My time, my story

There is a growing movement among young people about going back to our African roots. "Gūcokia rūūi mūkaro", some communities call it.?

When I think about these roots, I think of the structures that guided the life of a member of an African community 2 or 3 centuries ago. The most universal structures were called rites of passage; birth, naming, initiation, marriage and death. In Facing Mt. Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta adds minor structures that existed in the Kikuyu community. For example, a man would join "kiama kia mataathi" when his child was old enough for circumcision. On and on a person would climb the social ladder until the last rite, which was and still is death. Today, we climb the corporate ladder.

The development of these rights of passage and other customs took generations to build yet have been shattered in about 5 generations. Born in 1943, my grandmother is the closest in my family to the Kikuyus for whom these rites of passages were all that stood between prosperity and doom. Yet, even she was born in a Christianised world and the only rite of passage she knows is baptism. In the journey to find myself, I felt a strong kinship with those Kikuyus of old and their customs. Their lives were nicely structured, solid and everyone knew their position on the social ladder!

Until I realised that I am a product of this time. Importantly, some of those customs would likely kill me.

I am a writer, writing my story. I choose the characters and the plotlines to follow. I choose the characters to kill and those to give a happy ever after.

Only death remains as the only true rite of passage. And as scientists explore how to lengthen human life or the much-criticised cryonics, even death may have to reluctantly leave humans.?

If I didn't have to be born, doesn't that make my life more valuable?

I can choose a life of singlehood and the only repercussion will be a disappointed scowl from my grandmother and not something like ex-communication. My parents may own the village smithy; however, I can choose to be a medicine woman and I will not starve.

These days, I am more aware of people that have chosen unconventional lives. People like Akothee, Anne the Mortician and even Charlie Chaplin. Not only high-profile achievers but also courageous people in my day-to-day life. A lady that has chosen to freeze and shine or that dreadlocked man in 1C that jogs every day at 6.30.?

I now see we are all a product of this time and that we are not too late in choosing to write our stories.

And the thing with writing your story is that you will be successful at it.

Write your story, don't be shy.