Dear African Elders, Respect Is Earned not “Dashed”

So here I was at this shop watching a football match, when I saw a young boy in the other shop doing some school work. I realized that this boy would probably be in his junior secondary, good old days I thought. This boy was small in stature, he won’t be able to touch the roof of the shop where he was, although it was relatively low. He reminded me of myself in my junior secondary school days, I smiled and just and continued watching the soccer game, or football as we called it.

Some minutes after I had turned away, I heard the little telling boy someone in a disturbed tone that he wasn’t playing and that his can’t reach “it”. I turned towards the shop only to find out that there was an elderly man, maybe in his late thirties disturbing or should I say bullying the boy. I then realized that he had asked this boy to reach out to one edge of that roof, and pull down the “tapoline” (make shift cover made of rubber material, which can be used as an extension of the roof. It can be folded when needed and unfolded when needed) which was folded up, so that it would shield him (the elder) from the sun. The boy had refused of course, explaining that his hands can’t reach it, I could even hear him politely suggest to this man that he should probably do it since he is taller.

This elderly man then went on and got a wire, he then started flogging this boy with it. The little boy started crying and telling him to stop that he haven’t done anything, yet he continued. When the boy’s mum finally came out and intervened, this bully of a man told her that her son was disrespectful to him. The he refused to do what he asked him to do, I was just dumbfounded.

I just had to tell this story because this right here, happened to me a whole lot of times in my childhood. You see elders demanding respect when don’t even deserve an atom of it. They abuse, bully and disrespect you and when you act out, you become known as a stubborn and disrespectful child. I don’t know about other parts of the world, but my part of the world  demand that even if and elderly person rains abuses on you for no reason, that all you need to do is report to another elder, and as far am concerned that’s utter BULLS**T.

I can’t respect someone just because he or she is an elder, that’s just absurd. I was bullied a lot by these so called elders and I never respected any of them. You have to earn my respect, by respecting yourself and behaving like an elder. You can’t be behaving like my little siblings and expect me to respect you, you must be crazy.

That’s my opinion though, I’ll like to know your thoughts dear friend, so just like my facebook page @pharoahsays or just subscribe to my blog by logging in with your email. Thanks.