Who Will tell Our Stories?
A Rookie’s guide to social change
Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.
-Baltasar Gracián
Just do it. Just start.
The year was 1999. I was 3. Kindergarten. Sitting in a slightly packed class. Baggy pink shirt, a fat blue tie and blue shorts. Multicoloured little wooden chairs and round tables. I remember listening to my teacher as she told an all too familiar story.
In a rat-infested house, the owner bought a cat. This definitely wasn’t a welcome change and so the rats held a meeting in order to strategize on how to get rid of the cat or at the very least, make their current situation less deadly.
After a lot of arguing, eureka. A brilliant rat had stumbled on a brilliant idea. “Why don’t we bell the cat,” it asked. we don’t have the power to kill the cat, but if we put a bell around its neck we would know where it is at all times.
“Yes”, every other rat instantly agreed.
Just when they were about to throw a party in honour of their newfound solution, the smallest rat in the gathering managed to squeak out a question.
“So..or..ry who will bell the cat?”
The party was pooped. No one volunteered and they all went their separate ways dejected.
Looking back now, I realize that my mind has a funny thing of recalling memories from my very early childhood, but fails spectacularly at recalling memories from earlier today. It is also undeniable that this story has a lot to teach in terms of problem solving and strategy.
However, I like this story for a very roundabout reason and I know another story that can pass my point better.
The reason I picked this story was because it reminded me of the times I am in as a Nigerian youth. There is a shift, there are changes and I owe it to my generation to do what I can to start the change I want to see in my country. As a writer, poet and filmmaker, I owe it to my country and myself to do the hard work of documenting and telling stories to inspire and educate my generation to be the change they want to see.
I am reminded that I shouldn’t rely on newspapers, nor foreign press, bloggers. I can’t afford to push the responsibility on anyone but myself. Because when the question is asked “Who will tell our Stories” the only person I can trust is myself and this is not because I am naturally suspicious of others.
The reason is hidden in the story that I arguably should have started with…
“Whose Job Is It, Anyway?”
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
I have decided to take responsibility. Not because others can’t or won’t, but because I can’t or shouldn’t blame anyone else if the work isn’t done.
If you have skills that can educate, inspire, or accelerate positive change in Nigeria or anywhere else and you are worried that there are too many people already involved, or you are getting discouraged, ask yourself:
Who will bell the cat? Who will do the work? Who will inspire or facilitate change? Who will tell our stories?
No action, no change.
Limited action, limited change.
Lots of action change occurs.
-Catherine Pulsifer
