I have sort of demonstrated my level of self awareness through the sense of mindfulness. And to be honest, I sincerely didn't know that all I have been practicing is clearly a state of mindfulness. I grew up in a society where the best way to define mindfulness is by constantly minding your business and desisting from what necessary doesn't concern you. People are constantly afraid of the unknown and helping people most times are perceived as big risks. After I read this mindfulness prompt in this community, I thought to share an experience which I had in my University, precisely my second year of study in that school.
It was 2020, the world was hit by COVID 19 and there were lockdowns in most world cities for months. I schooled in another entire geopolitical zone completely far from my own geopolitical zone. So it wasn't easy for me to make it back home for all the six months of lock down. So I asked a classmate to at least help me so i can stay in his apartment for the lockdown and he accepted. I used to stay in the school hostel but the hostels were shut down.
So on that fateful day, I went out to get some food items for us because we were way too hungry. As I dashed out to the street, I met a group of rough street guys, about three of them. They were all harshing out on one cute and fair looking boy. They rounded him and were trying to rob him of some of his belongings.
As a person who has always been mindful of myself, I thought to myself not to get involved, rather to keep moving and focus on the actual reason that made me leave the house. But the second conscience in me rebelled.
"What if they are really trying to harm this kid?" I asked myself.
I quickly responded to my inner self and walked straight at them immediately with a very fierce look on my face.
"What is going on here? What did he do to you people?" I asked in a very stern voice
The boy in the middle ran straight to me and hugged me. He held me tight for a while and then started explaining with tears in his eyes.
"They said I am putting on a red and black striped shirt and that it is the original colour of their confraternity," he said.
"I didn't know these guys were cultists, they have slapped me twice and they are requesting to take my phone too, please help me" he pleaded further.
I quickly shielded him to my back and then I confronted them in a manner that suggested to them that I was ready to fight them. They took heed to fear and the three guys fled instantly. I turned around and told the boy to go home and always be careful. I told him there is economic lockdown and people might have lost their jobs or small businesses hence some might resort to dubious things in order to survive. He thanked me a ran towards home immediately.
I then continued to walk to the nearby store where I wanted to purchase the food items that obviously brought me out to the street. When I got to the store, I picked out my list and selected the items according to my preference and the cost of the commodity. Then went straight to the cashier's table to pay. When I went there and my calculations were made, I dipped my hand into my back pocket to pick out my wallet so I could pay. I instantly discovered that my wallet wasn't there anymore.
"What happened? Did I forget it at home?" I mumbled at myself
I then asked the cashier if they would accept a mobile money transfer and she said yes, so I transferred the amount to her and left back to the house. When I got to the house, I searched everywhere but still couldn't find the wallet. That's when my roommate asked me what I was looking for and I explained to him. I further explained to him what happened while I was outside purchasing things for us to eat. He weeped out loud immediately.
"Those guys are all group members bro! Why will you fall for such a cheap scam?" He questioned me bitterly.
"That guy that hugged you was the person who took your wallet. They will meet up somewhere around and share whatever they got from your wallet, they are all a gang group" he scolded me further.
I have never been as confused in my life as I was that day. Everything felt like a movie. And to be honest, the money in my account and that in my wallet were the last money I had on me. And my writing job at the time was on hold seeing that no students were available to request for papers to be written for them. I felt so bad for myself and I almost cried out physically. It hurt my soul so much that even the food items i got, i couldn't cook them. Even when my guy finished cooking, I couldn't even eat well. I lost my appetite instantly and that feeling lingered for days before I was able to get my mental self back to normal.
As I write this story, it's probably funny to me now but it wasn't then. This made me find an inner self inside of me that sincerely minds my business regardless of whatever. I still help people. I didn't let that experience stop me from helping people whenever I can but it made me discover one truth; the public view is filled with exploitation but those who need help will genuinely walk up to you and ask for help. Also I decided to avoid crowded places and whenever I see squabbles and quarrels on the sides of the streets, I face my front and never interfere hahahaha.
So right now I can define mindfulness as the simple understanding that In life, it's always important to make sure you don't lose yourself in the process of trying to help others. Just as there are good people, there are also bad people and we should always endeavour to help good people and by doing so, we will always make the world a better place.
This picture belongs to me 100%