Flashes of Thought.

Following the Tuesday protests, WhatsApp statuses have been flooded with pictures of dead bodies of young Kenyans shared for all the world to see. Kenyans are in a mad frenzy to prove a point? " What's the point?" You may ask. To which I would answer even as the Swahili proverb tells us: ' Mchuna   ngozi huvutia kwake' which loosely translates to ' every skinner pulls to his side '.  However, the constant exposure to all these depressing stories on Kenyan socials has forced me to ponder on the brevity of life, the value of life and the meaning of life. I find myself assailed with unresolved thoughts on life and death. And when one person asked me in regards to the Tuesday protests, ' How many people have been confirmed dead so far ?' I remembered John Donne's poignant poem, For Whom The Bell Tolls.  No man is an island, Entire of itself.  Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by th...

"Olivia?" I called out, staring disheartened at her portion of the group project. "Yes," she responded. "Well", I started, trying to find tactful words to articulate my concerns about the work without offending her. "You writing... Its different. You write as if you're talking to the lecturer," I eventually stated, hoping that she'd discern the underlying concern in my tone.  "Yes. That is my writing style," she said, clearly unperturbed.  "Okay... So you mean to say this is how you write all your academic work?" I inquired once more to confirm.  "Yes," she confirmed. "In fact my lecturers love my writing style." She added proudly. Now, to describe her writing, Olivia wrote simply and directly, and just as I said, as one would when talking to another face to face. Her writing lacked the elaborate embellishments and great efforts of one striving to impress, a stark difference to my own wr...

An epiphany dawned upon me a few days ago when a friend of mine graciously accepted my invitation to visit our home for a discussion. While exchanging pleasantries, our elegant cat emerged from the house and basked in the sun on the veranda. " What a beautiful cat ," she remarked. " Indeed, no whiter cat ever graced the earth," I humored, admiring the snowy white fur of our feline companion. " What happened to its ears ?" she inquired, noting the ghastly wounds on the cat's ears. " We don't know. This cat arrived at our doorstep approximately six months ago with those ear wounds. Since then, the wounds are yet to fully heal " I explained. " Have you considered using honey ?" she suggested. " Honey ?" I wondered. " Yes, honey. We utilize it in the hospital for wounds that are slow to heal, " she elaborated. " Ah ," I acknowledged, even as the epiphany struck me.  My thoughts immediately t...

One of the predominant themes that the young mind has to grapple with as it awakens from its innocent slumber of childhood into maturity is the dichotomy of freedom and restraint. As the young individual becomes acquainted with the constrains (often perceived as shackles) imposed on him first at home, then at school and so forth, a longing is kindled in the young man’s mind. A longing for freedom. Along his journey, the young man encounters many more like him, all clamoring for freedom of some sort. Through careful observation and attentive listening, he perceives the world as a vast cauldron brimming with the swirling echoes of cries for freedom - freedom of expression, democracy, identity, religion and more. Countless books, songs and films have been created, and continue to be created all echoing the same sentiment: We want Freedom. Break from us the chains of restraint ! If he is wise and discrete, the young man will search the depth of the matter to acquire understandi...

'The Emperor's New Clothes' is a classic folktale penned by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The tale is about an emperor who has an obsession for fancy new clothes, and spends lavishly on them to the detriment of his royal duties. One day two cunning imposters posing as master weavers visit the emperor’s capital. They offer to supply him with exquisite clothes that are invisible to those who are incompetent or stupid. The gullible emperor falls for their deceit and hires them. They set up looms and begin their charade, pretending to be hard at work. They ask for the finest silk and thread, which they conceal in their bags, yet pretend to be weaving all the same. The emperor sends a succession of officials, including his wise and competent minister to visit them to check the progress. Despite the apparent absence of any fabrics on the looms, the emperors trusted officials feign admiration to avoid looking foolish.  Eventually, the weavers report that the e...

Welcome back to another week! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I recall my fondness for Math during my primary school days. One of its appeals was the challenge it presented and consequently the sense of accomplishment that came with finding short cuts to problem solving. I would dedicated myself to finding short cuts to simplify the arduous task of following through lengthy methods to get to solutions. My primary concern was to get to the correct answer promptly. My guiding principle as it regarded Math was that the end justified the means. Upon entering high school my love for Math was replaced by my newfound love for literature. My focus shifted from finding short cuts for Math lessons although once in a while I would find some short cuts that I would use during exams. However, this was effectively discouraged by my teacher who would award me award me a mark solely for correct answers but penalize me more marks for deviating from the method that he had taught us....

One of the prevailing themes that has surfaced through my four-year course as a communication student is the theme of influence. It was instilled in me that beyond merely communicating to create understanding, we also communicate to exert influence. All around us we are influencing and being influenced. Today, I thought to contribute my two cents into this thing called influence. I hope you are edified as you read along. Influence, as defined by the dictionary, is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. In this sense, sociologists tell us that everyone, without exception, possesses influence. While the scope and magnitude of our influence may differ from person to person, yet its undeniable existence remains a constant reality.  This reality presents both positive and negative implications. In a world where evil abounds, the predominant narratives is that we are powerless to effect change. H...

Stories are an essential component of culture and civilization, inseparable from the very fabric of society. Intricately woven into the fiber of society are stories. They permeate our conversations, the books we read(literature), the clothes we wear(fashion), the songs we sing(music), the jokes we tell(humor), the movies we watch(cinema) and even the adverts we view. These stories, that are constantly being told around us, consciously and sub consciously shape our thoughts and perceptions about life. Throughout history, story telling has proved to be the most potent tool in influencing individual’s understanding of themselves and the world. This is because of its ability to convey beliefs, norms and values thus leaving a profound impact that continues to be felt in the world of politics, commerce, education, religion, science and so forth. One only needs to look at the frenzied mass production of movies and songs in our day to understand the significance of story-telling. H...

One of the “and their eyes were opened” moments regarding fear occurred for me when I acknowledged my aversion to making important decisions concerning my life. I preferred to defer that task to others and allow them make decisions for me. Significant decision-making moments would always be tarnished by the ugly presence of that dark looming ashen monster called fear. I would hear his subtle whispers deep within my soul. My mind would serve as the canvas on which he painted his garish paintings of all the things that would possibly go wrong if I made the wrong choices. Consequently, the winds would be taken out of my sail, leaving me at the harbor when I should have been sailing. Upon closer inspection of life, it becomes evident that the world is a cauldron of simmering fears controlling us. Despite our belief that we are masters of our destinies, a thorough examination of our thought and decision-making processes easily proves who runs the show for most of us. It comes in...

Welcome to the blog! I remember first hearing about Mohammed Bin Rashid All Maktoum's publication entitled " Flashes of Thought ." Even prior to delving into the contents of the book, my mind was already abuzz with contemplations on life and human experience. It was almost intuitive for me to envision that if I were to create a blog, I would call it "  Flashes of Thought." And Voila! Here we are. Life is not a straight line, one wise man said. Consequently, my aim in sharing content with you is to take you on an odyssey of exploring diverse thoughts and perspectives on life that will inspire, motivate and provoke you to perceive life through different lenses. Prepare yourselves. It promises to be quite the journey.  I look forward to interacting with you more therefore please keep your comments coming. Your input is highly valued. Thank you for taking your time to read through.   Shilako Abutaka.