MAKING USE OF A DISASTER

Disasters in one’s life are better avoided at all costs. But alas, they happen, and usually unexpectedly, to anyone and to everyone, either directly or indirectly. Different people have different reactions to disasters.

One man was telling his own story. He said he was nominated for the position of the ugliest person in the whole college. He said that he chose to derive fun out of it. Instead of reacting with anger, he drummed up support from his colleagues who chanted his name on the day of elections. And he not only won that year, but he did it two years consecutively – the ugliest person the whole college – just imagine.

A certain family had a child with some health condition such that (s)he could not eat ordinary bread, their staple food. So, for the child to survive, the family had to bake special bread for him/her. And after doing that a number of times, they had problems in disposing the excess bread, as it was impossible to bake just enough for one person. Hence, they started putting the excess bread on the market. Eventually, they evolved to be one of the leading bakeries in that country and they became extremely wealthy. Wealth from disaster, you may call it.

We all experience disasters in one way or the other and with different intensities. While someone derives fun in being voted the ugliest person in the whole university college, another is driven into depression merely for being shunned by some of his/her friends. A family refused to be drowned into self-pity just because their child had a health condition and in solving their misfortune they were ushered into prosperity. We too can look beyond our various disasters and see a silver lining in our cloud. By your courage and resilience, you will overcome the disaster and at the same time be an encouragement to others.

Dr H. Gondwe

Deputy Headmaster (P)