Friday, September 29, 2006

Being Honest…accepting my weakness(es)

I am really ashamed of myself. Can you imagine, it has been over a week since my last posting on this site. I was so sure I will never fail when I started but that is getting more difficult with each day/week not to slip. I am even more amazed because I am teaching my son to live up to agreements and commitments such as doing homework at a particular time and going to bed at an agreed time and if I may ask how about, writing and posting daily blog at an agreed time?

Believe me, I have tons of reasons and excuses but if I am not willing to accept that from a little boy who has his reasons (playing with friends, TV sometimes, etc) why would I give such lame ones like sitting in traffic for 4 hours two days ago and getting home drained of all energy or rather, that my wireless internet card did not work in the city where I have been on business trip so I could not write and post? Or even better, that I should be pardoned for sitting at the airport for fours long hours for a flight back to base and there are no alternatives that one can fly and at least be confident that the plane is air worthy not that the airworthiness guarantees anything in this time and age. These are all valid reasons by the way but does that exonerate me from failing to carry out a commitment that I made by myself to myself and my site visitors? I doubt!!!

Talking of security of air travel, in the years past when people enter planes and are scared it is either that the aircraft is experiencing serious turbulence or the thought of a possible mechanic fault that may cause the aircraft to crash but other than that, people get into the plane and fall fast asleep. I have been watching passengers in recent period in the long trans Atlantic and cross country flights especially going to Europe and America and all of a sudden everyone is a watchdog in the aircraft and every ‘unusual’ movement is being watched by all. I have not done any survey but I doubt that the concern of most air travelers is the possibility of mechanical fault from the aircraft more than it is of terrorist attack except maybe for countries like mine where we are more concerned with planes being airworthy and technical expertise of the operators.

In one of my pensive moments (no sober moments) recently, I was thinking that the chronic indiscipline in the very grains of our souls and blood streams could also be a factor in the recent crashes that we have experienced in Nigeria. Nigerians are known for wanting to do things ‘differently’ and there are no planes made specifically for Nigeria so I cannot help but wonder if our pilots actually follow rigidly the operational requirements and steps in pressing the numerous buttons. As passengers, we will never know. We have found out that we can 'amend' the service period to go years beyond what the manufacturers specified but the truth is that the operators will tell us to be grateful that there are aircrafts for us to fly. (Actually a lot of people are going by road these days).

Staying focused requires a lot of discipline and I am sure those of us who have tried to exercise and follow a regimen can testify to that. A lot of people like (me in this blogging decision) start off well and fizzle out but I cannot help but wonder how we want our kids to have a routine and stick to it when we as role models are unable to do what we expect others to do.

Now that I have said it all and made no excuse, I guess I can forgive myself and move on. What do you think?

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