Africa (apart from the flaws which we all already know about, I mean good grief)

I'm new to the blogging world; I'm sure that's quite obvious because I've only got one previous post. Now my main reason for starting this blog is to hopefully to shine a light in the minds of many of the people whose ignorance is causing them to only see war, famine, disease, and the like when they hear anything about Africa.

I am tired of not being able to have a satisfying conversation about Africa with my peers and fellow citizens here in North America without it turning to war in Sudan or Rwandan genocide or Ebola or AIDS. I am also tired of feeling and being made to feel like it is my responsibility as an African to focus solely on all morbid matters that concern Africa. Yes, it is good to acknowledge and be proactive about all of these, and I fully support those who are thus engaged (more grease to your elbow).

However, let's put it simply: even in childrearing, it is not good to only speak about the ills of a difficult child. You must praise the child when they are doing well, so to encourage them to keep on doing well. I really do not blame anyone who has grown up out of Africa if their only experience with Africa is gleaned from what the western media feeds them. Without going on too much about it, but when a high level educated newscaster on one of the top news programs in the world calls Africa a country, you really can't expect them to give or even know the full picture themselves.

I admire President Obama for doing just what I think was necessary to put Africa, and specifically Ghana, in a different light than it has previously been seen in. Now I'm not such an optimist that I think this means that the western media will flood into Ghana looking for all the good things that are there, but it is a ray of hope in a dark void that has been in existence for a very long time.

Now enough of my rant, I want to focus on the positive, if you wish to comment about the good things you know of about Africa or have personally experienced, you are more than welcome. I will concentrate on Ghana, because I love Ghana and it is my native country and the only place I've personally experienced in Africa. I would love to see contributions from people concerning other African nations, and by the way, anyone can comment, whether or not you are African or or even if you've never been to Africa but can appreciate something good about a country there.

Finally, you can write about big things or small things, because it is the small things in life that really make us happy. The big things come, make a huge impact and go and we don't see them for awhile, but the small things are always happening around us. Let me start by saying I love my country Ghana because back home, the red clay in my backyard used to make the most beautiful little sculptures. I find that Canadian dirt (yes, I am Canadian) does not form anything but a mess in my hands--at least where I live.

I loved dancing in the rain in Ghana; I'd have to be crazy to try that here. The rain not only felt good in Ghana, but was warm, here the rain feels good, but if you stay in it too long, your teeth will be chattering with cold, and you may end up in bed with a bad cough.

I love how Ghanians love all things football; by that I mean world (minus North America) football. I know it's called European Football, but let's face it, the Europeans can't hog that sport, and North Americans are the only ones who haven't fully realized the joys of football, so one might as well call it World Football.

Michael Jackson: may his soul rest in peace.

I am sad today; I was going to write about my beloved country Ghana, then I put the TV on CNN. From the beginning of their reporting of M.J.'s hospitalization to the end, I was there watching. Michael Jackson was truly a legend, in music and in dance. I think particularly in dance, he did what most people never imagined the human body was capable of. I mean, if they had thought about it, they may have said "yes, it is physically possible to do this with your body", but who really had that level of imagination before Michael showed us it could be done?

I am very sorry to hear about his death, although I can not say I have ever seen him as one who can do no wrong as some do. I only wish he had had a better life experience starting from his childhood; his end may have been different and his legacy may not have been so marred. And yet even with his past transgressions, he stilled captured our hearts in his death; I truly am deeply saddened.

When all is said and done, I can only consider one thing. Michael achieved so much in his short life, more than several people could have done if they had each been given ten lives. Outside the UCLA hospital after the announcement of his death, countless people played his songs through loudspeakers and also sang them in his memory. But as Michael has now passed on, not one of his accolades can follow him. Where he goes, not the sound of a single one of those songs they were singing can be heard.

All I can think about right now is: did Michael know where he was going? As in did he have a relationship with the Lord of the universe; with Jesus Christ. That is the only prayer I can pray for him as I mourn his death, that, if even only in his final moments, he would have submitted his life to Christ. Naturally, every human being sometimes thinks about their own life, whether or not they will live it well. At this time as we all grieve the loss of a trailblazer, I encourage you to think about your soul, and where you will be headed when you receive that great and final call.

Once again, another thought comes to mind: Michael Jackson was a unique individual such as the world had never seen before. I truly believe God raised him up in a special way and gave him not one but many special gifts to touch people. I wonder, now that he is gone, who will be the person in this generation that will touch so many countless people around the world. Will there ever be such a person again? Make no mistake, I make no comparisons between him and the one and only Jesus Christ, who is unrivalled in history for those He's touched; but among ordinary men, will there be anyone who can touch the world again to the extent that Michael did?