From the day we are born, till the time when we inevitably leave the earth into the great beyond, the fact remains that man was never made to function in isolation. If you took a moment to observe how things work generally, you’d be amazed at the number of things we currently enjoy because a group of strangers made an effort to make their ideas become tangible products. Steve Jobs who was the brain behind the iPhone never knew you existed. He only cared about what you may need to enrich your quality of life. Today, many iPhone users are enjoying the invention of a man who never knew them.
If that doesn’t carry any “wow” factor for you, then think about how we all had to stay home during the thick of the Covid19 pandemic. Remember how weird it was to see your sweet old granny but couldn’t give her a hug. Recall how the world had to hope for the goodness and professionalism of health workers. We also had to rely on other people who were very important to ensure things were stable.
In case you are yet to see the point of all these, I’ll make it very obvious to you. No one you’ve ever met is a useless person and that’s a simple truth. No matter how the next person looks or where they come from or what your initial predisposition might be, that next person is very important.
So you may wonder, why has a person discovered what seems obvious and is trumpeting it in an article? Let me tell you why I’ve intentionally come to a place of appreciation for those we like to ignore or never acknowledge. I recently came across a video that showed the birth of a child in real-time and my goodness, I gained an extra ton of respect for women, doctors, hospital staff and especially the janitors.
Do you know why I found the childbirth video very intriguing? For the first time ever, it dawned on me, that it took a village of strangers to ensure the safe delivery of a child. Firstly, I thought of how the janitor came in on that day or night before to disinfect and ensure the room was hygienic enough for those who’d eventually use them.
Then I thought about the nurses and doctor who took up the task to ensure safe delivery of the child and the welfare of the mother. I began to ask why they cared or were dedicated on that level. Perhaps, some may say they never really cared because they were probably all just doing their jobs in order to put food on the table. However, that line of thought still underscores my overall takeaway.
How is it the collective efforts of a bunch of strangers ensured a child successfully made it to earth? These are people the child in question may never know in his or her lifetime. Yet, their priceless contributions ensured a new human being arrived safely into the world. Isn’t that an amazing? Is this not a more thoughtful way to view the events of the process of childbirth altogether?
It is gratifying to know the ordinary exposes the extraordinary. The janitor the family might have ignored on the way into the hospital and the medical staff were all heroes of that day in the story of a complete stranger. Think about everything that makes your daily life run smoothly and see that in the end, God is the one who gives us everything freely. However, God uses men on earth who maybe strangers to bless other men.
We all need to learn to appreciate things we consider ordinary in life. Let’s also not forget the men and women in uniform who pay the price for the protection and safety of all – they are largely strangers. Like the childbirth video I watched, it most likely took some strangers to bring us into the world.
In reflecting on the roles played by individuals in our lives, it indeed takes a village of strangers to add value to our existence.
Ogo Adelakun writes on diverse topics.
