Mortality Check :(

Yesterday, Ghana laid to rest former president, Dr.Atta Mills who they fondly referred to as Father of the nation. Many miles away, in Iraq, in keeping with Islamic custom, a young man named Haidar was laid to rest too. 

The ever smiling Dr. Mills

Dr. Mills, I never met; but heard from various sources that he was an honourable man, that I would have liked him if I met him. In any case, the state of the country he had led for four years was testament to his able leadership.

Haidar Issa

Haidar, on the other hand, I met and interacted with albeit briefly. He was one of the participants in the just concluded GIMPA summer school on governance of oi, gas and mining resources. He was cheerful, soft spoken, smoking hot, gentlemanly, passionate about the state of his homeland and the future of his people and humourous- in fact, on the last day of training, he took pictures of the participants and added funny captions to them leaving us all rolling in laughter.

This morning, I am reminded. quite starkly, that I am mortal. There is a day, I don't know which (and perhaps, this is the most frustrating fact), when I will be no more. Does this scare me? Well, a little sometimes. 

Mostly, the fact challenges me...to be more generous, to be more considerate to those around me, to be more tolerant, to be kinder to myself, to make the kind of decisions that will guarantee that I leave a legacy and thus be remembered fondly, by some, when I am gone.

In our hearts, flags fly half mast in both your memories

Rest in Peace, guys. The world, I assure you, is that much less brighter without you here :(