Mama, My Shoe!

 

I was thinking this morning.... I was at my desk on Monday morning when my colleague walked in. Because I hadn't seen him in over a week, I walked over to his desk for a warm handshake. As I shook his hand, my attention was drawn to his solid steel-toe boots. 'Who are you kicking this morning?' I asked. In his visibly confused look, I could tell he was wondering what I meant. I decided to save him the trouble by telling him the story of my cousin, Big-T.

In 1991, during my NYSC year, I usually spent short breaks with my aunt at the Borokiri area of Port-Harcourt. My cousin, Big-T, who was a teenager at the time, had this pair of boots that he used as a secret weapon should he get into a fight. Using the steel toes boot to kick anyone was a sure knockout tactic. On a particular day, we were all seated in the living room when Big-T dashed in. He was heading for his room when my aunt stopped him. Holding his hand, my aunt asked what the problem was. With so much anger, Big-T snarled, 'Mama, my shoe. My shoe. Mama, my shoe.'

While we all laughed, we knew that someone had offended him, and he wanted to unleash his secret weapon, his steel-toe boots, to kick the hell out of that potentially unfortunate boy. But then, we held him back. 'Mama, my shoe' is an allegory of 'I will teach you a lesson.'

Most people have secret weapons they deploy to fight back offences, similar to the venom snakes deploy. You see a man in a lovey-dovey mode with his wife, and she asks him for money or some favour he is not willing to meet. Knowing that he can do it but don't want to, she immediately activates the 'Mama, my shoe' weapon. For some, it is malice, others will starve their spouse of food or sex.

What's your weapon of offence or defence in the face of an attack? When you cry 'Mama, my shoe,' what should your victim expect? Character assassination, physical assault or spiritual arrows? When next your spouse, colleague or some random stranger offends you and you run into your weapon store screaming 'Mama, my shoe,' please ensure it is the shoes of peace you are going for, because Ephesians 6:15 says 'And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey