Mayday musings

Like any other employee, 1st of May was waited with eager expectation of an extended weekend, with the key mpango being going to shags. But looking at the critical essence of the Labour Day holiday, and checking out the news in the evening, there is a clear indication that being a labourer is not exactly the best thing in life.

The wisest man said the best thing in life is to eat, drink and enjoy his work. Unfortunately for most Kenyan labourers, they neither enjoy their work nor can they make enough to eat and drink (in the sense of comfort). Sadly the scenes in Uhuru Park yesterday were clear that the labourer is more or less a slave to the masters (the guys in expensive suits seated on the dias). And with the global economic crisis, the demonstrations in other more developed countries were a reflection of the same.

Am I any different? Truth is I'm no better than the labourers. Almost 4 years after campus, I'm still existing on a single source of income (business plans still on soft copy at best) and my sole investments trading at 40% below purchase price (equities were recommended as the best investment when young). And this is despite reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, Richest Man in Babylon and currently Think & Grow Rich.

Sadly I figure that I'm more a contributor than a solution to the unfairly skewed distribution of wealth in the world. Consider, that I'd pay less than minimum wage to any employee who would feature in my biashara for starters, let alone the cash paid to the lady who does our laundry every week. And listening to my colleagues hoping for bonuses and increments, I wonder whether we are trapped in the employment illusion, not aware that we are being played for far less than what we are worth. Maybe there should be a rule that we should all be self employed within time x of clearing campus, get us out of our comfort zones and creating wealth for the country.