LIFE is indeed sweet. And no matter the sorrows within, living is sacred. Thus, it is believed that those who took their lives have not explored every option available to remain alive.
It is true that no man begged to come to this world, but fighting to remain alive is an obligation that comes with earthly responsibilities. No matter how we choose to look at it, these responsibilities demand that we live, not just for ourselves, but for others, including the Creator, that we may serve Him until such a time when it pleases Him to call us home.
Several people are dying around the world because they do not have the opportunity to stay longer than they desire. But there are others who, by virtue of their position in the society, will enjoy public concerns and sympathy when in distress. Celebrities fall in the latter category, which is why we have instances of public donations to ailing actors and musicians. In some cases, governments, politicians and corporate organisations have risen to the occasion to offset medical bills of celebrities. In view of the goodwill that celebrities enjoy, some of them have also used their clout to influence charity towards ordinary people who are in need. But at what point did the goodwill they enjoy become a right?
We all have served their fatherland in different capacities, but I have not seen people in other professions arrogate so much national importance to their services like the entertainers. Yes, not even the soldiers. And I ask; were those services rendered for free?
We pay to see movies in cinemas; we pay to enjoy music at concerts, even when we are not paying, some companies are paying as part of their social responsibility projects. No doubt, we enjoy the movies, the music, and football. We have created a fan base for you among ourselves. We have even made role models of you, sometimes for the wrong reasons. Our children idolize you, they scramble for selfies and autographs at the sight of you.
When you are sick and in need of help, we give our widow’s might, just to keep you going for us. But when did these privileges you enjoy are taken as rights or obligations we must fulfill for you? The kind of rights that farmers never claim for ‘feeding’ the nation, the kind that soldiers never claim for fighting ‘our’ battles, the kind that doctors never claim for ‘saving’ lives, the kind that engineers never claim for ‘giving’ our lives a spark.
I have often quarreled with a mindset among some entertainers who feel that government owe them a huge debt for developing the creative industry without its (government) support, forgetting for a moment that it is a personal profit-making business they are engaged in. Footballers too have held government by the jugular, for what they consider national service on the pitch of play.
The carry-over effect is that when these celebrities suffer personal losses, they still expect government or the public to pay damages. Whatever happens to their salaries, allowances and personal savings…
A celebrity who was reported recently to be suffering life-threatening sicknesses has called the bluff of everyone who should help because he does not want to be seen as begging to stay alive. The seeming arrogance stems from his long service to the nation, for which there are no accounts of being owed salaries or performing for free.
There have been such cases where initially, a celebrity keeps their health status in secrecy, dispelling reports about their indisposition until it becomes late.
I thought they say that a man drowning does not care who saves him. We must fight to stay alive, even if it requires begging. Begging to ‘live’ is different from begging to ‘feed’; only God gives both, but the former no man can boast of, so there is no shame in asking.
Banky W was happy he got another chance to live. Many of us have been given multiply chances, and we appreciate life better.
“For those who’ve been wondering why I’ve been away so long; I had my third surgery on a rare strain of skin cancer tumours in my shoulder last month,” he said.
According to him, “The first two times were over ten years ago, then it recently resurfaced. But this isn’t a sad story as much as it is a reminder and a testimony.
A reminder that you should never take life for granted.”
Yes, we should never take life for granted. We treat it like a trash when we don’t bother if we lose it, by feeling too big to keep it, no matter what it takes.
