As I read Joan Mugenzi’s Corporates At A Crossroads, I could not help but remember the words of Surumani Manzi in the poem It’s easy  to forget. He writes;

When you are young

It is easy to forget that you will grow old

That you will lose the smooth texture of skin

Or the milky white of eye

That your beautiful, black flocks of hair will grey one day

And your heart will grow weary with lack of ambition

 

It is always every parent’s wish for their child to live a better life. Better than the one they had while growing up. Parents tend to ‘rub it in’ while raising their children of how hard their times were. From an early age, the child’s mind is groomed to grow up towards something. A case in point is Pamela Bayenda’s story in her career memoir, Running In Heels.

One has to part with so many explanations once they do not find work in the formal employment, the kind that requires one to leave home and go to the ‘work place’. There should be that place where one disappears to for the duration of 8-5 every other working day.

We draw inspiration from the people who have grown up high in rank in this career path that we always want to emulate them. Some take to acquiring more qualifications while others sharpen their skills in any ways they think possible. The idea is to be a better person. What we never stop to think of is the process. There are a number of things which come along during the chasing process that unfortunately leave many vulnerable. After a decade or so some corporates intend to opt out of the corporate life only to realize it is harder than they thought.

Corporates At A Crossroads is every corporate’s bible that they will need along their career path. It comes as a reminder to those who have forgotten that at one point they will have to leave the office they are sitting in today. The book comes as a manual to those intending to join the corporate system. In the book are the little things you should know as you jump onto the bus, the kind often times considered minor. The same book comes as a windpipe of hope to those who think their situation is so bad to be redeemed. Surumani continues to say;

You forget that one day,

You will lose the spring of step

And the innocence of youth

 

You will lose the liberty to dream dreams

And the lifetime to chase them

You will forget that you will be bald, bent and bitter

 

When you are healthy,

Well, sane and strong

It is easy to forget the pain of illness

They physical pain…and the mental pain

The anguish of immobility

The dread of impending death

The insane lusting- after life itself

 

The writing of the book is what I find more interesting to know that the author too, found herself in need of the vary services she is providing today. The book is built on the near death experiences of a number of corporates as they trudged on the corporate road. Unlike a number of books that are sensitive in terms of target market, Corporates At A Crossroads is different. It is one book that has a chapter addressing the concern of every woman and man in this bracket. Some of these concerns are deep seated cans of fear than many would rather leave untouched.

You do not want to be that person that wakes up one day only to realize that your prestigious job is no more. Or that with the restructuring that happens in organizations, your name didn’t make it to the list.  These are topics that are often left unattended to yet they part of us. it is the story of someone you know if not your very self.

Joan Mugenzi identifies all these loopholes and takes off the time to offer tried and tested working solutions to remind you that your job is not eternal. It is such experiences that have influenced the choices of many and will continue to do the same.

As you think of your life, you cannot afford to leave your children out. A number of people come to the realization that they have been living a false life when it’s a bit too late. “Why didn’t I know this before?” they ask. The only way to help your children not ask these questions later in life is by helping them learn about planning early in their lives. Your job is not eternal, you’ve got to act on that promise. It is real. Regardless of how old one is, Surumani warns in conclusion:

When you are young

When all you think of is girls and boys and toys,

A good job, money to spend and life to live

It is easy to forget that your country needs you

 

That by sitting all day and wishing of good times

By refusing to involve yourself in efforts to right the wrongs of society

You are effectively betraying your country

 

AUTHOR:       Joan Mugenzi

TITLE:             Corporates At A Crossroads

GENRE:           Self Help

 

You can get yourself a copy of this book at Aristoc Bookshop.

Poem by Surumani Manzi | Courtesy of Lantern Meet Foundation