I recently celebrated another birthday, and what better time to reflect on the lessons I have learnt over the years. It is said that experience is the best teacher, and I couldn’t agree more. Without further ado, here we go.
The most expensive lesson I have learnt so far is that you should never buy land when the sun is shining. Wait until it is raining cats and dogs, when the media begins to publish features littered with phrases such as “raging floods” and when the government begins to advise Kenyans to move to high ground.
Wait until the rain clogs the drainage system near you and when your neighbour’s compound becomes a mini river. But to be on the safe side, wait until the only way you can get to the shops is through sailing on a canoe, or riding on the back of a mkokoteni .
Only then will you be guaranteed of actually getting what you pay for. Should you make the mistake of buying a piece of land during the hot season, when the sun is out in all its glory, chances of ending up with a piece of swamp is very high. I should know.
Lesson number two is that if you’re looking to rent or buy a flat, get one on the topmost floor, that way, you will have saved yourself the indignity of creaking beds in the dead of night, noisy neighbours who periodically drop heavy things on the floor, the loud footsteps of children running around the house above yours all day long, and not-so-clean water (from wet clothes your neighbour just hang) dripping onto your almost dry clothes.
Lesson number three was especially painful: Never pay for something you ordered online before actually seeing it. I once saw such a beautiful jacket online, which I immediately ordered, intending to wear it that weekend to a function.
Since I wasn’t available to pick it, I asked someone to verify the package for me, and if satisfied, pay and pick it on my behalf. It was a jacket alright, and it was the same size and colour I had ordered, however, the cut was wrong and the material so cheap-looking, I knew that I would never wear it.
Talk of money down the drain. See the item with your eyes before paying, otherwise you might end up with a set of toy utensils that cost you Sh6,000 or a doll’s dress or a birthday cake that looks as if it was baked by toddlers during their art lesson.
I have also learnt that there’s no secret between two people. Forget what they say about three being a crowd, two is already big enough a crowd. If you don’t want your affairs broadcast from the mountaintop, keep them to yourself.
I have since learnt that you should only lend that which you’re ready to lose, that which won’t cause you pain or regret when it is not repaid or returned.
When worse comes to worst and it is clear that you were fleeced, you should be able to cut your losses and move on without bitterness or being encumbered by feelings of revenge.
It is true that you only live once, therefore make the best use of your life and as often as possible, try to do the things that make you happy.
