Last evening while at a service station I over heard two mad men having a conversation. I used the term “mad men” because of their attire; ragged clothes, extremely dirty and one had some trash items attached to his clothing.

Mad man 1 “ Hey lef da garbage pan dey.  A mi control it”

Mad Man 2 “ A wey you come from, cho”

I was shocked at what I heard.  Did I just hear two “mad men” quarreling over a garbage bin?  I turned to the pump attendant for confirmation and he was already in stitches.  My inability to speak at that moment made me miss the rest of the conversation however when I composed myself I began to watch the second man I had assumed was mad made his exit onto the road apparently in search of another bin and the owner of the garbage bin (1st mad man) began to raid the bin while he sang a song.

This had me thinking. Often times in our travels we encounter persons like these two men and we assume who and what they are based on their attire/looks.  We do it all the time without even noticing that we do but it is wrong. Never assume you know until you have proof. Based on their attire you can make your adjustment for security reasons but other than that you really don’t know for sure until you do know.

I am learning not to assume by following my own quote that  I had written few months back

“WHEN IN DOUBT, SEEK CLARITY”

and I would urge you to always try to take this route when dealing with friends, neighbours, loved ones or even your co-workers. We assume things and get heated and ready to chastise, cut off, fight and confront others too easily. Always believe that there is a logical explanation for what someone did and maintain your coolness. Don’t get ruffled too easy… it waste valuable time, just try t0 never take your assumption as your own conviction. When you realize that you don’t know what you thought you knew, you are going to feel pretty stupid..