Any River Which Forgets Its Source Will Surely Dry Up….

IYOM BIANCA ODUMEGWU-OJUKWU 

Some years ago, on a trip to Tunisia, I met a mullah who narrated a most interesting North African Folklore . It is undoubtedly a veritable life lesson, and goes thus…

A nobleman set out on a journey through the desert with his Camel. it was clement weather as he rode through the desert.
Along the way, he encountered some desert robbers but as he rode on camelback, the camel was able to lower its gait and he slipped down from its’s back while it pretended to be a sand dune as the robbers sped past on horseback.

When he finally got to his destination,

* the Nobleman gave thanks to the sun whose scorching heat spared him;

* to the winds which did not overwhelm him through the torrid nights;

* to the echoes which warned him of the imminent danger of the advancing robbers;
* to the Stars which illuminated his path in the desert in the darkness of the Night….

But NEVER once did he thank the camel on whose back he rode over the tortuously long distance…that Camel which saved his life from desert robbers and which brought him safely to his destination.

He simply tethered the camel to a hedge and went about his daily business. One day, in his absence some Tuaregs, on their way to a neighboring town came and took the camel away and the camel willingly left with them without as much as a sound.

The man upon his return from the day’s work proceeded to enjoy his supper. Late in the night, he fell gravely ill and needed to be conveyed to the next village where a physician could tend to him .
He requested for his trusted Camel but alas, there was no Camel to convey him. It was now with the Tuaregs. He asked if there was any donkey but none was available.

As a last resort, the man had to be carried on the back of his neighbour and this slowed the journey. Sadly, he gave up the ghost on the way.

No matter what happens in the present; the world, it’s events and consequences evolve through Time, Chance and Hubris. It has not changed over generations .

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues…it is the parent of all others. But Most Importantly, you will do well always to channel your gratitude, towards the most deserving, and therefore, the most right source.

 

 

 

 

– Iyom Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain.