Everyone Is Fighting A Battle

I have always felt like the world hates me. Just me, no one else. That has been the way I think about life and the world. This feeling has been there for God knows how long. 

Truth is not far-fetched. I don't have all that I desire. Neither do I desire what other people have. 

The other day, I had to anchor a wedding reception, because of the class of people that were at the event, my suit looks older to me. It made me feel almost like a nobody. 

Throughout the programme, I managed the inferiority complex that was killing my mood. 

After the reception, as I walked through the hallway, I saw the young men who had impressed during the event fighting over $2, transport fare back home. It then dawns on me that everyone has a battle, only that clothes cover a lot of pain. 

Snail Moving Car

As I was returning from the programme, another thing ensued. 

A car ahead of me was moving like a turtle and not giving me way in spite of my continuous honking! I swerved left to see If the driver would reconsider giving me a part of the road to drive away but no way. Again to the left, still it kept crawling. 

I was on the brink of losing my cool when I noticed the small sticker on the car's rear. My sight couldn't grasp it so I drove nearer. It reads…

"Physically challenged; Please be patient.”

And that changed everything!! I immediately went calm and slowed down!! I hated my emotions. I could have cursed the driver if it were in the streets of Lagos. 

In fact I got a little protective of the car and the driver. I stayed right behind it and also drove at a snail speed so that other dangerous or fast drivers like myself before I discovered the predicament of the driver does not erroneously collide with it. 

Everyone wanted.to get to work early enough to avoid the usual attack from the Head of Department and sometimes deductions from salary, when the lateness is too rampant within the month. I reached work a few minutes late, but it was ok!

And then it struck me.  Would I have been patient if there was no sticker!? The sticker did the magic for me. A lot of other commuters would have bumped into the side-mirror of the driver and rain abuses or kept honking till they lost control and fell into a ditch. 

The sticker on our vehicles can help other road users understand the psychology of other commuters. Stickers could play vital roles. 

On the contrary, car owners here use stickers for some nasty reasons. Some even use stickers to abuse people that never existed. If we keep at this, there could be more dangers on our roads at the end of the day. 

Why do we need stickers to be patient with people!? While driving on the roads, urban or rural, there is the need to apply the stickers that is in consonance with the present situation. 

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### Yellow Stickers or Double Pointers

Some cases may not require a sticker. The double pointers, I mean the emergency lights should be on to make other road users steer clear. And to help you or keep a safe distance.

Usually, the stickers are of yellow colours. Like recently, I never knew that you can have a sticker to indicate that a baby is on board. That sounds cool, doesn't it? 

Would we be more patient and kind with others if people had labels pasted on their foreheads? 

Labels like:

~ Lost my job

~ Fighting cancer or high blood pressure 

~ Going through a bad divorce

~ Suffering Emotional abuse 

~ Lost a loved one

~ Feeling worthless

~ Financially messed up

.....and more like those.

Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. 

The least we can do is be patient and kind.

We don't have to put people through the pressures of explaining over time before we understand their pains and offer our little best.

As you go through each passing day, always remember there's an invisible label on everyone. 

A simple virtue of patience or endurance may just be the respect you're given according to that invisible label.  

 Have a blissful weekend

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