I know that you are not El-Roi. I also know you are not the Almighty God, the creator and maker of the Universe. Neither are you the Almighty Allah. For the record, I know you are not Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor are you Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America.
I also know that you are neither of these billionaires: Olufemi Otedola, current executive chairman of Geregu Power Plc, nor Aliko DANGOTE, chairman of Dangote Group and Refinery, nor Mike Adenuga, Chairman, Globacom, nor Tony Elumelu, the Chairperson of the United Bank of Africa.
If you are still in doubt about your identity, then I put it to you that you are, therefore, a nobody but a usurper, a pretender of power, authority, and wealth. You are what we call in Nigeria, ‘money miss road, flouting infinitesimal cash. You are also an impostor, eaten up by your big ego all because a Road Marshal pulled you over for questioning over a traffic infraction
People like you may flaunt traffic rules for several reasons. They include a desire for an uninterrupted trip, being in a hurry, perceived unfairness of regulations, lack of knowledge, social pressure, and lack of strict enforcement. In the real sense, yours is just a show off to evade arrest by law enforcement
When I shared this with a friend, he responded that people with a strong sense of entitlement not earned display this posture to security operatives as well as to working people in a service or hospitality position.
This phrase is uttered by a person of fake wealth or fake influence trying to bully someone else into doing whatever it is they want.
My sincere counsel to such persons is that when next they are about to hit the road on a journey, they should look at the mirror and remind themself that death is the ultimate for every soul; death is also the likely penalty for chronic traffic violators. And all irrespective of status, age, or sex, go seven feet under without any accompanying paraphernalia of wealth, power, or position.
It was for such people that Elvis Aaron Presley sang ‘’Do You Know Who I Am’’ in 1969. It was a track on his album, Back in Memphis, which was released on October 15, 1969. The song was composed by Bobby Russel and explores the themes of loneliness and forgotten fame.
Using his creativity and imagination, Elvis sought to express ideas and provoke thoughts that have today become the sing-song of some. Fifty-six years after the song was released, this creative piece is rehearsed daily on our roads by those who think they are better than the five thousand or so who die daily on our roads.
Loneliness and forgotten fame, explored by Elvis, know no bounds. Respect none. It is worse when the fame is fake, which is what we hope to explore, and also explore the routes to help such victims retrace their steps and their identity. It also respects no gender. These victims don’t just struggle with their identity; they are verbally and physically assaulted, as well as dehumanized.
Often, you find them jumping traffic lights, using their phones behind the wheel, overtaking dangerously, even at bends and in built-up areas, as well as exceeding speed limits. It doesn’t matter if the driven vehicle is borrowed or bears a government-issued number plate whose identity should warrant decency.
If they are part of a convoy or the convoy, the life of other road users means absolutely nothing to them as they are ready to drive you off the road and if confronted, order their security details to ‘waste you’, bragging that ‘nothing will happen’. Yet they flaunt their religious credentials, sometimes on their vehicle.
Permit me today to sound like a man on the Pulpit. According to the Holy Book, those who pose such a question should know that they are mere dust. In 1 Corinthians 15:47, we are told that, ‘’The first man was from the earth, a man of dust’’. Specifically, the scriptures say, ’The First man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
Again, in Genesis 2:7, we are told that God formed man from the dust of the ground. Specifically, it says, ’Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being’’, while in Psalm 103:14 it says God knows we are dust.
Again, specifically, it says ‘’for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust’. But, if you are still in doubt, let me refer you to the book of Ecclesiastes 3:30, where we are told that, ’’All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return’’.
In case these spiritual foundations sound ambiguous in resolving your identity question, maybe I should step aside and allow psychologists to resolve your identity problem. In this case, your question becomes an identity crisis, which experts regard as a psychological state of distress and confusion.
In this state of distress and confusion, they maintain that in that state, a person questions his sense of self, his purpose in life, and his role in society, which is often triggered by significant life changes, trauma, or conflict. According to Psychologist Erik Erikson, who developed this concept, this state is a normal but challenging part of healthy development, particularly during adolescence.
The key characteristics of this are confusion, lack of direction, doubt about roles, and emotional stress. In confusion about self, which is of interest to us, you are unsure of who you truly are, your beliefs, or your personal values. The common causes include major life transitions like getting married or retirement which can prompt a reevaluation of one’s identity. Others are trauma or loss which can shake your sense of self or cultural conflicts
For those who are interested, you can explore further on James Marcia’s identity status theory, where he identifies the four common types of identity crisis.
They include identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. What we are focusing on is the effect of an identity crisis, which may cause feelings of frustration, being stuck, or lacking meaningful progression.
These experts, however, caution that an identity crisis is not itself a mental illness, but like I said earlier, a normal psychological process during which a person struggles to define their sense of self. However, if this feeling becomes overwhelming, they again caution that it can be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition, such as borderline personality disorder or depression.
For those who believe in the Holy Bible, it refers to a spiritual confusion about one’s true self and purpose, often arising from a lack of faith in God or misplacement of identity in worldly things. Biblical figures such as Moses, the Prodigal Son, and Apostle Paul experienced these struggles. You can refer to the Holy book for more details. I know the Holy Koran will provide a similar reference to guide us.
