HOW TO FOCUS ON YOUR CAREER WHEN UNDER SCORN AND LAUGHTER

“I became a subject of ridicule, scorn, and laughter in Antwerp, just because I’m writing books, but I refused to live the way they wanted.” – Joel Savage.

Laughing takes place when something funny occurs. It can happen during a conversation, celebration, event, etc. According to a health magazine, laughter can support the immune system, improve blood pressure, stimulate the organs, and even reduce pain. 


Laughter is said to be a medicine that improves health and lifts your spirit. Surprisingly, most laughter isn’t about humor but about taunting and underestimation.

It is very bad to make fun of people, yet many laugh at the handicapped, old people, beggars, biologically deformed people, the sick, and sometimes at people who accidentally fall. 

The features of the human body lead people to laugh at other people. We often hear, What an ugly face? "Bigmouth," "big ears," "big nose," and other disheartening and hurtful comments.

At school, some children bully and laugh at other children. Most of these children are too young even to realize what they are doing is wrong. It therefore baffles me a lot when I see adults, who are supposed to know more than children, doing exactly what children do. No child has ever laughed at me in my efforts to be a writer. 

My bitter experience of becoming a subject of ridicule and laughter in Belgium was at the hands of adults, mostly females I respect most. Jealousy rules the hearts of many Belgians, especially in

Antwerp, when they see foreigners trying to achieve something, because many of them are failures.

A Dutch woman once asked me in Antwerp, “You, you wrote a book?” It seems there isn’t any possibility for a Black person to write a book. This followed when some of her colleagues told her about the books they read online. I smiled and went away. 

That should have given me a little common sense to keep away from people who underestimate others. Underestimation is everywhere. It has nothing to do with racism, but Black people experience it more than anyone in every community.

Then, in the same school where the Dutch teacher made that statement, my trust in the teachers pushed me further to start raising funds to publish one of my books. At a school with over fifty teachers, my efforts to raise that fund became a scene of laughter. I became a center of ridicule. 

I didn’t get a cent; instead of many of the teachers laughed at me to the extent that the director of the school got the information and said to me, “That’s very bad.”

It is not compulsory to donate when someone is raising funds to publish a book, but what has laughter got to do with this? More jealousy, because they can’t stand to see the success of a black man. That is the typical character of most people in Antwerp because they think they know too much.  

My bitter experience is one of the strategies Antwerp people used to discourage Blacks from following their dreams and goals.

They want to see you among Black junkies, who lack the willpower to survive the psychological games of the white man. Many of my African brothers and sisters in Belgium have developed mental problems. I refused to live like that.

For over eight years, I was the only Black man in Belgium who had a press card as a journalist. Thank God, another Black radio journalist has joined me. Many Belgians ask me how I got my press card. “I am qualified for it. 

They wrote down a dozen things to submit if I were a writer or journalist. Then I submitted them.” That’s my answer. I have lived in Belgium for over fourteen years and still haven’t seen a Black journalist on their television.

Many Africans with journalism experience who couldn’t stand the discrimination and the apartheid system of work choice in Belgium migrated to England as soon as they had their Belgian passports. I have signed on the wall. 

I will never migrate to any country but will stay in Belgium to progress and be successful as a writer under their nose. Today, I have achieved what many of their writers and journalists couldn’t do in their entire lives.

I have published seven books, and they are doing well. With the Dutch scientist, Johan Van Dongen, we wrote the English version of ‘AIDS and Ebola, the greatest crime in medical history against mankind.’ The best of all is working on new projects. 

Life is like a driver taking a journey. If you drive carefully, you will get to your destination safely, and if you drive recklessly, you will end up in an accident. My endurance and patience have crowned my efforts.

Thanks to the American media and authors, such as Beem Weeks, Mishael Austin Witty, Amy Metz, Clancy Tucker, and many others, who played a significant role in my career as a writer. All those who laughed at me in Belgium have now realized they laughed at the wrong side of my mouth.

YOUR ENEMY GETS MAD, IF HE FAILS TO SEE YOU THE WAY HE WANTS

A Rae Smith quote

No one gives birth to a child and names him or her ‘Enemy,’ thus, I haven’t met anyone yet called ‘Enemy.’ Yet an enemy exists, the reason the dictionary defines it: As a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

What causes enmity between people? I watched a program about a man who hates his neighbor. According to him, his neighbor’s stereo was too noisy, and many times when he asked him to reduce the volume, he refused to yield to his demand.

I understand him, especially after the week’s hard work, you wish to have a happy and quiet lovely weekend, reading your favourite books and newspapers, but that neighbour of yours has denied you all those good moments you’re longing for.

At times, you might be an enemy or someone might hate you for doing no wrong, just because of your efforts to live a happy life. Do you know that your hard work can sometimes spark jealousy and hatred from an empire of deceitful enemies?

Do you know that even your successful marriage sometimes makes you an enemy, because your neighbour’s marriage is on the rocks? How do you handle such situations when you haven’t done anything wrong but someone madly hates you?

I do hear people often say: The problem was beyond my control, the reason I used food as a means of consolation, became an alcoholic or a drug addict. That’s really a big mistake. When you’re experiencing problems, you don’t live on destructive measures to solve your problems; you need to fight those destructive elements.

Years back, when I arrived in Europe, among other foreigners, I came to Italy at a time when I didn’t know anyone. I slept at the Central Train Station in Rome for many days. (I have revisited Rome to see where I slept in the early nineties) I saw that the hard conditions were taking their toll on some of the homeless Africans.

Some became alcoholics, drug addicts, involved in drug trafficking, and some decided to go back to Africa. I encouraged them to stay, but many of them returned to Africa. Today, I’m no longer an illegal immigrant. 

Above all, I live with my wife and three children in Europe. I wake up every morning at 5 AM and go to work like other workers, enjoying a happy union with my family when I come back home.

I know what the enemy wants. I wasn’t ready to be a destitute, alcoholic, drug addict, or courier. If I have made it, then you can. Never blame anyone for your failure in life. Don’t let your enemy be happy. Fight those destructive forces to make them mad.

FACTS TO REMEMBER - There isn't any escape route

An angry man

If you wake up every day making problems and fighting your neighbor, you are just saying prayers to the devil. You will end up getting high blood pressure.

If one pretends to be dead, mourners would pretend to bury you, and out of jealousy and hatred, if one wishes his neighbor's downfall, he is inviting the same wishes for himself.

If it's someone's habit to say negative things about their colleagues at work to the boss because you wanted a favor, you will turn out to be the enemy and lose your job.

A child who wants to deny his mother some sleep by crying the whole night will also not sleep.

If young and hate to give a seat to the old in the bus, tram, or metro, cross your fingers. It will happen to you when you are old.

If you bend down looking at someone's bottom, someone else is behind you looking at your bottom.

If one enjoys treating people badly and denying them justice, one will reap what they have sown and be miserable like a church mouse.

Those who attack the old and rob them of their money and jewels would meet the same fate when old.