You know like when you stand on this side of the island and you look yonder and you see everywhere looking so green? Yes, that green you see from afar off is mostly a mirage, an oasis, nonexistent, a figment of your imagination etc and the need to see it as such.
The human mind is programmed to appreciate what it sees and this is irrespective of what your mind tells you is the true picture. Grass and Green represents prosperity world over, so it's no surprise to hear people talking of going in search of the greener pasture.
Let me tell you a story.
In 1996 after secondary school, a group of friends decided to go in search of greener pastures overseas and they made plans to travel by land through the Sahara desert. The journey through the Sahara desert is a very popular one with Africans on the West and they are constantly plying that route on daily basis despite the dangers.
So these friends 6 in number, started plans and embarked on the journey through the desert and braved the various challenges of being raided and raped by the desert thieves, crooked passengers who are traveling on the same path and the harsh natural conditions like snakes, scorpions, cold, scarcity of water and good food and sicknesses.
After what was over a month, they arrived at in Morocco less 2 who died on the road and the remaining 4 looking really sick and malnourished. At the Moroccan border, they were asked to make a payment of 110USd to cross them through to Spain which is just less than an hour boat ride.
After going through through wallets, they discovered they were short of that fund to get them across but sufficient enough to get them back home to Nigeria if they wanted.
After serious considerations, one of them decided to return back home to Nigeria because, he suddenly discovered that he still stood a better chance to be big back home. His decision was informed by his experience on that trip. The other 3 stayed behind and decided to hustle their way to cross to Spain.
Fast forward 10 years later, the one who returned home, was sent overseas by an Oil company for training and while out one night, he saw his friend wearing the city's environmental sanitation uniform and picking up thrash while the truck moved ahead. Of course its 10 years, but he could still recognize his friend and after catching up, he got to know that one of the 3 who stayed behind when he decided to return home died of Pneumonia and the other 2 made it to Spain after spending 3 years in Morocco trying to save up 110usd.
The moral of the story is... The grass isn't always greener on the other side and no matter how someone makes you see it, your personal experience is what will give it the green it deserves to be seen and identified as.
Learning first hand from experiences has been the major drive in my sojourn in life. I have had to learn on the go and despite the fact I didn't get to go to school like my peers, it was easy for me to pick lessons that helped me shape my think process every time.
Look before you leap, it may look green from where you stand, but trust me, until you get there, the color will always appear green because you wish it to be.
Image 1-Pixabay CC0 2-Pixabay CC0