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*Thank you so much Anonymous!! Thanks for taking the time to read/comment, glad you found it useful. Thank you:)!

*Tobi I agree, the Yoruba version was so so funny! I didn’t watch the whole thing but the scenes I saw on Youtube were pretty funny and pretty impressive:).

You are so right! I totally agree with you. May we not be foolish, but wise! Thanks so much for reading and for sharing Tobi!

Thank you very much! Thanks for taking the time to read it. Glad it was good for you! @Mwila – You are so right, our approach is so important. I think praying for and relying on God’s guidance in our approach and in everything we do is a wonderful thing, its’ importance can’t be overstated. Thanks again!

@Temitope – Thanks so much! You are so right, thanks for reinforcing that important point – we should not only strive to do things at the right time, but also the right way, i.e. using the right approach. May we all continue to increase in wisdom in this and other areas, like you said! Amen to that. Thanks so much, appreciate it.

I love your write up. Very insightful. I also love the opening too. However, I would like to give the topic another spin – “Good morning my neighbours”. I hope you don’t mind. Some of us are immigrants in a strange land. Therefore understanding the new society that we live in is very crucial to our success. Appreciating the good, the bad and the ugly in an objective manner will go a long way. We need to appreciate that we are living in a society with different value systems. So everytime we are caught off guard based on our wrong assumptions (like Akeem), we must step out of the issue and try to understand why in an objective manner?

Those of us that are still back home are not absorbed from this message entirely. Understanding your neighbour goes a long way. It requires time and patience.

In the final analysis, as immigrants, we must strive to build bridges (relationships) outside the local community. There will be set backs every now and then, but we have to stay on message – Good Morning My Neighbours.

God bless you all,

Yomito

And thanks for the reminder that the “receiver” may react based on the interpretation of an action, not necessarily based on the motive of the action. Also very true. Yes, sometimes “givers” are misunderstood through no fault of theirs, but I think an important point we should all remember is that whenever we are in the position of being a “giver”, we should remember to be sensitive and aware, like you said – so that our actions are not misunderstood.

One example, as discussed earlier – is a loud prayer for someone in the middle of a party. Here, the action (i.e. the prayer) is appreciated, but the timing is horrible! To address the question you raised “Why is it the wrong timing?” – The “giver” may not realize it, but the “receiver” is more often than not highly embarrassed, their privacy is infringed upon, and the fun they were having before turns to discomfort – they can no longer enjoy the party because of the “giver’s” prayers. Prayers are good, but again – there is a time and a place for everything.

I also love the point you bring up about how we as “receivers” should also try to communicate that message you know what – thanks, but this is not the right time effectively. So true! It is a very important skill to develop as well, so that when we are in the position of “receiver” we are also not misunderstood.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. It is really appreciated, I love how we all keep learning from each other, seeing things from different perspectives, reinforcing our learning, and provoking our thoughts. Glad you like the notes, will keep writing, please keep reading and sharing! lol… Thank you..

@ Busie – Thanks for sharing – that is also an important lesson to learn from this movie – it is so important to learn to be humble in all that we do, and never show off. Thank you very much taking the time to read and share your thoughts. I appreciate it.

For the one doing the ‘giving’ there is a need to be sensitive and aware of how it is being received and adapt accordingly. Lack of this type of awareness and sensitivity often means a high level of self absorption which throws into question the motive behind the action in the first place (as one of the comments @Arin nola indicates)

On the other hand, for the one who is receiving, it is important to remember that how we react is often based on our interpretation of the action and often has nothing to do with the motive of the actor. What this means is there is a need to be aware of why we are reacting that way as well, especially if we appreciate the action but not the timing… how are we communicating this complex yet simple message… ” you know what – thanks, but this is just not the right time –” so that it received and not misunderstood

or maybe the question really is “Why is it the wrong timing?…”

Nice, keep writing these notes.

@Ope , Tomi –
I couldn’t agree more.. Amen to that, yes – may our words be apples of gold, vs being a bucket of ice cold water – I love that illustration. Thanks a lot for reading and sharing your thoughts, very glad to hear it was good for you!