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naijamark (m)
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Today, the last member of a "tribal-marked" generation in my lineage passed-away. She was my great Aunt. While she is greatly missed, her demise makes me reflect on the road thus far, especially in areas of similarities and differences of that generation and mine. Such include our heritage, culture, education, religion, behaviour, wealth, social standing, risk (health, life, finance). Until now, I never knew how much I admired that generation. They were cultured people, my grandfather for instance could never take offence in anything (I use to think they were stupid) yet he was not “born again”. Though one would say their generation never had most of the challenges we have today but are we not the designers of such challenges? Still on culture, my grandfather on meeting a friend or colleague will exchange pleasantry with the usual “e ‘ku , e n le” no member of the other person’s family is spared in this exchange of greetings (they even ask after the welfare of their concubines, laughs) How I miss them. That generation will not eat until their child is fed, is it so now? That generation was poor yet contented. But are they really poor? My grandma had jewellery worth more than =N=200,000, China plates e.t.c. They also had assets, some passed-on to them from generations which were jealously guarded, assets such as land. Our generation like the biblical prodigal son, all we do is sell them all. And like Esau, some for a mere porridge. How that generation weeps for us! Though irreligious, some close enough to be a pagan, they don’t commit as much atrocity as we today. We hear stories of their “self-help” retail, where goods are placed on the road side with stones used as price-tags; you simply make your purchase and drop the stipulated amount for the exchange. Now everyone, I said everyone is looking for how to rob his neighbour, what is wrong with this new generation? Then, all girls were virgins until they are married. What do we have now? Irresponsible men marrying semi-prostitutes. I’d rather die than marry any of those harlots. Nobody cares if he marries a virgin in this generation; I do, because I belong to the “tribal-marked” generation.
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