The dangers of being idle
10 September 2018
SAMUEL LUCAS KAFUGILI
It’s hazardous to be idle,
To let golden hours pass,
And exert no energy,
And do no work.
Idleness: the deadly habit,
Has the power to lure the young,
To waste youthful energy and ambition,
And do nothing.
The idler shuns industry,
Loves more lengthy sleep,
Craves more day dreaming,
And does nothing,
Then the mind becomes dwarfed,
The muscles lose their vigor,
The bones become brittle,
The blood sluggish.
The idler like an ailing old man,
Grows weak from inactivity,
Drags along like a snail,
And becomes frail.
Then poverty invades the sluggard,
Like an armed man,
It reduces him to pittance,
And makes him poor.
Then caught in the web of idleness,
The idler regrets golden hours,
Squandered on sleep,
And modern gadgets.
By imbibing idleness deceptive lies,
The idler wastes his golden chance,
To maximize opportunities,
To live a prosperous life.
Well stated, Samuel
Posted by: Justin Max Undi | 22 October 2018 at 08:46 AM
Excellent article, Samuel. There's got to be a balance between full speed and idleness in life. Keep writing.
Posted by: Joe Herman | 11 September 2018 at 11:44 PM
I find pleasure in a little bit of idleness. Just lost in my calm happy thoughts.
Posted by: Dominica Are | 11 September 2018 at 01:25 PM
There's nothing wrong with being idle.
I would recommend reading Bertrand Russell's celebrated essay "In Praise of Idleness".
He argues that realising our full potential - and thus enjoying the greatest possible success and happiness - is not accomplished by working harder or smarter, but through harnessing the extraordinary power of idleness.
I tend to agree with him. There's nothing more annoying than a busy person.
You can find the essay on the web. Just search the title.
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 11 September 2018 at 09:26 AM
Work keeps away those three great evils: boredom, vice and poverty - Voltaire
Posted by: Bernard Corden | 10 September 2018 at 10:25 PM
Great message for young people today. I see a lot of idlers everywhere. They not only sleep all day but when they wake up they also go to idle away at the buai stall or around a card game betting 10t, 20t or 50t. They idle away all day.
Great piece, Samuel. Look forward to read more from you.
Posted by: Daniel Kumbon | 10 September 2018 at 05:51 PM