Ovre me,
Waking up on a Monday morning to
see a Police officer break the windscreen of a commercial bus popularly called ‘danfo’,
thereafter boarding a bus where a
passenger engage the bus driver and the conductor in a duel. This reminds me of
the song of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti that says ‘lojo Monday, Eko o ni gba igbakugba’ meaning Lagos won’t accept
rubbish on a Monday. Ovre me means my
friend in Degema language in Rivers State of Nigeria.
There are many care-free people
who care less about items that services them. A typical example is a car; there
is no vehicle that cannot be used for 15-20 years. However, what makes the
difference is the way the car is maintained. There are careful people who have
been successful in using the same car used by careless people for decades; what
makes the difference is the service pattern which can be ignored or given
necessary attention.
Unserviced usage is very predominant
in the lives of youths. Cars driven by youths are largely not well maintained.
Why? All they understand is to ignite the vehicle and move; they would not want
to check the gauges to know if the vehicle is in the best state to move. They
ignore all warnings requesting for attention. Some of the consequences of
unserviced usage include; totally breakdown of the machine or item; more expensive
to repair, disappointment at the hour of urgent need and possibly replacement
of the whole item.
Serviced usage is the conscious
look out for repairs and servicing to prolong the lifespan of an item. Serviced
usage is very deliberate. People who are aware of the need to service their
items do it with all zeal. They understand the saying, ‘penny wise, pound
foolish’. When they notice any strange sound; they would attend to it; they set
reminders for the time when servicing should be done and attend to it
passionately.
It is cheaper to be passionate
about maintaining all you have as compared to running helter-skelter when the
chips are down.
Have a well-serviced week.
Cheers!
Olutayo