Let Us Be Like Colour Pencils

Let Us Be Like Colour Pencils

I suppose that we all got the chance to go to pre-school, or say most of us, that is where we got the chance to use colour pencils the most. We got the chance to be creators, we would create blue people, red people, yellow, green. Maybe we were still pure at mind and heart, no racism, no gender bias no religious bias. All we knew is that we were colouring a human being, the colour did not really matter, that proved our innocence. One thing about colour pencils that brought a challenge to us is the fact that we did not have a chance to erase the colour even if we felt it was not fitting well at some point. That is why sometimes we would have one face with two or three colours, it was fun. Where a colour pencil has been, no one will doubt it has been there.

Maya Angelo said “I’ve learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Come on people, who am I to disagree with Maya? I fully agree with her on this. If you want to stick like the colour of your colour pencil in someone’s life, make sure you bring a strong feeling to their emotions. Funny enough though, the feeling can either be a bad feeling or a great feeling, but people will never forget how you made them feel. I’m a bad person, I really am, I still remember how one lady made me feel embarrassed in 2005, today it is 2015; a good ten years. She brought a strong wave of emotion to me, I still remember it like it was yesterday. Maybe that one is better, I still remember how one fella made fun of my situation of being raised by a single parent, which was in 2000, ouch! Fifteen years ago!

Haven’t I beaten around the bush too much? I feel like I had, I’m very sorry about that. The title is “Let Us Be Like Colour Pencils”, it is just that I do not like long titles, otherwise I would have said “Let Us Be Like Colour Pencils If Not Permanent Makers”. I am trying to say let us make sure that the people we have been with never forget us for the good that we have been to them. Please, I am begging you, do not make them remember you for the emotional sores you left on their souls. Make people remember you for the good that you were to them, make them miss your presence, make them pray that you come back to be with them again. There is only one way to do so, it is to bring smiles to frowned faces.  Have you ever seen a sad scene whereby one is about to reach a group of people chatting and laughing, just when s/he is about to reach them they shake hands and disperse? One reason for that is they know s/he might break the mood. Let that not be me and you.

On the 17th of November 2015 I was tasked to be the Master of Ceremonies of a mini function in my work place. The school was sending off their external examination group, they had finished writing their exams. I love saying things, even unnecessary ones; I asked the learners to think whether the party is a ‘farewell’ party or a ‘throw away’ party? I explained to them that I understand farewell to be ‘heartfelt goodbyes’, and then challenged them to think whether the school was saying ‘goodbye’ or ‘at last, let them go’? The speakers of the day proved that they were happy to at last get rid of the group. During their time in the school, they have lived like colour pencils, but colour pencils which were too sharp, they pierced the paper, and instead of leaving paint they left pores and sores. I implore you, please leave a mark than a hole.

Let us be well sharpened colour pencils if not permanent markers, let us leave a mark where we have passed. Let those we have been with remember us, let them miss us, let them wish to be with us again.