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The title sounds like a piece of advice from a
psychologist on a remedy for a patient suffering
from depression, boredom, or some kind of mental
disorder. If such advice can warrant reward, then
this columnist is going to try his hand at giving
some and hope that he will somehow, in turn, be
rewarded by your avid interest as a reader of this
column. Or would you instead liken him to a budding
playwright called James, who wrote an irregular
stanza then went on to equate himself to the
legendary William Shakespeare. However you may
choose to take it, let me give you my advice!
There are times when you are forced to make a
time-out call in the middle of a game to compose
yourself, take a deep breath, relax and then pick up
from where you left off. The same goes for life. A
hike in any direction of the metropolis, within a
radius of say 20 kilometers, is ideal for taking a
relaxing break from the demanding pressures of
everyday life: work, business, and school, whatever
it is that stresses you. Mark my words, if you give
it a try, you will indeed appreciate the enormous
excitement that nature avails for you, as the
environment provides refreshing relief from the rush
of the city and allows you to put your feet up, so
to speak.
A trek I made in that direction last weekend made me
feel that there is a lot to discover and learn about
the environs we live in. My journey along Godjam
Road was exhilarating, it was late in the afternoon
and the weather was incredibly beautiful.
Sitting under the shade of an old Juniper tree, I
could see that unlike in the previous years, the
horizon out of which I tried to discern some
features of the capital was blurred by dense fog.
Air pollution was definitely taking its toll on the
environment of the metropolis! This is a cause for
great despair. Could this be attributed to the
uncontrolled emission of carbon from the fleet of
cars, trucks and buses rolling along the streets and
alleys of Addis Abeba, or could it be a result of
the exhaust gas emission from the growing number of
industries skirting the city? Or perhaps it’s a
deadly combination of the two? Whatever you choose
to believe, that blanketing, foggy cloud that looms
over the sky line of the city is, beyond any gem of
a doubt, threatening. Take a good look at Addis from
Entoto and please, correct me if I’m wrong in my
assumption.
Away from the city, as I looked around me, I saw a
shepherd boy coming towards me with a huge smile on
his face. He paused to greet me and before long,
asked me if I could lend him a ballpoint pen. We
chatted for a while and two of his cows came close
to where we were standing, they were
indiscriminately grazing on the land beneath them.
The sounds these animals made as they chewed at the
grass, coupled with their distinct odour which
wafted through the air around me, transported me
into a world that I knew only through hearsay. A
donkey trailed by. The shepherd boy, having got what
he wanted, left me standing in the field as he drove
his animals forward, beating them with his stick.
When I saw how the little fellow was treating these
poor domestic animals, a thought flashed across my
mind. What would happen, I imagined, if these
heavy-hoofed and sharp-horned animals decided to
rebel against their shepherd’s infringement of their
democratic rights and his maltreatment of them? (Let
Lucifer’s ears be sealed. Did I mention
“Democracy”?) That, of course, would not be a pretty
sight. We surely would not be able to find any of
his remains!
Back in the city, boredom swirls around the urban
air. As you browse through your electronic media or
web site, headline news is about Kenya, or Zimbabwe,
or Ethiopia, or the United States or what have you.
The soaring price of oil, the plummeting
international economy, along with the global
increase in food prices, all these dominate the news
on the world economy. Most political leaders find
little solace in this global truth, as the fact
remains that economic crises ultimately result in
social unrest, therefore becoming thorns that
constantly prick their sides.
There is too much noise in the city, both of the
organic and inorganic type. Some people sing, some
weep, some pray loudly through loudspeakers while
others cheer and jeer their favourite football teams
on to victory, or defeat, whatever the case may be.
All these done in an attempt to break free from the
binding shackles of boredom, in order to indulge in
much needed relaxation. The only thing that some
people do not seem to want to take a break from is
power. I want to confirm this with the leaders in
Zimbabwe!
Incidentally, one does not have to worry about
utility problems if one takes a hike to the
outskirts of the city. All one needs is bottled
water, some soft drinks and a snack to nourish one
during a much needed break from city-life.
I was fascinated by the scenic environment and
breezy weather in Entoto. Looking at an acacia tree
in front of me, I wondered why it had an unusual
stem, twisted branches and thorny leaves. You should
know that nursing an acacia seedling is a taxing
task but is quite delightful. The seedling needs to
be supported by a rod until it grows to a point
where it sprouts branches all around. The dark,
green colour of the small, short leaves is
attractive. After three years, the stem develops
strong barks. The older branches grow horizontally
while new ones pile on top of their more senior
counterparts. Knowing too well the length of time it
takes for the tree to mature, it pains me to think
of how short a time it takes for a human being to
fell that tree and burn it, producing charcoal worth
peanuts.
If you take a closer look at the grass or weeds
beneath you, you will see tiny, ant- like creatures,
running hither and thither in absolute freedom, if I
may use that word here. My gaze followed a bug that
inched its way up the bark of the acacia tree and
suddenly stopped as though realizing that it was
under my scrutiny. Feeling threatened, it dug its
way beneath the surface of the bark and disappeared,
never to show up again.
Felling an acacia tree, then, I thought, was
tantamount to destroying the life-line of the
thousands of insects and bugs that live off the
tree. If I had X-ray eyes to see what goes on under
its bark, I would record this vision in order to
show the world the amazing life that is supported by
the tree. Perhaps then, people would think twice
before unnecessarily cutting down a tree, as not
only does that mean the end of that tree’s life, but
also the extinction of the many creatures that
co-exist with it. The idea of interdependence among
the biodiversities crosses my mind at this point.
Does this line of thinking negate the theory of
“Dependency?” I will definitely have to consult
Professor Mesfin W/Mariam about this in due course.
Distancing oneself from the hustle and bustle of
city life routine refreshes one’s mind and
reinstates the proper functioning of the human
equilibrium. The act is similar to that of changing
the used water in a washing basin. Holidays can be
boring if all there is to them the choice of wining
and dining or sitting in front of the TV watching
old songs and dances from yesteryear. The ancient
saying that variety is the spice of life still holds
true today. Bear that in mind as you take a break
this ‘holyday’. Happy Easter! |
