few days back listening to what President Trump had to say about Ukraine and Zelenski I couldn’t help thinking for a few seconds if it was really necessary to come out with some of his comments. It isn’t about whether the things said were true or anything like that. That’s a whole lot of a different story. The safest, though not necessarily smartest, way is to leave the pros and cons of the whole thing to those directly involved. I don’t think there would be any surprise as it was Donald Trump speaking. Now no one can deny there were quite a number of politicians and media outlets entertaining some of the things said. Of course that by itself doesn’t make the points raised any more truthful or blatant falsehoods cooked up by the political snipers. We have observed the global media going into virtual meltdown some applauding others denouncing what has been said.
So after my initial reaction (or the lack of it!) it came to be that maybe these days in our daily lives there were moments where it is better to say something rather than keeping silent if only to prevent whatever is in question from sliding down into the abyss. Under our very eyes many mistakes are being committed, many things are stained, many holes appear in places and situations where there shouldn’t have been any and the list goes on. And it wouldn’t be out of the way to suggest that many of us are not that enthusiastic in gearing up to what could be described as our duties as citizens of the land and the very fact that we’re part of the human species.
So, what happens is mistakes small or big, insignificant or highly damaging, innocent missteps or deliberate wickedness remain bottled up and the perpetrators continue enjoying the sunshine as if they have done nothing wrong. This is not about blaming any individuals or groups. This is one aspect of life where most of us are in it together. It’s that simple. Perhaps not to be isolated by the society as some kind of betrayer for pocking the index finger at someone, or maybe not to shake up the status quo where the outstanding motto seem to be ‘Live and Let Live.’ Now, doesn’t that sound very familiar?
But then there is what in its own right could be an existential question; “Would anyone be comfortable at hearing being told what they’ve messed up?” and “Would they just shrug it away not flinching a single eyelid, or take it as a deliberate, well planned, frontal attack by those who seek the demise of the other side? Enemy at the door!
Say you’re working on something as part of a group project and you’re laboring day and night to come up with the best output you possibly can. After all there is some real money over there, and it would also pave the way for a future of other more lucrative projects followed by the G+3 villa and the seven million birr car! (There’s no sin in thinking about and also wishing for the G+3s and the seven million birr toys! It’s only human! Don’t listen to anyone who tells you’re simply fantasizing. In fact truth be told and it is better to spend a few nights of fantasizing over the more beautiful aspects of life rather than being mentally squeezed in from multiple sides over issues which probably are none of your business and even then there was nothing you can do about anything.
But while talking about telling others without fear or favor when they err over something the question that how many of us were willing to be on the receiving end of such a situation. After all we’re in an age where every person who can log into TikTok, or Facebook or whatever consider themselves as the most and best informed of the lot. And believe me there is nothing more frustrating and irritating than trying to get pathway into that terribly managed brains of such people. Their brains are virtually closed off to any sorts of intrusion and you’re advised to keep the ball in your own court as doing otherwise might ruin your day! After all the very person you thought would be content at hearing the bit of advice you were willing to give him turns on you with something like “It’s none of your damned business!” and tells you to shoo-off you’d probably be going through a couple days of virtual hell!
“How can he treat me like that when the only thing I wanted was to help him!” The next time he makes such a mistake they’ve vowed to give him the marching orders. And he tells me to get lost when I only wanted to tell him to be more careful!?” It hurts, and hurts bad!
Maybe the guy rides out this one in one piece. Maybe the angels just whispered in the ears of the brass to let the fellow with as much of a verbal reprimand. But then you learn that he was sinking into the same mess a second time. Now if it was a fair world where sense and sensibility run the show you would tell him in the strongest language you can manage “Look, this time they wouldn’t let you go like they did last time. I’ve heard they are already discussing what to do.” If you could steer the courage to do so then you deserve some reward. But the first time the guy stood his ground saying he did nothing wrong while the mess he created practically caused small earthquakes of sorts. You leave him to manage his own wrongdoings! After all they say “Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet,” isn’t that what they say? And you don’t want to be that fool!
The sad part is too many of us don’t have nerves strong enough to step up the plate and admit “Yes, I messed up!” believe me the skies wouldn’t fall down over those words. “Yes, I messed up!” are words that come from those who tell they are confident enough to stand on their two feet and take the blame for the mistakes they committed!
-The Taylor Swift/Rihanna Bug Biting
There seem to be so many famous people these days we might face the danger of running out of space upstairs to preserve names and faces. The faces seems to be rather difficult to recognize since the face of a famous person we see today might have a complete makeover tomorrow not due to some plastic surgery but to the ‘creative’ touches of the makeup people. (It’s the business dummy!) I mean when people finally join the ‘famous people’ species they have to act accordingly; ‘accordingly’ meaning different from the rank and file. I mean you are to be just another guy in the streets how can you be famous.
Times have changed, and changed drastically. The meaning of some of the things we thought we knew all about have definitely assumed newer dimensions. Our ideas of famous people used to be those people of music who hit the stages frequently for years and years before winning the status of being household names. Overnight climb up the ladder of fame is in some ways a most recent happening as the older days there was nothing short cut about being famous. But then even if there seem to be many ‘famous’ souls around especially in the arts world it doesn’t mean all mage to be out in public frequently. No way! It might not be because they don’t deserve it. (That in itself meaning deserving or not deserving seems to be a contentious issue as our measuring devises are not universal, not anymore!
Recently I came across a few youngsters and could say I ‘gained’ some ‘newer’ insights about ‘fame and the famous’ in the age of the social media. (And I still thought fame in any field came after you have really lived significantly past what one can describe the ‘median age’ around here! Of course we still need some bright mind to tell us there is anything like country-to-country ‘median age’ classification!) So these guys were talking about, what else, of course, TikTok! I have to admit I still find it hard to be a regular browser of this TikTok thing. Every time I give it a try things which practically make my blood run could fill the screen.
Speaking of TikTok a domestic helper of a friend who knows not much more tying her hand at writing as many Amharic letters as she can, and also reads in very slow motion still tried to coach me about TikTok one day I was in their house. It all started with her asking me if a certain famous youngster who had suffered acid attack has recovered. What the hell was she talking about? I tell her I never heard of such a story in the first place and that practically left her wide-eyed. My telling her that I didn’t even know the person she was talking about was too much for her to take. Now, frankly speaking her expectations of me being informed enough to tell her what she wanted to know was based on experience of sorts. She always hears me and her employer talking about lots of things and she probably thought we were the human versions of encyclopedia where you get every information under the sun.
She then logs into some sight and shows me before and after pictures and video clips of the guy. Of course my failure to answer the first question didn’t dissuade her from giving me a second chance. Lucky me! She plays a traditional Amharic piece and tells me and her employer who all this time was enjoying my being pushed into corners that she wanted to down load it. Well I could give this one a try and repair my dented reputation. I asked her the title of the piece.
She came up with a stanza or two fished out of the middle which weren’t the actual title of the piece. I said to her it would be difficult to download it if I didn’t know the title. She had enough of me. “She said, “Gashe, there are a lot of good things on TikTok!” Well it was a real kick below the belt being told by someone I thought knew very little about the world! No, it wasn’t any rude awakening; but I realized I must have lost touch with what actually is going around me. My friends told me that he knew about many famous people through his domestic helper.
It was only recently I heard of TikTalkers being awarded! (I’m not sure if I have even spelt it right!) The fact of the matter is that online fame seems to be overtaking real time fame! (What the hell am I talking about!) In fact someone told me of a really famous TikTalker having found himself on the wrong side of the law and his arrest was news that filled the social media. Look when it is about the social media I consider myself having left behind the trial and error stage. Since I usually log in to find out more about what’s going on around the world I’ve lists on all sides of the political isle and don’t have to wade in the unchartered waters of the wild social media! And in the process I seem to have fallen far behind in my knowledge of local famous people. There are so many these days!
Also it seems more and more people redrawn to the private lives of these famous people most of them seem to be the young ones with a few middle aged and older ones popping up here and there. Digging into the private lives of people famous or otherwise was something not very much appreciated around here. Now it seems the norm. You don’t hear only about marriages and birth in the family. The very intimate details of some of them are posted online and few seem to protest.
Now why should I care that some famous guy was dumped by his equally famous girlfriend and he was sore about it! Why should I care about the multimillion wedding anniversary of a famous bride! I mean as long as she had landed one of the filthy rich guys what‘s the news! What I want to know is what her next project would be or if we can expect her on any stage or screen with some new work!
Now, looking at what is going on around fame and the famous these days you couldn’t help asking yourself, “Is the Taylor Swift/Rihanna Bug Biting?”
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 23 FEBRUARY 2025
