A burning desire- Story of my life part III

would always take me along a long road walk to mark his weekly routine. As long as we walked by, I noticed at certain points some individuals dressed in almost what looked like rags, and equally with abnormal behaviors particularly the kind of food they ate. Most of the time, they had no decent places they could call their homes as I would always see them at “dump-sites”. Obviously something was wrong! I became quite inquisitive and asked my Dad; “who are these people and why are they always wearing rags?” The sight was certainly disturbing. Worst still, some appeared violent and one could hardly suggest what their next line of action would be. The response I got from my Dad was not very satisfactory; he simply told me they were mentally disturbed. This did not answer my question nor quenched my thirst to want to know more about them because I felt deep within me that these people could have been helped. I felt that even at that stage someone needed to do something to make them normal human beings again. How possible was that? My Dad’s lack of interest in a seemingly disturbing issue perhaps represented the attitude of the society.

My childhood experiences were already burdensome and growing through high school didn’t change the narrative, in fact it became worst, also coming from an African environment that provided little or no concern to people with mental disorder, behavioral disorder, depression and those suffering from different kinds of addictions and a host of other mental issues continued to burn in me the passionate desire to contribute in any way possible to curb this menace. I discovered that most these people were often neglected to the wind of fate, those that were females were raped with their cries falling on no ears; some suffered cruelty from home owners and store keepers while others were knocked down by moving vehicles without remorse. I felt for each of them. They practically are seen as “irrelevant” in the society and often neglected!
I realized I could listen and interact with those that appeared to be neglected during my high school days to a point my friends laughed at me and scorned me with names like “mother Theresa” while others appreciated my talent and desire for such people. I felt encouraged with such accolades and I was fulfilled. It appears to me that society is commonly interested in building structures instead of developing the “mind”. We have people who are well learned and schooled yet suffer mental health issues. This menace is rapidly growing among our youths and if this continues, we are certainly not sure of the future. Sadly, the society is not bothered in any way about what goes on within a person; it is more concerned about the outward expression that could be a long neglected mental health issue. We can be sure that we have even medical Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Artists and even Professors who suffer daily on mental health even without their knowledge. This is WRONG! If granted this opportunity, I will use it to fulfill a life-long desire of helping people with mental issues and contributing to the wellbeing of human life. It is really my desire to mend minds.
Thanks for your anticipated support
@booming03