By Ahmed Abib Hayir

If you meet the time a day starts, it so happens that you first notice the sky reddening with the new sun rising in the heavens; Birds in the forest are fluttering round and chirping merrily. Dew drops are glistening in the grass. People are getting up with the new sun shining on the leaves of trees and the ripples on the surface of the lake. Mothers are drawing the curtains to let in the sun. It is now dawning! You may think that one can have a good chance to attend duties until the dusk approaches. But what seems no time longer than hours you may happen to notice that the sky is already aflame with sunset on the horizon; The world is alive with the shrill cry of insects and the twittery sounds of birds in the forest. A herds-man is driving his cattle into a field. Dogs, barking, are sometimes breaking the silence of the new time. It is now at dusk! And sure enough a complete day lapsed then. In this way, weeks, months and years come and pass. And it is those typical days that add together making months and years throwing you in these present moments you are now reading my words. And the same, those days you are going through are making up the history of your life.

In the light of this fact, every time that passes is gone but remains the source of your personal make-up in the present. And undeniably, however, my past colors my present life with contingent effects and feelings. The life experiences I have so far had are what determine the choice I make now. The successes I have ensured are what hold the personal value I treasure now. And the failures I have ended up are what feed the pride I live with now. Presumably even, I hold a strong belief that, my past builds the basic foundations of many effective feelings and behavioral conducts I maintain now. For instance, because that my life was completely dependant on my father as a child, being an ailing parent, his many days in the hospital socialized me to feel scared of losing any one I love now. Staying frightened of how life could have been without my dad I now treasure the fear of how my world will be without my beloved ones; my mother who remains my most valued pride in life. My siblings who are my number one allies in this world. I do not want to lose them yet I am afraid. The same, in the past, I was socialized to live with praise and I have learnt to appreciate life now. I was socialized to live with encouragement and I have learnt to own confidence now. I was socialized to live with approval and I have learnt to like myself now. I was socialized to live with acceptance and friendship and I have learnt to find love in this world now …

And in other wards, I hold the firm belief that my past is the source of the pleasant hopes and the disappointing fears I hold for the future. I know from experience that both my future worries and happiness will be the effective outcome of my present thoughts and duties; that is to say, what I do now in life sows the seeds for better or worse future fruits harvest. For instance, I recall those many breakthroughs I ensured back in my school and university times. With my high ambitions in writing I had had the best, the most influencing and the highest inspired published journal articles, novels and analytic reports.   Laden with their strong feeling, these widely-praised writings reflected the excellence I can potentially achieve through hard work. And apparently, life to smooth out with no turns and twists, in the future, my past teaches me to have the ability to show courage in the face of adversity, show self-restraint in the face of temptation, choose happiness in the face of hurt and see opportunities in the face of obstacles.

In conclusion, my past haunts me and in the present time, I am beneficially making use of the lessons it holds for better future.

The pen of Ahmed Abiib Hayir.

12ndApril, 2008. A rainy afternoon