Another festive season has come, and is about to be gone. As per tradition, it’s been a time of enjoyment, of family reunions, of merry-making and feasting, and of sending family, friends, or colleagues good wishes. As the season draws to a close, again as tradition dictates, it’s a time when we take stock of our lives, and vow to become a better version of ourself in the coming year. As an individual, you promise ourself to cut down on bad habits while developing new good ones. You urge yourself to become a better version of you. Even the oldest of us vows to turn over a new leaf! It is the time of New Year’s resolutions. People will be determinedly vowing to cut down on their drinking. Please no more becoming a nuisance in the house because of ingesting one too many! Some guy somewhere will rebuke himself. ALSO READ: How to keep a New Year’s resolution So many other people will look in the mirror, at their bulging bellies, love handles, and what have you, and exclaim “oh my god!” It is the moment someone will earnestly pronounce they will cut down on the fats and junk food (the fries with mayonnaise), the sugars, not forgetting the nyama choma washed down with cold, frothy drinks. “Instead, I will start an exercise regimen, and stick to it!” someone will solemnly vow. Easier said than done, of course. Now, please hear me out. I am not pouring cold water on any of your resolutions. I am only saying things from lived, observed experiences. If you have the determination and the will to see your resolutions out, hat tip to you. The thing is, usually even the best plans fly out the window after, maybe the first week of January. Have you, for instance, ever decided to start having a morning run to try to reduce the kilos and trim down? The first day, you will be huffing and puffing, up slight inclines. You will be trotting for some minutes, then slow to a walk, each minute, to catch your breath. (Here, am talking about average, every day people, not aspiring athletes). The next morning, wololololo! You will be experiencing strange aches in the legs, the hips, and the back. Waking up seems a herculean labor. You make excuses for yourself – I can’t do it because I will be late for work! Others will be more honest with themselves and say, to hell with this! Shall I live forever? Let me enjoy the warmth of my bed! A bit later on, one will wake up to ask themselves: how shall I be able to have only a cup of black tea and brown bread, to keep up with the resolution of losing weight? Trouble! That’s how life usually pans out. Also remember, nine times out of ten, when a friend invites someone over for a beer after work, the invitation will be accepted, with alacrity if the invitee is a man. Home is too boring for most guys. Spending evening after evening in one’s living room just can’t work. And I say this as someone that actually spends most of my evenings home. It can get boring. So, I do not judge, in the slightest, friends that prefer knocking back a few drinks after a day’s hard work, before heading home. Besides, socializing is one of the most essential parts of life. You make plans. You pick each other’s brains for ideas. You catch up on the news. And when the waiter comes over, to ask if there is anything you will eat, someone will say “ikirayi n’akabenzi!” There goes your New Year’s resolution! But of all resolutions we make, the funniest to me is when we promise ourselves we will become better at saving our money. That is one decision that will be violated before any money gets to the account. Think of the Internet meme that depicts two guys waiting for the December salary to come – it is in the distance, and sounds like a high-speed car, a Formula 1 car. When it arrives, it zooms by so fast its practically invisible. The meme is very apt, you realize, chuckling. For very many, pockets are mysteriously, and completely empty by second January. A guy will put hands to his head in shock, like a defender that just scored an own goal. Where did the money go!? It is then that his finger does the “MTN Momo” dance on his phone. He is doing the “star” then number, then “hash”, and follow prompts routine. To get some credit on his Momo account. But, come to think of it, is it possible to save money in our society unless, that is, you are among the top tier earners; the men and women that earn in the mid seven figures, upwards? One would argue it is impossible. In fact, in the average African society, the question one may ask is, how much of your money actually is yours? It is very common, say, to find yourself included in a WhatsApp group to raise funds for a relative, friend, or colleague’s wedding. You must contribute. It is churlish not to do so. And before you even command it, your index finger is doing the “star 182 hash” dance, summoning funds from your account, to send to the designated treasurer. Hardly a couple of days have passed before a sms message sends the sad news that so and so’s loved one has passed away. You send condolences, and make your contribution for the funeral arrangements. And so on it goes. Still, there is something beautiful about making those yearly resolutions. They express an optimism, a hope, that tomorrow will be better. And that’s something we should never lose. Happy New Year!
