THE UMBRELLA IS EITHER LEAKING OR THE WEATHER IS STORMY

One of the worst moments is to be caught unaware. I mean, caught unaware in a rain. It’s very discomforting, disgusting, disturbing and disconcerting, especially when you’re soaked to the panties and beyond. Woe betides you if you’re a lady and you’re accidently caught in a rain wearing a sanitary pad. Never mind that I can imagine your worst case scenario, I am naturally observant. That just on the lighter side but seriously caught in a rain can be very messy.

I have had the opportunity to observe from a distance and imagine how good it feels like being under an umbrella in a raining weather, when a lady walked pass me in a rain. The feeling was that of comfort, safety, security and gleefulness. In the circumstances that I noticed the importance of the umbrella, I didn’t need any scholar to tell me that the umbrella symbolized protection, security and safety.

Then the situation got me thinking. Thinking about the intrinsic denotation (meanings) that lie in some social activities and the symbolic significance they suggest. “If only that umbrella could protect and shield the lady who walked past me from the discomfort of the rain which entirely messed me up, then the umbrella must indeed be a symbol of protection and security”, I said to myself. “No two ways about that”, I reiterated.

I felt that was not enough to draw a conclusion as that will make it hasty, so I further contested and probed my assertion to ascertain its veracity. This took me back into time, recalling a gruesome and weird experience I had during an extremely sunny day in a long Tubani(northern delicacy) queue. Whereas I was profusely sweating and my bones almost roasting, a lady who stood next to me didn’t show any sign of torture by the scorching sun. Over her head was an umbrella, and then again the blessing of the umbrella was obvious. It provided protection and security against the hardship of the sunny weather.

I had since been whipped into the orientation and mindset that wherever there’s an umbrella, there’s bound to be comfort, safety and security against all odds. Those of us who know the significance of the umbrella would readily choose it over anything else if it’s used to represent an idea (emblem).Perhaps that was the reason for which Ghanaians chose to stand under a colourful umbrella from 7th December 2012 till 7th December 2016 when they will have the opportunity to reconsider that decision. Apparently it was a wiser decision to make considering the comfort, safety and the warmth it promises.

Ironically, everything around us flaws our reasoning, hopes, aspirations, anticipation and of course my personal assertion. Our reasons and motivations for choosing an umbrella have literally been betrayed, so much so that we’re not safe, we’re not secured, we’re not protected, and we’re not comfortable. We’re drenched down to the panties and our bones are burning even under the colourful umbrella. I hope you get what I mean; if not, then you must go and take a course in Ghana emblem studies or “emblemography” of Ghana.

Justifiably, a leaking umbrella loses its usefulness and a stormy weather renders a useful umbrella useless. The situation in which we find ourselves as a country gives me reason to believe that the umbrella is torn between some sort of a disjunctive syllogism;either it's leaking or the weather is stormy.

I still can’t find a place to place the blame. In either case, there can be a way out because all hope isn't lost yet. Granted that the umbrella is leaking then we can mend its leakages. And if it’s the case that the umbrella is facing a stormy weather, then it’s obvious it cannot serve its purpose. In that case the best thing is to try an alternative, perhaps use a rain coat. The worst case scenario which is even way out of the options is for us to have a leaking umbrella in a stormy weather. That would be a hopeless case. I am very positive and I believe that IT’S EITHER THE UMBRELLA IS LEAKING OR THE WEATHER IS STORMY.

If an umbrella fails to protect us from rains and to shield us from sun rays, I wonder if an elephant can.