athletes, investors and more, lobbied, campaigned, negotiated and ‘traded horses’ as Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro battled to be named the host city for the 2016 summer Olympic games.
Rio beat out the other (some would say equally fit) cities for the prize; and so come 2016, the world would converge for the first Olympic games in South America; in Rio de Janeiro. A city famous for its natural settings, its carnival celebrations, samba and other music, and hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana for the summer Olympic games. If you are wondering what this has to do with my blog, I’d say hold your horses. A few sour grapes have come up wondering why Rio with its well documented accounts of crime and ‘street children’ got the nod. To that I ask which of the contesting cities is crime free? Definitely not Chicago which just last week witnessed the beating death of a 16 year old boy in broad daylight on the way home from school by wait for it – youths of the same age range. Derion Albert was not felled by a stray bullet but literally clubbed to death by other young fellows wielding baseball bats and (as captured on cell phone videos ) 2inches X 4inches wooden planks. Let’s stop for a second and put this in perspective. The chilling savage encounter was recorded by teenagers and we are yet to see any evidence of any of the witnesses intervening to stop the mob as they carried out this dastardly act. I have children in the same age range as Derion and I have looked at my Sampi, Danju and Papa since then wondering if I am doing all that can be done to ensure they never, I repeat, never fall foul of such heinous crime. Have we all suddenly become monsters without the proverbial milk of human kindness? Are we as parents raising murderers and miscreants under our roofs? Please don’t tell me it’s an American problem. There are enough stories to show the issue of misguided teenagers is assuming epidemic proportions globally. We hear of 13 year old fathers in the UK. Kids who are barely out of their diapers becoming parents themselves. Teenage pregnancies in every neighbourhood and in every economic stratum. Don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the impact of various negatives and the wrong side of technology but where are parents and parenthood in all of this? Have we all become absentees and are blinded by the rush for ‘gold’. I was speaking with the principal of a recognized model school in Hartford, USA, and he talked of a chorus to get men back in the homes. Isn’t it a mark of crass selfishness to engage in activities that will result in the arrival of a child knowing well ahead of time that you were ill prepared in all parameters to meet your obligations and to raise that child right. Let us love and take adequate care of our kids please. I see this as an obligation. If you were wondering what my musings about the Olympic games have to do with this blog, I hope I have not failed you. As I ponder where the family unit is heading, I am jolted by the carnage wrecked by the tsunami of last week in Samoa, American Samoa and Indonesia. As if that was not enough in a week of potpourri of events, we are told of mudslides in Sicily, Italy. Again I try to get my head round the loss of young lives and once again I look at my Sampi, Danju and Papa. God please protect them and give us parents the wisdom to do what is right and to raise our children right. Danju has an indoor volleyball practice at 7pm tonight and I need to get ready to drive him there. So thanks again for spending your time catching up with the Diary of a loving daddy, and come back soon
