Cursed or Blessed?! - by Hénock Gugsa

Cursed or Blessed  ?! 

- by Hénock Gugsa - 

One afternoon, earlier this month, I was coming out of a Social Security Administration branch office ... and in the parking lot, I was accosted rather aggressively by a young African-American man wearing an expensive-looking sport jersey shirt.  He shouted at me and asked what my first (favorite) language was. 

I gave him a puzzled look and inquired why he was asking me that.  

He said because he needed to know if I spoke "Hindi or moslem or whatever."  

I replied that I spoke English alright.  

Then he got huffy, reached into the seat of his pickup truck, picked up a small (3.5"x5") flyer, brought it over and handed it to me.  As he was walking away, he yelled at me: "Jesus Christ is your savior. Read that, or you'll perish!"

I responded, "Oh, really?!" I got into my car, and making sure that he was looking at me, I shredded that piece of paper into bits. 

Then I drove away, grinning.  A little while later, I dumped the little bits of the unread flyer into a public trash bin elsewhere.

  

"Oromo Street" in Minneapolis, MN - by Hénock Gugsa

"Oromo Street" in Minneapolis, MN

 - by Hénock Gugsa  -

[አገር የሌላቸው ሰዎች በሰው አገር መጥተው አስፋልት መንገድ ይሰጠን አሉ !]  

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There is a saying in Ethiopia: 

"Without food and starving, yet she covets the fancy dress!"
" የምትበላው የሌላት የምትከናነበው አማራት !! " 
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The street in this picture is found in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis (near the U of M campus), which is now locally known as "Little Mogadishu".  The black building in the background is a madrasas (Islamic school) that belongs to the dominant Somalis in the area.  Up-to almost fifteen years ago, this same building used to be a bar/club called "the 400 Bar".  I have some great memories of some good times at that bar back in the late 80's.  But back then, there were few Oromos and even fewer Somalis here in the Twin Cities.

Regarding this street ... thankfully, I don't believe the city of Minneapolis completely recognizes this new, strange name.  It is still "S 4th Street" as far as everybody (including this writer) is concerned ! 

To be sure, the money wasted on this stupid street name (the sign itself and the license or permit fees, etc.) could have been put to better use in Ethiopia.  That money could have bought school books and materials for poor Ethiopian children, it could have bought hospital beds, and it could have been used as startup funds for building community wells, etc. 

One last point of note:  Has anybody seen streets named for Laos, for Vietnam, for Liberia, for Kenya, etc. here in America?  The expats from those countries living here are to be commended for having sense enough to keep low profiles and making noteworthy contributions to America, their new home.   So, Oromos and Somalis: ===> If you want to be recognized, please be good citizens here first, and then go and do something substantial, something meaningful and respectable for your former (native) lands ... and do it quietly!