Tribalism or what?

Hello guys!!

Hope you are all doing great and having a wonderful month. I wish you all a blessed and happy new month.

How time flies. It just seems like yesterday when we began the year 2012. 

I am really thankful to you all that read and commented on my last post. It is all very encouraging. You guys are part of the reason why I find the zeal to come back. I pray you all find complete happiness and fulfillment in all your endeavours. Amen.

I’ve been just here and there. Working part time and anticipating my graduation day. What to wear is somewhere at the back of my mind.. I’ve not gone back to driving. Not yet. Will get back to it sometime soon.

So, on to today’s post

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Recently, I was chatting with a guy and somehow our chat narrowed down to a discussion on relationships and what ‘tribes not to marry from’... Weird topic in my opinion.

Okay, so after the whole exchanging of pleasantries and all, this person let me know  that, ‘he can never allow me’ (I’ll choose myself, by the way)  marry a man from Remo, Ogun state. Of course I asked why now? 

Please, just ignore the typos

His reply was quite daunting at first and at that moment I couldn’t believe I was in the middle of such a chat. I expected much more from this person.. or am I mistaken?

The chat didn’t end there. He went on to let me know that Igbo people are worse and that also he cannot marry an Egba girl (another tribe in Ogun state), because “they mess around and kill their husband at the end so they inherit his properties” (in his own words).

At this point I was irritated and let him know I am of the opinion that a person’s tribe, or whatever stories and myths were attached to the tribe do not determine who the person really is or what they’ll do in the future. You can’t judge a person based on their tribe.

He sent me a picture of an Egba girl he once dated, a career woman who also attends his church. He said when he heard the story, he immediately broke up with her, although he loved her...Hmmmm.

At this point I don tire.

He then said, after that he dated an Edo girl, who he's no more with. I asked sarcastically “ So Edo girls are not bad”. He answered that “they are ‘bad’, but some parts like Ishan are good”.. My word.

He ended everything by saying he cannot marry from Ijebu-ode ‘lai lai’

I told him to kukuma not marry sef, especially as most of the tribes he had rejected are even from his State.

I was very disappointed in this person. Or maybe I’m over-reacting, but seriously I was oblivious to the fact that people actually consider these things. I don’t just believe it’s okay to judge anyone based on their tribe or whatever. Because, in fact there are many people all over from various tribes who have never been to their village and don’t know where it exists. And so just because, you have some story about their tribe doesn’t mean you’ll judge them based on that, because some people are just a product of the environment they have lived in mostly irrespective of where their family originates from. And good and bad people exist, but it all depends on the individual person!! And a life partner should be chosen on the basis of their character and other important qualities, not tribe!!.

This person thinks I’m too naive and that I need to grow up.

But seriously, I don’t see why I need to or why I need to change the way I think for that matter. Maybe, I’m too naive, or too westernized, or I don’t watch Africa Magic Yoruba movies enough, all I know is tribe doesn’t matter.

Abi, what do you guys think?

I didn’t want to blog about this at first, because I consider it really unnecessary to have a discussion on, but I just wanted to get other opinions,  as the matter don tire me..

Till next time. Take care and stay blessed....:)