Going Beyond the Rhetoric

You know one of those times you have a lot to say, but don't know where to start from? That's me today. I have a lot on my mind, and I don't know where to start from. 

Have you noticed how topics/issues just trend on social media, especially on the Nigerian internet space, for a while, then we move on to the next. While it trends, everybody wants to write about it, or be part of that discourse.

If you've been following us on social media, you'd discover how we keep up with the trending topics, relevant and irrelevant, I must add. 

Few weeks ago, we dealt with the #wifenotcook, #husbandnotatm, we're constantly discussing feminism and gender issues, and in the course of these discussions, we are discovering that a lot of people do not know the rudiments of these topics, but they want to talk about the trending topics. We dish out advice which we sometimes don't believe in or even practice, and at the end of the day, no real change is effected as it all ends on social media.

Now, you can't turn without reading about depression and suicide; why? because a Medical Doctor committed suicide by jumping into the lagoon some days ago. As far as we are concerned, he's got to be depressed, as there could be no other reason why a young, seemingly well-off Medical Doctor could just end his life in such a brazen and abrupt manner. So we have all suddenly become advisers, pledging to watch out for one another, to be there for people who are going through rough times. Some of us have gone as far as making themselves available to talk to people and counsel them. 

All these are good and fine, but if only we would translate them into action in real life. Talking about depression does not mean that only depressed people commit suicide. Drugs also induce suicidal thoughts, as well as mental issues. I'm even surprised that we're not alluding to voodoo as the cause of this particular young man's suicide, considering the gist that he was on the phone with someone and suddenly asked the driver to stop, got down and jumped into the lagoon. Maybe we don't want to bring the spiritual and voodoo into it because there's been much discussion about not attributing every ill to spiritual forces, and nobody wants to be seen as the 'unintelligent or unexposed' one,lol. 

After discussing depression on social media and over-flogging the issue this week, will we really be on the lookout for depressed family members, friends, colleagues, church members, etc? Are we ready to be there for others truly, in good and in trying times? If we don't move beyond rhetoric to real action, then we'd pause this discussion, probably by the end of this week, and remember it again when another person commits suicide. 

It shouldn't take suicide and the threats of depression to make us have that resolve to be kind to people, to use kind words when addressing people, or to give listening ears to people that come to us for help. These are things that should come naturally to us. Even if you do not have the solution to someone's problem, the kind of reception you give could actually go a long way in calming the individual. Empathy should be in our DNA, not some fire-brigade approach we whip out when something bad happens. 

Have a great day and be kind to one another.