“Saying Goodbye to Uncle Amose: No One is Useless”

The day of the burial came, and we all gathered at the graveyard to give my uncle a befitting send-off. After the funeral proceedings, the moment arrived to lower the casket into the grave. What I witnessed during this stage made me realize just how important every person is in society.

Interestingly, none of my uncle's close friends or family stepped forward to assist with carrying the casket or lowering it into the grave. Instead, all the "dirty work," for lack of a better term, was done by the so-called "junkies." These young men, often side-lined and labelled as useless by society, ensured that the grave was buried properly, paying careful attention to detail. Everything was neat as we watched on. They didn’t complain, nor did they shy away from the work—they simply got the job done.

This experience made me reflect on how we often disregard such individuals in society, seeing them as good for nothing. Some of us have friends who may have fallen into hard times, and when we meet them, we instinctively try to avoid them, fearing they'll ask us for a 1 Kwacha or something. Don't get me wrong—I'm not saying that being a "junkie" is good. What I'm saying is that we need to recognize the role that everyone plays in society.

When we die, it's unlikely that our co-workers will leave their desks to dig our graves or hold a shovel to bury us. They’ll likely stand at a distance with folded arms, perhaps chewing bubble gum, while others do the work.

Let us learn to appreciate each other, no matter our circumstances.

"Remember even a broken clock is right twice a day, Have a Blissful Weekend"