| While it is common knowledge that we live in a fast | | | | while these families had asbestos and zinc roofed |
| and quick society, all which is gotten rapidly usually | | | | houses and cars. One such family had a daily |
| disappears faster than it came. You build precept | | | | allocation of meat for the dogs. As for me, I would |
| upon precept, line on line. Microwave solutions are | | | | see bread towards Christmas. Lots of bread would |
| microwave disasters. You rather have a permanent | | | | be bought for that one day. Needless to say on |
| solution that takes time than a quick fix which | | | | Christmas day you would be given khaki shirt and |
| frustrates you in no time. In Zimbabwe, a nation that | | | | shorts as gift. So here we were, wishing we were |
| had been going through economic decline for more | | | | children in any of the three. "Why just three |
| than a decade, quick fixes were the order of the | | | | families?", we would ask ourselves as kids. It later |
| day. One didn't require a full time job to earn money. | | | | turned out that all three fathers we stealing from |
| One could make money by selling money (foreign | | | | their employers and gradually they were discovered. |
| exchange) by the road side. Schools saw a decline in | | | | All three died like paupers. No decent burial. Their |
| enrollments as the kids joined the elders in "burning | | | | "legacy" could not buy them medication. It was so |
| money". Interestingly when the whole economy was | | | | sad for me to experience one such former rich man |
| dollarized in 2009, the same people who were now | | | | walking with a walking struggling with the weight of |
| living at the pinnacle of "success" went back to | | | | cabbage. "Is this the same man who had a budget |
| hand-to-mouth. That is a microwave disaster. | | | | for dog meat daily?" I wondered. He had all cars but |
| Ill-gotten wealth comes with wings and with an | | | | on this day had gone back to what he came with |
| itinerary too. The date of departure is not made | | | | from his mother's womb, his two feet assisted by a |
| known to you but most of the time you are caught | | | | stick. I shall not disclose the names of these men as |
| by surprise. This is why I say that it is better to | | | | I have not consulted with the descendants. Lesson |
| address the source of the pain than fight symptoms | | | | to learn is that you may envy the sudden quick rise |
| because you will forever fight symptoms unless the | | | | to prominence of certain people but you don't know |
| real root is addressed. You rather take out the | | | | how they got there. It remains an untold mystery or |
| rotten tooth permanently than keep taking pain killer | | | | story. What you think is greatness may be a mere |
| as a quick fix to the pain problem. Quick fixes have | | | | bubble. The moment the chance to swindle and cheat |
| no warranty or guarantee that they will remain | | | | systems is exposed; these "celebrities" go down to |
| forever. Sadly many have become so accustomed to | | | | live a common life. |
| quick fixes to a point where they have become a | | | | Ponder Points - Think about this- How many quick |
| way of life, just like how an addiction easily become | | | | fixes are you implementing each day? Are there any |
| part of the character of a person. Always take time | | | | safeguards to your legacy? Should you die today, |
| to fix issues on a more permanent basis. | | | | how long will your family last before they become |
| In the humble village where I grew up, everyone else | | | | beggars? Do you have a clear legacy strategy? |
| was peasant save for 3 families. We all lived in thatch | | | | Documented? Do you even have a will? |