When I first saw him I recall thinking I don't want to be seen within 100 miles of this dirty tramp.
I asked my cousin what this guys name is. "They call him Ment"
What a stupid name. What's Ment ment to mean?
"His real name is Moazam" my cousin explained "they call him Ment because he's Mental"
"Oh right, so he's actually mental is he?" he sure looked it.
"I don't no, no one ever takes him seriously or gives him the time of day, he's just Mental"
It seemed the whole village was in on this. All 14 people in his household called him Ment (even his 2 year old sister - she did sound cute when she said it), the neighbours all called him Ment, even the shopkeepers and the policeman called him Ment.
"How did this name start. More to the point, how did it stick?"
"Raf, his older brother, started it years ago when Ment was about 7 or 8. Don't really know the back story, you'll have to ask Raf. Their mum doesn't speak English but thought the name sounded cute so she started calling him Mental too. Then it just kind of went from there. Before long everyone started and 'Mental' became 'Ment'. Now I think half the people who know him don't even know his real name"
Interesting, I thought to myself. I was curious now. I wanted to know if this Ment character was actually mental or just looked it. Snotty nose, dirty clothes, unkept hair, dirty fingernails, farting in public. He certainly has all the characteristics of a mantal person.
I was there for about five months and in this time I came to realise that Ment is actually about as far from mental as it's humanly possible to get. Such a wise young man. To this day I've not heard such wise logical comments from anyone his age.
I learned a lot from Ment. Things like, never judge a person by what they look like. Another thing I learned from him is:
If one person says something to you once, the chances are it may not have an effect on you but if more than one person says the same thing, you may start to think "could it be...." and if EVERYONE is always saying the same thing there is going to come point that you will accept it as being the truth. As was the case with this poor chap. He didn't stand a really/
I linked what I'd learned from Ment to the crap that passes off as entertainment these days. The more of that crap that we watch, the more we will think it's how real life should be lived and we will at some point start immitating (wholly or partially) what we see as acceptable. It's a part of the Human condition.
After making that link, I realised the importance of "the company we keep" As well as the crap on tv, we are also influenced by those around us (parents, siblings, teachers, other students, others in the office, friends etc). And if they are acting too differently to me, i'll slowly change to start acting in the way the all do.
I might even go as far as to say that it's a good idea to mention to those around us the good deeds we do. If enough people do this, the ones who are able, but are not doing so may start to feel left out and join the right path.
I'm not perfect, far from it. If I focus on the negatives of my life, they will consume me. If I focus on the positives of my life, in theory, they should consume me too. So the choice, as I see it, is - am I going to let the good or the bad consume me?
Comments
Ermm they're not really characteristics of a mental person!
Also finding it hard to believe the 'ment' story, however good moral reminders
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
i like, but idont think we got to actually tell people abt hte good deeds we do, as in, go out of our way to say "hey, i done this and that". lead by example i think has the biggest impact. especially for hte more reticent ones, if you're in their face all the time they just want you out, and everything you come with. but if you're just tagging along and are strong enough to stand up for what you belive, all the while not being judgemental or ocndensing, people pay attention and try to imitate you. they see that how you're living is way better than what society is telling them to do.
when i was reading this. the first thing that came to mind is music. how its taken for granted that everyone listens to it.muslims or non-muslims. i dream of the day someone hears the word "muslim" and attaches the idea that this person does not listen to music, speak crudely, swears, dates, and all those others things that are seen as normal and even compulsory in our society.
and then i think, that at some points, we've got to leave this society; because however much we're trying to live out life differently, this (the stuff we're running away from) is the norm and we're just tiring ourselves fighting the norm when we could go somewhere else and use that energy into something else and more productive and self-developing. It's like swimming against the current. got to use lots of energy to stay in the same place, not much left to actually move forward.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I keep missing it man.
Ah well, I'll have another go tomorrow.
Also - the name is made up, his real name was not mentioned to keep his identity secret. The story is 100% real though. And all those characteristics do match up to the name he was given.
Do you focus more on the names of people and places or the message contained within a story?
I take it you're talking to me, if u are, I didnt just focus on the name, as I said there's good messages with in the story. Also everyone calling someone 'ment' just sounds stupid and unrealistic so I couldn't help paying attention to that. Though there are peole who may be abused etc who are called such things tbf. But still this was a little unrealistic.
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi
I want talking to anyone in particular. It was just a general question. But I'll take your comments on board and try to spend more than three minutes when I publish my next masterpiece.
you keep missing what?
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
"When you're not in a good enough shape physically to handle the burden on your shoulders you shouldn't pray to Allah for the burden to be eased, but you should ask for bigger shoulders"
(I read that somewhere once, don't know hoe it fits into your commene, but it somehow felt like the right thing to say)
I think it's more about how you say it. I don't agree with the whole "you'll never guess how frikkin awesome I am. I've done X Y Z good deeds today"
That's just not on. But if you say it in the right way it's a good thing.
Yeah i agree with this. I'd rather leave the negatives behind, but obviously not disgard them, but ask forgiveness for them and learn from my flaws! And being positive, is what keeps me going, its gives me a goal in life and 'should consume me too'.
the good will consume us?
and the comment about the bigger shoulders...what im trying to say is, maybe we're putting a boulder on our shoulders we dont really need.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I think it's talking more about the "boulders" that are placed there by the forces of nature.