It's time to end "Qoxera Habesha"

Asmara Cathedral's tower clock was designed after London's 'Big Ben'

By Semir Seid

The early ‘Habeshan’ people were not to be blamed but the current are unquestionably going to be. The reason behind this could have been, may be in the old days there were no means of transportation and communication where people get into the places they wanted or do their tasks as quickly as possible. For people of today being late is in their blood. Not to be present at the right time. Sounds unprofessional for the people of twenty first century. Civilized people than ever. We could not help it.

What should be done? Though we did not formally label it but the society takes it as something not to be ashamed off. It’s not been taken seriously and being minutes, hours, days, weeks or months late is permissible depending on various circumstances. Well such immoral manners of people are letting themselves enjoying with the time of others, in essence stealing the time of those people. Meaning failing to meet the arranged appointment is nothing but is to let such people to be called ‘time robbers’.

And by default we always term to such ways as “Qoxera Habesha”. It was meant to be for that time and people of that time but still we are using it. A bit disappointing!

Myself I’m not a fan of “Qoxera Habesha”. Implying I always felt uneasy and un-comforted when people talk about it proudly as nothing happened. They did sacrifice their valuable time for nothing. Time for nothing? I can’t resist the pain. Every time we ‘Habeshan people’ meet we get used to one side will be late. Take it for granted that it’s allowed for us to be late to one another.

But these days no excuses are accepted except our own carelessness.

The ideology of “Qoxera Habesha” I suppose emerges from carelessness. Major carelessness to time, not much credit is given to time. Besides we dare to say time is Gold for us, its shame on us people. Even our activities show we don’t even give it the scale of a feather. We keep saying time goes and comes, as if our life is in our hand.

[Related reading: The True Origins of Habesha]

The heading in the first place gives an impression that we don’t give much credit for our times. And that is a notion which was built long years since I even knew. Meanwhile I totally disagree with it, everybody else does yet nobody takes move to come up with solutions or cure to this local disease. If I don’t want a person to be late for me why not made myself free from “Qoxera Habesha”. Don’t you think? Because as action speaks louder than words, why don’t we leave the place immediately the minute the other person is late. The problem is we also respect and give attention to our terrible habit of “Qoxera Habesha”. Individual moves can possibly make the habit fade away and eventually wipe it off and replace it by more effective way of utilizing our time.

From what I heard in the West, Europe and some other countries’ punctuality is a very serious issue to be handled. You get in the right time you get service otherwise it’s up to you. You get a doctor’s appointment and the doctor waits for you at the scheduled time and place without a doubt. And for us ‘Habeshan people’ beyond doubt being late in appointments is treated as fine, newly inherited, and accepted trait of everyone.

Tuning the head with the clock and dividing the available time for your programs in a day can make one efficient and be time oriented person. Then only we can understood the value of time. Unless and otherwise keeping to use our precious and priceless time would definitely won’t get us move an inch towards what we vision.

So far till this time I guess we are on the belief of ‘better late than never’. This won’t be a tool for personal, societal, or even national development. Imagine it employees getting into their jobs late and their boss wouldn’t complain or accept what they do. It’s not hard to understand what the picture would look like.

Had Qoxera Habesha been constructive we could have been praised for it worldwide as a nation, however the fact remains to be other way round and still nobody is giving a shit and seems will be continuing as it was. Wasting our times and not letting things get done when they should be would cost us our fate and leaves us unproductive.

The recommendation would be let oneself be programmed. Individually, organizationally, societally, and nationally as a whole of course. Have the commitment to yourself to do things in their right time, not later or tomorrow. Take over shortcuts to save time instead of walking fast just because you are out of time. Have the habit of waiting fifteen minutes earlier in an appointments or schedules.

Make Qoxera Habesha history, but a history that never repeats itself. Change your lifestyle to use your extra time for other important matters. Compensate your lost time by making upcoming times more productive and waste less.

Because it should have been and still be a time we think globally and act locally to make Qoxera Habesha turn its meaning absolutely. And make it registered on the Oxford, Websters and other world dictionaries as a new vocabulary which gives the nation and the people a sense of pride…. A real pride this time.

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