SORES FOR THE EYES

As I sat in the front seat of my father's car going home yesterday, I felt content. Why? Because the previous day I had to go home on my own and I encountered so many discomforts. First, I was engulfed in dust as I stood at the Legon bus stop waiting for a "trotro" or vehicle. I stood there for some thirty minutes with dust all around me before I fought my way into a vehicle. My perfume on me had changed to dust scented when I finally sat in a vehicle. Second, I had to sit close to this girl who was bigger than me and who had actually relaxed so that I had just a little space to hung my buttocks. Third, the vehicle I sat in had this metal attached to the door. As I was getting down from the "trotro", I hit my right knee against it and it got swollen. I still have my knee swollen. I hope it goes away without giving me any knee pain. So yes, I was really relaxed and contented in my father's car. As we drove home, we listened to the football match between Ghana and Egypt on Peace Fm (one of the many radio stations in Accra).

Getting closer to Kwabenya Atomic Junction, we got into a bit of traffic. So we were now moving quite slowly. I sat in front looking around and my eyes were feasting on everything. I mean everything. I was looking at number plates of cars, thinking of which one was easy to memorize. I was looking at cars and thinking which one I would love to ride some years to come. Oh! I was feasting my eyes. But you see, just as people who buy groundnut and put all in their mouth without taking the time to select the bad nuts from the good nuts, go ahead and chew the bad nuts plus the good nuts, I also went on feasting my eyes on everything until I saw what I should not see. It was like nothing I had seen before. The time was around 6pm. Hmm! I do not even know how to describe it. There stood in the full glare of day light with people going about their work, a grown man, quite sane, bathing. Yes! He was bathing butt naked and he had some friends standing next to him! I had to quickly avert my eyes. Is this not sore for the eyes?

Today we see a lot of sores for the eyes. When it started, there were a whole lot of people talking against it but now, it has become “normal”. Now we call it FASHION. Yes! If you are not doing it, then it seems you are out of touch with the real world. Is it fashion, if on a hot afternoon, suddenly your eyes come into contact with a pair of protruding breasts on some daughter of Eve's bosom begging to come out because they are feeling oppressed? Or is it fashion that as a woman gets out of a car, most if not all her assets from the waist going down is exhibited for people to see? Is it also fashion, when boys, men or males wear their clothes, especially their trousers, with their underpants showing? Call me old fashioned or whatever you like but that is not fashion! We no longer know how to dress for occasions anymore. All one has to do particularly in the case of the females, is to wear something showing your breast and you are in fashion. These are all sores for our eyes.
NB: I know not all will agree with my opinion on how people dress but feel free to comment. This article was written on February 12, 2009.