"Heshima si utumwa", our Kiswahili teacher in primary school, Mrs Gitonga always told us.
Which directly translates " courtesy is not slavery. Courtesy is a respectful attitude towards others.
We did not understand much from that saying back in the days, because we had to be respectful. Actually we thought this must be some bullshit phrase.
We were taught respect right from scratch. Being respectful was part of the rules and disobeying any of the rules meant some good beatings. So, for me and the other 8 year old girls and boys in my class....courtesy was actually slavery. We surely did not have a choice, but to act respectfully.
But now, decades have passed and there is no one here anymore to beat my ass up when i act disrespectful. No one to make me kneel on the rocky, cold floor for hours for being unkind to another child. No one to pull my ear if i don´t say "thank you", or "sorry". No one bothered if i don´t give that old lady in the train my seat.
"Respekt will gelernt sein" Germans will say. Meaning; respect must be learned.
No matter how much i hated it as a kid, so much more do i treasure it today.
I learnt to respect my parents, my teachers, my friends, my partner, my children, my boss and even more important my God.
When i hear of attacks like there have been in Germany in 2016, i wonder:
Where is the respect?
How shameful that all of the culprits were foreigners....
Where is the respect for the foreign country which welcomed you in?
Where is the respect for other peoples religion?
Where is the respect for other peoples culture and believes?
Where is the respect for the human life?
where is the respect for our own selves?
Well i guess not everyone was taught respect! In deed "Respekt muss gelernt sein"!!!
A shout out to all the victims of the attacks in 2016. I wish the families of the departed a strong heart and comforted spirit.
Welcome to 2017. I wish you all a great, happy, prosperous and blessed year filled with respect!
Till soon, thanks so much for passing by.
Lots of luv,
ItsRose_Beth
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