Having spent a relatively long time on a job that puts me out there, I have learnt to appreciate childhood friendships. People I went to high school and college with, people who held my hand as I started my career, those who paid for meals when I could not afford them, or accommodated me when I could not afford rent. The people that knew me before I acquired a public title; before I became anyone’s favourite radio presenter and before I started getting recognised by strangers in public places. Have you ever heard of grace to grass? Well, I have seen people fall from grace to grass and the fall is so hard, especially for those of high status in society because a government position afforded them that or publicity the media gave them or the visibility their very public job gave them. In life we fail and fall a lot of times; it is when the fall comes that you know your true friends and the ones that were only with you because you were standing at the time. It’s when that government appointment is no more, that one experiences a lot of calls to friends going unanswered. One is suddenly avoided by business partners who now view them as a risk to the business. Before long people ‘deny’ ever knowing them because they do not want to jeopardise their relationship with the government. A former cabinet minister in one of the east African countries once wrote a personal account of losing it all once he was demoted and how nothing prepares a high flyer for life when the lights go off and friends start ducking. As a media personality, my phone rings on end; somebody wants to make an appearance on the show or wants a mention of their product on radio, others want a post about their business on my social media pages. You may think that is cool, it actually is, until one leaves the media job then corporate companies that previously contacted them or their acquaintances quickly move on to the next media personality. That is when misery strikes. For many people in my field, their value is likely to diminish once their time is up on radio or TV; when faced with a case of misconduct, the court of public opinion is harsher on them because they have a name, the court of public opinion is harsher on them because they have a name. One’s friends join the many strangers baying for his or her blood, a former colleague publicly wonders why your life has not stopped. Messages to friends are blue ticked with no response because they do not think it is necessary to give you time to explain yourself. I started by talking about a special group of friends I have witnessed stand by an old buddy because they feel they know this person better, he deserves a listening ear. They rarely run because they never were in your life for the car, job title, connections or money. There comes a time in our lives when our jobs or positions in society make us feel so important, we are tempted to feel like the providers of the oxygen that keeps the world alive, in all that value the people that love and appreciate you for who you are not what you are, have become or what you have.
