“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” Time and again I ask myself what this phrase means. I am not here to challenge what the word says but I must admit I am still struggling to understand this fact. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” So I will not question further why in all my human intelligence I keep asking myself how true this phrase is. All people were created in the image and likeness of God; people are not different.
Long before I decided to understand the diversity in humankind; as concerns character and behavior, I always thought some people are just weird. Right, some people are indeed weird but do I have to say. I never took my time to know why someone as mature as they seem to me could choose to be toddlers in action. Time and again I come across people with characters I do not comprehend. Then I decided I want to know why weird people exist and if indeed they are weird.
I remember well complaining to my friend some time back why someone could decide to say hallo to me today, hug me like we’ve not met in 20 years then pass by me like wind the next day, leaving the poor me wondering if she/he is the one I really saw. Such things happened to me more than I expected in campus, church, town and any other place I came across these unusual beings. Not once did I blame myself for having not started it off, but I am right they treated me and other people badly. Then there are these lot that is all over you “sweethearting, heartbeating, babying, darlinging and loveing” you all the way. They will scream your name from a distance and even run towards you as though your foot steps are not quick enough to catch up with their desire to fall on you like thunder. They will even hurt your neck trying to move you left right center in the name of a hearty hug. Spare me the pain. Then as soon as they are off your neck they are all over cursing you and your character. “Haka kasichana kanajifanyanga mayai sana, I could do anything to bring her down. Nkt……” How many times have you done this in a different way that you managed to justify?
Am still getting myself off the shock I had when a lady friend of mine uttered these words without blinking an eye. Then I started wondering why she had wasted my time standing by the road waiting for her as she had a chit chat with her lady friend, who to me seemed like everything she needed to breathe. I could not understand why. This is the same lady they were going out with the same night. She is the same lady who suggested to her the point of meeting for dinner before they could head to their “joint.” Its the same lady she had been talking about and how generous she was to her. I neither couldn’t understand why nor could I gather the guts to ask her. What crossed my mind is the phrase she was about to use about me the next minute. Probably telling another person she wonders why I keep following her here and there, regardless of the fact that she took so much of her time pleading me to join her for dinner. I had to find my way out. And indeed I did. Is this better than what she had said earlier?
I get into a joint in town and someone decides I will not have my good time. The man on the next table shamelessly stares at me from head to toe. I turn to my sister and request we shift tables. Our efforts are rendered unsuccessful since all tables are filled up. Full of men and women who also seem weird. Am not the patient type who will hope things will be okay with time. I opt to face another direction, away from the weird man who keeps staring. Then I receive a call from a strange person (Thanks to Truecaller am able to make a guess who the caller is). This is a friend who had requested to see me earlier in the day but could not since my day was already planned for. Its a Sunday afternoon and I had nothing much to do but have some good time with my sister in town. I was so busy doing this and was not sorry about it. I decide not to pick the call. Then the dear friend decides to walk to my table and demand to know why I had lied. A nice smile followed by a little laugh did it right for me. It was weird to him; much more than it was to me that a man could decide to fix his eyes on me.
Then here comes the people that only talk to you to their own convenience. You walk into an office and say hallo to none, look around and maybe don’t see the person you are looking for, walk up to the printer, photocopier or whatever and you are unable to operate it then you ask for my help? Hell No! You are the weird type. The worst happens when they succeed with their plans to offer themselves services. Public or private as it may be, some respect is needed for what does not belong to you, not you as a client or employee but you as a person. Enough said. Don’t tell people you are different because you are not.
So, are people weird? I will not think about this question again. I will also not try to answer it. I will just take people for who they are. I will not ask myself why they behave the way they do. So many scholars and philosophers tried to no avail. They all gave up on trying to understand why people behave the way they do. You will never understand why a decent girl will stick to a man who seems in love with another girl. You will not understand why a married woman would choose to stay in a club on the eve of a new year than be with her kids, if not her husband. You may never understand why people act the way they do. You are not different, you are not smarter.
“There are people who are generic. They make generic responses and they expect generic answers. They live inside a box and they think people who don’t fit into their box are weird. But I’ll tell you what, generic people are the weird people. They are like genetically-manipulated plants growing inside a laboratory, like indistinguishable faces, like droids. Like ignorance.” C. JoyBell C.