I thought I was over this. I know I was guilty of it in the past but only two nights ago I realized that old habits could return at any time. Do I feel ashamed? No, because it has taught me that character takes time to grow.
On Tuesday evening, I had just left a meeting and was heading home. As I was ascending the hill by the University of the West Indies, a car passed me in the right lane. When I reached the traffic lights, which were on red, the same car was next to me. When the light turned green, both of us moved off at the same time. I was not in any hurry to get home but something inside of me didn’t want the car to overtake me, so each time the car got close I accelerated.
It wasn’t until I had gained some distance between myself and the other vehicle that I realized the error in my actions. I had returned to a nasty, disgusting practice that many in this country are also guilty of.
Have you ever experienced this? An urge to prevent someone from overtaking you or even preventing a person from exiting a side road to go in front of you?
I see the overtaking as symbolic of advancement, development, success and breakthrough and the prevention as symbolic of selfishness, immaturity and bitterness.
It seems like we can’t bear the thought of someone going ahead of us, or advancing in their lives, or accomplishing something before us, so we have this urge to do something to prevent them.
Has this ever happened to you?
You receive some spare cash, so you decide to do some improvements on your house, maybe put up a fence or do some painting. All of a sudden, your neighbour stops speaking to you.
Or maybe you decide to wear to work more fashionable and better quality clothes, and all of a sudden you hear amongst colleagues that you are stuck up and “full of yuhself”.
There are some shop owners who after years of doing business would love to buy a new car but they fear that if they do they may lose customers in the neighbourhood.
There are some pastors who would like to buy a new car or build a new house but are being very cautious because some members of the congregation will say he/she is stealing the church money.
Why do we thrive on pulling down each other or holding each other back? It is a nasty, disgusting disease we have.
Think about it: if we spend our time, energy and resources hindering each other’s development, advancement and success, we will all remain at the same place, poor, frustrated and unhappy.
Maybe, just maybe, if instead of preventing you, encourage you and support you as you develop and when you reach your destination, you would be in a position to assist me in doing the same. Maybe, when you become financially free, you can help me do the same; maybe, when you complete your house without taking out a loan, you can teach me how to do the same.
Tuesday night reminded me that fighting this bad attitude is something I have to do on a consistent basis. Even though it can be challenging at times, I am making a deliberate commitment to be an encourager and supporter in seeing people advance and succeed.
• Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth Youth ambassador.
