I Remember a Great Man.

Today, I remember a great man. 

Papa James Olawole would have been 108 years old today if he had not crossed the threshold into the Astra plane as he did in 2005. He was not just my father and a live-in philosopher but also a sage from whom many people "tapped" wisdom and philosophies. There was a time some of my close friends made it such a regular habit to come seek papa’s wise opinions on various personal issues that I “threatened” to start charging them “professional fees”. 

It was papa that introduced me, among other things, to a spiritual school of thought that placed a very high premium on the act of charity. Initially, I disagreed with him a bit because he was also the same person that was in the habit of counseling me vigorously about being careful in doing too much. He would often back this wise counsel up with a Yoruba adage that says, “Oore ni'won.” (There is a need for moderation and caution in rendering assistance to people).

Papa however shook his head slowly as he gave a response that will remain forever in my consciousness: “On the one hand, as fasting cleans the body, so does the act of generosity purifies the soul. The more eager and cheerful you are to give, the better purified is your soul. On the other hand, the need for caution arises when doing certain favor to certain individuals. For instance, it's not wise to obtain a plate of food from someone and hand it over to another person. What if it contains poison?"