Vote with your wallet this Covid season

 It has been half a year of financial meltdown where businesses have shut down and people lost jobs.

Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi reads Covid-19 report on September 22. Covid-19 has negatively affected Kenya's economy. Photo/MOH

Even worse is what is yet to come since many people with loans and mortgages are not sure how they will service the facilities. Ultimately, some will face auctioneers and their properties carted away by auctioneers keen to keep defaulters at bay.

Despite the ruthless financial downturn, some people are still stuck in old ways of doing things. They love being overly philanthropic and have a keep-change attitude. Others are stuck in predatory telecommunication packages which fleece them all seconds of their lives. They charge an arm and a leg for a service which is offered reasonably cheaper elsewhere. As if life depends on them.

This season will call for making hard decisions. Decisions that will be unpopular yet wise. Strategies which will be tough. Tight.

Gone are days of reverse calling people with telcos they dumped. Or sending them money without asking which line to send because they may never get the money sent.

However, despite all this, we still have kind people. Kind enough to remind us of opportunities we may want to venture into and still be better.

It is very rude to encroach on other people’s privacy this season without having the courtesy to politely ask them if it is okay. I have been added to groups which I don’t consider appropriate. But being good-natured, I ask the admin if it was the right thing to do or they just abused my right and think it is okay.

Privacy

As a consequence, I have taken it upon myself to guard my privacy. You cannot add me to your groups anyhow and expect me to cooperate.  You have to live with the reality of sending me the link which I reserve the discretion of whether to join or not.

I say so because people’s generosity has been abused this corona season.

And the best treat I think is due to such encroachers is to push them back and tell them it is not okay to bully a friend just because you have their phone numbers.

To others, social capital maxim is unknown to them. When they contact you after a long period, know that they either have a burial or a wedding and you must contribute if you want to be considered a true friend by their standards.

They never take the virtue of honesty with high regard. Transparency and accountability is alien to them. They thrive in shades, shadows and opaqueness.

It is okay to ask what’s in the deal for you. Don’t just join any group and help others help themselves as your own forte is raped and raided.

In this day and age where people are quick to condemn and judge others without hearing their stories, someone may just get your cellphone contact and the first thing they do even before greetings is “Siku hizi huwa hunipigii”, as if it must be one way and they don’t ask themselves what they did that caused you not to call as often as you did. Shame!

My long and short here is, use your head more often than your heart. Even the heart is run from the head.

Sometimes, truth abhors benevolence and is a good friend with mercilessness. It is good to have a win-win outcome in any relationship be at home, work or with strangers. If I give you a shoulder to lean on, do not snore.