The art of being positively controversial, seeing something good in everything

Mtumishi35 is described in his Facebook profile as "a free living spirit who's not new to controversies". How about you? How do you take things? How do you handle different situations? Do you always conform to the whims of the majority? Well, positive controversy is an art, a lovely art if well learnt. You learn to take an alternative view and discover what it portends, and the positive impact it can bring when conformists are oblivious of such outcomes. You could even make genuine cash out of it!

For example, what was your take on the following news items?

1. Uhuru proposes pay cuts as part of austerity measures
2. CS Kaimenyi insists that pupils must be taught in vernacular from std 1-4
3. Despite the tender fiasco, govt still committed to provide laptops for std 1 pupils

Did you just curse him for attempting to finish you economically by suggesting they deduct the little left instead of deducting the loan and interest reflected on the weightless pay slip?

Did you just call Kaimenyi analogue? That our children live in cosmopolitan cities where teaching in vernacular would pose a big challenge?

Have you suggested that the laptop project should be shelved? That the project is not a priority and in any case it should have targeted students joining form one and not people who are barely out of their diapers?

You are not alone. In fact you are with the majority. Not so for Mtumishi35. Looking at the above scenarios using the art of positive controversy I see very good prospects! The art presupposes that there's something good in everything. The Guiness promoters say that there's a drop of greatness in every man. Never dismiss anyone unheard. And I add, don't always flow with the current. How would debates and relationships be if people agreed on everything? Pretty dull I must say.

With this hindsight let's revisit the above scenarios. I'll start with the second one and the jubilation it has brought me. While you are there cursing Kaimenyi, I'm about to kupata marufurufu nifanikise na m-swari (score big!) How else do you expect the government to create jobs if not through such an ingenious proposal? As we speak I have already developed curriculum content for standard 1-2 and underway developing for standard 3-4 in Cocoonish, my local dialect. Written, audio and video, I already have the content ready for circulation when the minister signals. ( If you don't come from this side of Sahara please contact me we translate it in your tongue and rake in the millions.) This kind of content isn't available and believe you me that they'll have no alternative but to contract me! Besides, what pride is there if a child cannot communicate with her grandmother owing to avoidable language barriers? Moreover, such content will also be available to those who speak other tongues and help in fighting negative ethnicity if not borrowing some water to drink. I can't wait for the program to be rolled out.

On the wage bill debate, what would happen to you if they reduced your pay by 20%? You certainly would not die but would probably have trouble adjusting, right? What if they first gave you a grace period to clear your loans and other pending major bills before effecting the cut? You'd definately fair better isn't it? However, this would entail either adjusting to live within your new means, or inventing a new source of income for you to maintain the status quo. You would then console yourself that many people earn less than you and others are in fact jobless. So then, why don't you take the pay cut debate as a wakeup call to effect the necessary adjustments right away? You can surely do better with a pay cut, even a hypothetical one as you await further communication. Give yourself a pay cut and save. Are we together?

Try the last one. Learn the art of unfettered optimism. See the other side of every situation. Brighten the earth. And probably know why some people "like" sad Facebook statuses including deaths.