Dangers Of Leaking Secrets

When I was growing up, part of my Igbo community's traditions was to teach children how to guide their words, their utterances. Your tongue could be pinched with the fingernails of your parent, guardian for talking unguided, talking loosely. I didn't understand what they were doing then till my adult age.

Today, I have noted that maturity starts with how the individual talks, the secret one can keep no matter the provocation. Many of us have been living this way. You crosscheck your head before you utter any word. You are not pushed to divulge what you had with someone when both of you fell apart.

Regrettably, this is not something some of our people would want to learn today. They are today easily given to asking their girlfriend, boyfriend, wife or husband, sibling to refund them all they did for them when they were moving together, as soon as they fell apart. Some would even go as far as collecting the shoes, clothes they bought for their once loved ones. Some would say, "I clothed you, accommodated you, polished you...but you paid me in another coin." In the Igbo community I saw and how we were brought up, this behaviour was not necessary.

You leave your presumed offender to Ofo na Ogu to judge. You don't mouth what both of you had, but leave it for nature which will surely pay back to judge. Conversely, the modern people think that by talking all the secrets with someone when the road is no longer smooth will make them fine, or fighting the person in whatever way will relieve them. No. Life is full of secrets. You have to learn how to keep them.

Don't talk to people mannerlessly or bring to public what you once had with them. Social media is a culprit today. No. Our Igbo forebears left with a lot of secrets knowing that the modern Igbo were not ready to handle them. We would abuse the secrets because we talk too much these days. We don't have sense. We think it is bravity to talk any how and anywhere. Today, we are crying that we don't understand Odinala, we don't hear from the spirits. We won't hear from them because we are running in-not their dictate.

We are selfish and insane. Till the individual learned personal maturity by bridling the tongue, we will continue to build a society of chaos where the individual's selfishness superintends spiritual pursuits. And this is the bane of our society.

© ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE
July 23, 2022.