What does your life stand for?
I’ve known Sowore for about a decade; we didn’t meet in the best of circumstances and I’m acutely aware of his flaws, such as they are. My first encounter with him was when Sahara Reporters carried a story about me that was not true. But then, I met Sowore and I realised that the weaknesses were not the substance of his person. I realized that what I considered weaknesses were a bug not a feature and that his heart is by and large always in the right place.
It reminded me of a quote from the movie ‘Iron Lady’: “Ones life must mean something. Long life is a gift but we must remember that as much as we’ve had people like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Mother Theresa - people who lived long lives and were more impactful, we also had some of the other impactful people in the world, like Malcolm X, Martin Luther, who lived short but incredibly meaningful lives. So, it’s not long life in itself that matters or short life that matters, what your life does.”
There is a purity in the purpose. And he has given everything - family, career, relationships - for that purpose. Sometimes when we are living in history, we often think that the people who have passed, who we praise were made of sterner stuff than the people we see but I do remember reading about everybody from Gani Fawehinmi to Fela Anikulapo Kuti. At least, those ones were alive when I was alive and I know that they were polarizing figures while they lived, and imperfect figures too and then they were gone and their present weaknesses were not interfering with the substance of their lives.
This is not about the specifics of Sowore’s case. This is honoring the spirit of his mission. Sowore’s life means something; we should ask ourselves what our own lives mean to us and to others.
Quote for the day
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