More Than Digits

Name, tribe, race and nationality are few ways we describe people. Sometimes we include height, complexion, size, gender and age to get a clear picture of what we mean. All that would not get serious attention today. One of the most effective ways to introduce someone and get people's attention is to include the phrase 'very rich' (feel free to add other adjectives before 'rich'!). Now this gets more attention than saying the person is a good person or even a nice person. People say it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice. Today, it is even more important to be RICH. Without wasting more time complaining, lets get to the real issue. 

We live in world where everything is measured. Numbers have become the universal reference scale for measuring everything including the value of man. Position in class, CGPA, Number of goals in one season, 100 meters in 9.58 seconds and so many others. These references have thrown people straight into the Guinness Book of Records. The most interesting measures of value with digits are the account balance and value of assets. In today's world, Mother Theresa would not have been celebrated. Really, how much did she have? Why would we even remember Ghandi? Lets look at it this way. Ken Saro-wiwa and all the others who fought for the rights of the Niger-delta people may be forgotten while people celebrate Late Alamieyeseigha and James Ibori as the champions of the region. We respect the numbers, but not just any number. We respect the amount of money they have irrespective of the source of the wealth. Shame!!! 

Lets look at what drives us today. How have we degenerated so much that in spite of the technological advancement that should create a more closely knit world, we are slowly falling apart? We define relationship with numbers...number of Facebook friends and Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter followers. With all these electronic friends, we are still lonely and bored people.  We have to resort to different means of sustaining the numbers. From gradual strip shows to childish and senseless show of the little we think we have, people are lost in the race to constantly generate and maintain the number of likes, followers and all. And yes, these numbers may generate income, which I support. I'm definitely not against this! I'm only pointing out how the numbers have defined our lives. But what value can you add without numbers? Everyone keeps track of the little things they do to help others. Do we really need to? Isn't that meant to be part of our lives? I can understand companies keeping track of money spent on charity for accountability but why take pictures and throw it up in the media (I hear someone whisper..."he doesn't know anything about PR"). Well, that is my point exactly. Corporate lies, individual goodwill-flamboyance and ego feeding 'humanitarian service' has to be measured to help us compete as usual, and the only means of doing this is by using the digits to define our efforts and ourselves in general. Man made the numbers that have made him. In fact if it doesn't count, then literally, it is not important. It may be the best time to be alive, but really we can take time out to share the best of our lives with others without looking back to count everything. I want to focus on the quality of my life, not  quantities in my life! Don't just be alive, live!

(Remember experiences cannot be captured with numbers. Love, pain, happiness, and excitement can never be measured! Get the best of every moment. This is the life. Live it!)