Negative attention is better than none at all

By Anne Mukei

I have been watching a captivating drama series. The main star, an impersonator, has been living a lie most of his life. But the cousin he has been impersonating has held him captive, and days have turned into weeks since he went missing.

He is in agony and does not know when he will leave the small caged room in a far off place, away from any human activity. His vengeful cousin visits him every other day and brings him water, the only thing that has been keeping the poor captive alive.

Making A Difference

Even as the captive wallows in sorrow, his active mind tells him that it is just a matter of time before a search party is sent to look for him. He believes a time is coming when someone will notice his absence.

He is right: Family members soon start to wonder how much longer he will be away and why he has not been communicating. This worrying means he must mean something to someone; he must be making a difference in their lives.

I shared this tale with a friend who was going through a rough patch and feeling there were too many people opposing her. I helped her understand that she was a tree with good fruit, and that was why someone somewhere was taking note of her actions.

I told her that she must be creating beautiful, synchronised music in her world, and somehow giving back to the universe, and that was why someone was taking note of what she was doing — or what she was not — enough to make noise about it.

Imagine how much shaking a mango tree must experience when its fruit is ripe and everyone wants a juicy bite. The tree will always get the most attention during its productive season every year, unless it is in a deserted area. But even then, the fruit will fall by itself because it cannot hang on to the branches forever.  They say that the worst thing is for one to be ignored by the world. Imagine walking into a room and no one notices your presence.

A Blind Eye

Imagine taking note of the world but it turns a blind eye on you. Imagine working hard to impress and no one appreciates your presence, leave alone your efforts. That must be a lonely place to be.

So enjoy all the attention that comes your way. This is only happening because you are a juicy fruit.