ABOUT TODAY.

Earlier today, I sat outside the gate to my residence to make a call. I was about it when I saw a woman walking by with her child. She was holding the hand of her child. I had not paid much attention to the duo because I was more focused on my outgoing call as the receiver on the other end could pick at any time.


The woman let out a greeting to me. I looked up and answered her while adding another layer of greeting as a way of respect. My eyes met with that of her cute, little daughter and I waved at her. She waved back, such a cutie.

Right there and then, I remembered a video clip I saw on Facebook some days back. It was a video of an elderly woman standing by the roadside with a large number of people jogging passed her. She had extended her hand to shake as many people as possible and they were excitedly running close to her side to shake her hand. The lovely moments were captured on video and the younger generation were happy to make her day.

They shook her hand while giving her a warm smile and the old lady responded with no little happiness. Those were white people from the western world!!. I con dy imagine how e go be if either the woman that just walked past me or her child had turned to me to shake my hand; or I had extended a handshake to them. Hmmm… Either ways, I no go shake oh! Lol!

Did I mention? I had also seen a video of my African brothers, who while making video contents or carrying out a test, walked up to people with open arms asking for a hug. Some went in for a hug, others did not. Now these two scenarios are very interesting.

Handshakes from or to strangers, in this our Africa?! Hugs from people you barely know or just met? A townhall, different……!!!!

For what it is worth, I believe there are levels or limits to friendliness especially in this current society well, unless you are spiritually prepared. That’s the angle I view most of these things from. There are things I will not do for strangers or for mere content because I want to be friendly. One can never be too careful.

Apart from the spiritual side, there is also the medical side. Some viruses or diseases can be contracted by bodily contact. Talk of Covid-19, hepatitis B and the rest. Let me not bore you with too much caution. The choice is always yours my dear readers. If you think you are prepared enough, nice; if not, you already know what to do.

And this has nothing to do with race or location, really. It is what it is, one can’t be too careful. Better safe than sorry.


Stay safe, Sadiq Yusuf.