I was pissed! Not at someone else, but at my damn self. It’s one thing to face a low point in your life, but it’s something else when you accept it. This was a hard time for me. It was 2009 and I went from a six-figure earner to a guy barely making $11.00 an hour. I stood behind the clock at Procter and Gamble waiting for my turn to punch out at 7:00 AM. Third shift on the X Line was rough and the pay was TERRIBLE, but I soon learned that everything happens for a reason. While waiting, I began thinking about the conversation I had with a young man from Ghana named Benjamin. He was short in stature, but he was wise for a 20 yr. old. A nursing student at Winston Salem State University, Ben had plenty of friends because he managed to assimilate into Western culture, while maintaining the respect of his African peers.
At work, I overheard a conversation between Ben and an older Ghanaian man that used the word “akata.” He was pointing at the young African Americans that were playing around, and although I didn’t know its meaning, I knew that it was a derogatory term. So, when the man left and things settled down, I asked Ben what “akata” meant. Surprised that I remembered, Ben was shy and reluctant to tell me it’s true definition. He paused for a second to gather his thoughts and said with a slight accent. “What we don’t understand, is how we can come to this country, barely able to speak English and find ourselves on the same level as you guys.” I agreed with him as we stared at the young African Americans playing around, waiting for the machine to start. Watching them was like watching slapstick comedy in person. It’s funny for a minute, but then it just looks stupid. As I continued boxing the Crest Twin Pack toothpaste, it hit me. “Fool, he’s talking about you too!!”
After clocking out, I drove slowly to Walmart on Cone Boulevard and thought about my conversation with Benjamin. “How did I get here,” and most importantly, “How do I get out?” I could hardly keep my eyes open as I shuffled through the aisles with my thoughts and a US Bank card. I remember checking my balance in disbelief. Once I pay the power bill, I’m broke AGAIN! Thich Nhat Hanh said, “People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free, and we don’t suffer anymore.” But it’s hard seeing past an “anorexic” bank account that never seems to make “cents!”
It was the Fall and there was a bite in the air as a reminder that winter was around the corner. After picking up a box of cereal, I drove home and sat in the driveway for a few minutes. “If I woke up in Ghana tomorrow, unable to speak the language, how would I take care of myself?” I considered the courage of the African immigrants that came to America for a better life. They were THOUSANDS of miles away from home and what they lacked in material things, they compensate with intelligence, and determination.
I sat puzzled and gazed out of the passenger side window at two squirrels fighting over my pecan tree. I soon realized that they were fighting for ownership because the tree was a source of food. For them, it was not only a sign of wealth, but also a means of taking care of their offspring. They weren’t distracted by the birds chirping or the cat next door. They were focused and raced up and down the tree until both were exhausted. It was at that moment when I realized that God wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was teaching me a lesson that I could only learn through experience….
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