I’m seated on a wooden bench under a makuti shed located at a vantage point deep in the heart of a national reserve watching a herd of elephants grazing peaceful below, oblivious of the chaotic world out there. A fortnight ago I handed in my final year project which marked the end of a 5-year pursuit for my Undergrads. Faced with the biggest dilemma of my life, I traveled down to this remote camping site in south coast to strategize on my next step. The decision I’m about to make is to either take the job offered or turn it down and instead follow my passion which happens to be unconventional.
Having interned in more than three different companies in the city where I interacted with the Nairobi middle class citizens on a daily basis, I came to abhor the kind of lives they lead. Nothing scares me like the idea of being sucked into the middle class vortex, lose my zeal for achieving greatness and getting into a comfort zone should I take the job.
You have probably heard the news about Kenya being categorized as a middle-income country and how Kenyans consumerism spearheaded by the middle class influences the economy. For your edification (according to KNBS)the middle class consists of households which spend Ksh 24,000- 120, 000 per month. The rich class comprises of those who spend more than Ksh 200,000 a month. To fully understand the nightmare of ending up a rich class wannabe a.k.a middle class, my life would play as follows.
Graduate with a 2nd class upper and get a job in one of the already established companies in the city thanks to my parent’s connections. Having saved some money three months into the job I decide to take a soft loan to supplement the savings in order to move out of the nest. My choice of new digs would be influenced by what my acquaintances consider cool. High chances are that I would end up in an overpriced SQ in Kileleshwa instead of a decent house in a less envious part of the city where one gets true value for their money. A huge chunk of the loan would be spent on furniture, home electronics and to throw a house warming party.
Keen to maintain an image, taxis would become my preferred choice of transport until the application I made for a car loan goes through. The next step would be to acquire a noisy Subaru or a serious Toyota like Mark X. The operating costs of the latter car model can be quite grueling for someone depending on a fixed income. As soon as the word goes round that I have some new wheels the few opportunistic ladies I know from my nascent years would magically regain interest
“Hey mark! Haven’t seen you in a while…Can we hook up this Friday?”
As a man, the last thing I want is to turn down a pretty lady so I would agree to meet her at some elegant joint on the outskirts of the city with the aim of impressing her.
On Friday, the said lady makes an entrance with two friends in tow. They go ahead and order pricey liquor with names I’ve never heard before while I squirm in my seat. Nonetheless, we spend the next few hours partying like it’s the end of the world reminiscing the great times we had back in campus. At around 4 am the lass asks me to take her back home which is on the other side of town. Upon reaching her place she gives me a peck on the cheek before scampering upstairs bashing all hopes I had about getting lucky that night.
The next morning I nurse a nasty hangover exacerbated by the thought of having wasted all the money I had planned to invest in the stock market the previous night. There is always next time, I console my troubled soul. Since I don’t have many responsibilities partying all weekend long becomes permanently ingrained in my schedule. No cool party within the city, Machakos or Nakuru ever goes down without my presence.
Five years later I’m approaching 30. My mother’s incessant demands for me to settle down finally get to me. After goggling on the best way to propose, I settle on an idea then borrow some money from Njoroge to finance it. My On & Off girlfriend and I head to Masai Mara during the wildebeest migration. While on a hot-air balloon ride I go down on my knee and pop the question. “Will you marry me?” Of course she says yes. Who in their right mind turns down an amazingly romantic guy like me? I ensure every bit of the charade is photographed so that I can later publish the pictures on this blog to arouse envy especially among the ladies who rejected me…hehe.
This stirs a buzz on social media as young Kenyan ladies call on their men to emulate me while the guys try their best to criticize the whole thing. A few months later I round up 2 dozens of friends and relatives then extract a substantial contribution from them to go towards bankrolling my wedding. The wedding has to be glamorous. Something so grand that everyone will talk about it for days without a care of the kind of damage that would do to my finances.
As years progress I sire two beautiful kids. I decide to take a loan to pursue an MBA. A smart move since upon graduating my employer promotes me to middle level management. Now that the pay is better, I move into a bigger apartment and take yet another loan to buy a bigger ride befitting a man of my stature. The changes don’t stop there. Soon enough I switch joints where I shop, eat and drink for fancier ones. I also transfer my kids to private schools whose annual tuition fee is more than the price of a quarter acre plot along Thika Road. The changes put so much pressure on me that I have to take an advance salary almost every month in order to stay afloat.
Life is still good thanks to my employer who occasionally sponsors me for trips abroad where I acquire a phony accent after a 2 weeks stay. Back in the city I make a point of attending events like Blankets & Wine with my beautiful wife. During Easter and Christmas holidays I take my young family to north coast. All these trips are closely followed by countless pictures uploaded on Instagram for the world to see. As for spiritual growth, my family worships in hip churches whose ministers only preach about prosperity after all who wants to hear about hell? When it comes to gadgets, I would sale a kidney if I have to in order to acquire every new version of the iPhone. It’s official, I’m in the middle class bubble.
One day I wake up only to realize my potbelly has grown so huge that I can no longer see my junk down there thanks to a decade of leading an unhealthy lifestyle. It also hits me, I ought to plan for retirement and how to put my kids through college. With all the money I borrowed in my youth to support my fancy lifestyle the future looks grim. I’m left with no choice but to take a mortgage since a man of my age ought to own a house. I start a small business on the side to help me dig myself out of debt. The business goes under in less than a year.
As if aware of my desperate situation the boss puts me on a short leash, threatening to take action should I fail to give in to her unreasonable demands. Fully cognizant of the fact that without the job and incentives it offers my family would sink to abject poverty. I work even harder, wake up at 5:30am every weekday, maneuver through heavy traffic to work, skip lunch then pass through the local bar on my way home. I virtually turn into a robot. Same people, same schedule every single day. Afraid of losing money I only make safe investments which are often less profitable.
Midlife crisis strikes. Career stagnation turns me into a constant grumbler. I find faulty in everything from the country’s governance to my wife’s cooking. I mistreat anyone whom I think is beneath me. It depresses me further to see former classmates’ lead better lives. This resentment grows bigger every single day. I keep wishing I had pursued my dreams when I had a chance instead of choosing the safest option. Sometimes I even contemplate suicide.
To stir some excitement, I go after young impressionable campus girls. The pretty young things laugh at my dry jokes making me feel all young again thanks to my generosity. Tired of my philandering ways and neglect my wife gets a toy boy on the side. Our differences grow exponential to the point we amicably decide to divorce. She takes away my kids.
Loneliness and depression leads me to seek solace in the bottle. One morning after binge drinking I drive into a stationary truck. As life drains out of my mangled body, my whole life flashes before my eyes. Who will take care of my kids? What will I be remembered for? Would things have turned differently had I pursued my passion? Having not lived my life to the fullest, my demise doesn’t even stir a buzz on twitter. Instead of leaving my kids a fortune I leave them with endless debts. They grow up without a father figure and soon enough forget my existence.
Fellow young Kenyans, when did living an average life become so enticing? The only way one can amass real wealth is by applying the law of delayed gratification; planning for the future, cutting on expenses, saving and investing. Taking endless loans to maintain an image is bound to result in dire financial consequences in the future.
It’s time someone said it, average living (read middle-class) is not good enough!
SEE ALSO: 8 Secrets To Becoming a Multi-Millionaire
Written by Mark Maina
Oooh, I’m I in the crisis already?
Great piece decided to take a different route that is entrepreneurship aint easy but truly fulfilling
Bro also on entreprenuership, what field are you in?
I really love your choice of words. Awesome piece, very insightful. A perfect contemplation of the future ahead.
This article really inspired me and made me think of my life
That is a real insight
Wow! Summed up pretty good and it’s scary indeed! When DID living an average life become enticing!
lol
Nigga PLIIIZ. Cool kids will still employ you.
good read
Mark lets meet for a cup of tea
Dear Mark, *hi five* I now want to buy you coffee and find out what more you have to offer to the world and possibly give you a bigger platform to preach this fantastic gospel. Big up man!
Mark, finally I read sense from a youngster! That is how it plays out without fail! Hope your friends are listening!
Awesome
Nice stuff there!
very true
Awesome read. So real & exactly what is happening in our country, Kenya. May God give us wisdom.
Great !
Cool stuff for the youth. Time to get focused
At some point when people grow up, they realize that if they want to be happy they cannot resort to this sort of comparison of your life to the lives of anyone else. Everyone has their own path, unless they choose to imitate others. Then it is no longer their path. Three things: (1) Debt is not always bad; it all depends on what you are borrowing for. (2) It is better be in the middle class than to be in the bottom class. At least the middle class offers higher chances of upward mobility. All that matters in whichever class one is in is life choices. Not everyone in the middle class enjoys traveling to Nakuru or Machakos to drink every weekend. (3) Life is not just about money. Some ideology beguiles people to believe that all there is to success after school is how far up you get on the corporate ladder. Wrong. Decisions on personal relationships mean a lot more than money.
I like the way you have captured it. The mistake most people have that life is all about money, once we change that mentality we can leave a happy, successful and fulfilling life!
Impressive! Life is not all about money though money plays a very central role in our lives. When we are young, we think money and ‘big’ job will give us happiness. When we arrive there, we learn that it is sometimes the opposite!! Today, I work on living a happy healthy life. That way, I can enjoy life for a long time!
I agree life is not all about money at a point where money is already sufficiently serving its purpose in your life.Before that(or even past that) brother,Money is part if life
Well put. 🙂
I think you put it better.
Yes very true… One can Live the life they want (after all, what are you working for;)) just work as hard for it and plan better! Nonetheless, financial need is just but one aspect of a healthy life, one still needs to work on their physical, social, sexual & spiritual needs as well. #hapiness
Best comment ever on this article. The writer has a great message beautifully written, he only misses the point by equating the problem of wrong choices to the middle class
Totally agree! Finally I see someone who makes sense
Hi,
Great stuff, will be very helpful in my Thesis
This is such an eye-opener. Good job Mark
awesome
Well penned down to what is this days
wow awesome. its high time young people should stop having average dreams.
Great piece here brother. Quite introspective and haunting in its honest exposure of the deception that characterizes the so-called Middle-class lifestyle.
Nice article…love to see more of your writings
Reblogged this on amazingideaz and commented:
why you should up your game….
Great lesson to our society. Today family life is considered as stress and yet family and life is a big blessing and need to be celebrated.
such a good piece! facts only!
Wonderful piece! Real to the core! I am officially a fan. Keep writing!
Reblogged this on Commandyoursweettooth's Blog.
Yo! Relax. Take the job. Don’t overthink it so much. Then be wise with your money
Mark, this is a great piece. This is a global problem. As an international business author who specializes in situational awareness, delayed gratification, planning for the future, cutting on expenses, saving and investing, I am very impressed. Keep it up.
wow…that was deep and real….someone close sent me this link and its has made me see things on a whole new level. Thank you.
Well put! Perfectly said! Welcome to nairobi where fake living is real!!
Insightful.. Must share!!
True Mark…..we need to take initiatives
For a minute I thought: my neighbor, noo sounds more like my girl’s cousin, or it describes my second cousin more accurately. My point? Real.
so painfully true. I am working on behavior change n
my friends(female ones) think am starting to get boring
Reblogged this on The Boldpreneur:A personal journal to greatness and commented:
This nightmare is real.
Hie Mark, i like your post. My question is; how are you going to avoid this trap?
I love this. Totally on point. Lovely! On point!! Good work Maish.
Amazing story bro. Thanks for the advise
looong..but i kept going.
nice piece
Sad but all true. Good Job Mark! Hope some young Kenyans on this path read your article and learn a lesson or 2.
Hehe. I loved the ‘noisy Subaru’ part 🙂
inspiring stuff….preach the word! longterm investment is the answer…
Great read,insightful.Good job Mark!
Wow, the article is so real. It goes in line with what I keep teaching youth on Kuza Biashara blog…”Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Thank you for the nice article bro.
This is really true
Wow what a great piece
very informative,eye opening and true. I hope to learn from the mistakes here…
Insightful…!
This was a brilliant piece.
Welcome to capitalism and it’s effects on the world… The mentioned problems are global. I live in the US and it’s the same here.. Instant gratification is something capitalism requires from all of us and greed follows and we all see what greed is doing to the world.. The top 1% has all the money, the middle class borrows money from the top 1% and the poor, have no money. If nothing is done to change this trajectory, the worst is yet to come
I totally agree, you have captured the real lives most people live. However, most people are hypocrites and full of mediocre will never absorb such truth and facts. I like it. Keep it up and help transform our community. Kudos!
this is excellent and such an eye-opener how i wish everyone ‘starting life’ would see this..
A very good read. Your choice of words is just so ace!
I am so close to entering this life. Thanks for the heads up though. You have saved this one case at least.
words that have just summed up my thoughts for the last few weeks…great work young man
Well executed and elucidated.
What an eye opener!
Return life(advice, choice);
This is painfully true. I wonder what would have happened, if you followed your passion..am thinking you would have to work hard to put food on the table hence no time for a flashy life. I might be wrong…anyone who has taken this path please enlighten us.
That is really true. That’s a summary of what most Kenyans go through.
Reblogged this on esieopiyothoughtsrevealed.
Reblogged this on Food for Mind and commented:
Great Read
A million thanks Mark Maina for opening the eyes of our fellow youngsters, to see there’s more to life than showing off, drinking and belonging to a certain class. Aim high and let’s work together for a better future.
While your age mates are out there living it large, you are here making sense. I applaud you young man. You make a lass want to propose.
what a piece,full of facts! A Chinua Achebe who can make you read every letter is here!
Live like no one else today so that you may live like nobody else in future. Very profound.i salute you Mark
Captured the heart and soul of the Kenyan middle class
Very very nice read, you have really changed my perception of life :p starting afresh!!!
#LuoTings
u r causing us more depression.
This is a great write up. In my opinion, everyone should have some sort of a long term plan for their lives.
While preparing this long term plan, keep in mind the periods you are living in and the realities of the day. As in a business, lay out your life’s objectives. Do an analysis of your strengths and take the path that maximizes your value to the world while keeping you happy.
Taking a job especially in well established entities may also give you an opportunity to have greater impact if it’s in line with your life’s plan.
My 2 cents.
So true that if it weren’t laced with humour, it would’ve been a horror. It’s scary
#realitycheck………….This is an amazing mind.There should be more platforms to let our young people know ;our present determines our future. Thanks for this Maina…
Hey, thanks man that’s a very good read and reality check…
Nice article,good insight for graduands and graduates…big up
Amazing read. Quite an eye opener. Thanks for passing this across.
Very good write up. This is all very true. Thanks Maish.
Well said
Thank you for re- directing me. I was already getting comfortable in middle class. time to wear my big girl panties and forge towards wealth
Reblogged this on kendimswit.
Reblogged this on uniqurban.
Reblogged this on Through my eyes and commented:
Entrepreneurship is the real journey to financial freedom. There will be murky waters but surely nothing good comes easy.
Insightful post … considering that I already refer to myself as an entrepreneur and am already doing something about it despite still being in school, I couldn’t agree more. Coming from a middle class family I have seen my parents make the same mistakes. They haven’t taken a myriad of loans but you can see the worry in their eyes now that they are old. Something I am honestly working to avoid. P.S I have reblogged the post.
Reblogged this on mainagakere13's Blog.
Very motivational and a good eye opener.. good story.. kip it up
Good article. A must read for youth.
Thanks a bunch. It’s the best article I’ve read in ages.
good article Maina. it also applies here in Uganda. I have surely learnt alot from this Sunday morning read. good work.
Thanks a bunch for this buddy.
nice piece bruh
A good read, and some bitter truth in there.
Don’t get me started on the female version of going down the rabbit hole. Marriage before 27 lest we expire, kids before 30…heaven knows what kind of a disgrace we would be without kids and etc… I wish more women would seek to excel, not even all, just a considerable number.
I don’t get it..what do u mean by
…following your dream?
Yes..this article speaks against a certain lifestyle. Not much about how one can follow their dreams and live a fulfilling life
Good read…this is the life many of young people will go through if they are not careful and creative enough to work for the best…
Good read Mark
Nice read…my concern however is you should have highlighted the alternative path to follow..it’s not easy turning down a job opportunity that may eventually lead down the middle class life course,particularly when your parents struggled to put you through school, need to support your siblings,…it’s much more easier said than done…
With that said, it’s important to have something to supplement ones income…
Truthfully and amazingly written
Hmmm…. Good piece. But am I the only Kenyan who thinks a lot of this grief can be avoided, just by giving the boot to that most Kenyan of diseases… The dreaded kinywaji (drink)? This is the best decision I ever made myself a decade ago. I live in the diaspora where even some so called middle class Kenyans here are busy drinking themselves into their early graves pursuing this above life cycle. Which I might add is quite familiar to most Kenyans. “Basi tuko wapi this weekend”?… (So where are we this weekend?)… a very familiar saying to many urban young monied Kenyans and all that it entails.
Eye opening read for me as a lady who’s had so many unanswered questions that the men I’ve asked always fall short of explaining. Scratch that! The ladies I’d asked fell short too. And I was one of them!
You’ve decribed the middle class of any capitalist economy quite aptly.
To answer your last question: ‘average’ is relative. My ‘aha’ moment which actualised in my 40s came when I decided that every thing I do is for me first. Until then, it was for for what I thought others expected of me or what they said they expected of me.
so inspiring..
Amazing article, may we always put our priorities right!! Thank you for the eye opener
Wow! I could not have said it better!
Reblogged this on PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers..
Well put and thanks for the reminder man.
This is super awesome! An article and a half! though with some bitter truths.
If only we took note. The only problem is we are living to impress. Instagram pictures of our weekend escapades will be the death of us. I take note.
Very nicely written article. Rich in wisdom Maina.
Reblogged this on A KENYAN GIRL'S THOUGHTS and commented:
This…This is pure gold.
Everyone needs to read it.
nice article, good observation
what a crock of shit. There is no real value that you have put forth in this “article”. If you want to advise the Youth, give them sound financial advise, not hypothetical “how my life may turn out” stories.
And lets he honest about some things, there has to be different class levels, not every single person in Kenya can be “wealthy”, if so, then everyone would be back to being “poor”. Achieving what you call “greatness” in terms of economic/financial success, is not an absolute, its is relative.
If you want to be “great” get out of your narcissistic ways, create, collaborate and put forth noble ideas that will spur the human species to the next frontier. Not blindly following capitalism to the letter, expecting that the mediocrity of existence that we live today, will not apply to you.
jus enquiring whats u think is actually impossible in the piece.
Simba, the comments will tell you there is value in this. Perhaps not to you but to others. There will always be rich and poor but you don’t have to be the one representing the poor. The writer is pointing out his own fears thanks to what he has seen around himself and coincidentally many can relate to that too. As for financial advise, an article that points out probable financial traps is the first lesson in financial planning. The rest is called avoiding those traps. How? The needy will find out.
if simba can’t see any wisdom in the article then he’s not wise enough….check out and see if there’s any one who will have a lame reasoning capacity like yours
This guy already described you;
‘Midlife crisis strikes. Career stagnation turns me into a constant grumbler. I find faulty in everything from the country’s governance to my wife’s cooking. I mistreat anyone whom I think is beneath me. It depresses me further to see former classmates’ lead better lives. This resentment grows bigger every single day’…….
Actually at the end of your comment you start blogging instead of commenting.
Dude, Go to Mathare Hospital
#ADVICE…HEHE LOL!
You are spot on. Just live within your means and invest the little you can afford. Trying to impress or be like others can only lead to trouble.
very very true….ts called the rat race!!
Every young person should read this! Life changer!!!
Reblogged this on Sensetalk101 and commented:
Wow, i couldn’t put it better!
This is a classic read. Just in time for me. Thank you 🙂
My exact sentiments! In fact people who are getting into employment should consider life plans and a good place for that is from Britam! Save money when commitments are fewer! My email address is eve.thamu@gmail.com
A fantastic article with so much truth it shocks.
Well in,and I hope all those middle class kenyans get to digest it.
Thanks.
mark..you wrote this? am proud man. big up
gud message thanks alot!
Nice piece man. Awakening
Truth…and well said. thanks for the article for its a big reminder.
Great piece
Very well said and summarised.
Shook me up to reality.
There goes a true masterpiece of todays’ middle class..let this article be a game changer for the betterment of next generation!pronto
That piece is an eye opener.Big up Mark.It’s time the truth is said.
Wow! Thank you Mark.
How true? great lesson
Very good and eye opening article which young working class people should take not of.
Its like yu have read my mind especially that part about young graduate taking loans to buy fancy furniture and cars and maintain an “image”. I’ve always felt like writing an article like this one but procrastnated it coz i thot i was the o nly one who is against tjis trend. the trend is actually bad fir our economy. 20 yrs from now kenya will be full of middle age people who are frustrated by debt and wat happened to USA economy will happen to our economy. give me permission to reblog this in my website at Kenyafreelancer.com
Good thoughts all, and an interesting read, but you really should get a good proof-reader to take it that last step. Too many grammatical errors in an otherwise great piece! Keep ’em coming!
wow.. tht a true reflection of wth I am going thru now…
In the end,we are a sum total of our decisions.
wow! I am challenged. God help me make the right decisions. Baraka
Can’t see the subscription button. Kindly assist.
Awesome read, you’ve touched on everything that matters, planning for the future.
Sad but true…It’s the upbringing we got from our parents;go to school,study hard and get a job..the moment you land a good job you feel accomplished and therefore get comfortable.I reckon in a few years to come those friends who got just basic education and had to look for alternative means of survival other than formal employment will be the wealthy ones while we the ‘educated’ will be neck deep in debt!Employment gives a false sense of security,its high time we realize that real security is in business and innovation. Brilliant minds going to waste in exchange for a pay check.
True, middle-class earners always die in a rat race. Our lecturer once warned highlighted that middle class are the reason that our economy is struggling.
Nice read. The middle class here have a choice to make. Be different n be great in your area of strength. Stop complaining about everything leading to WASTE of time. We learn from every experience. Live well today for tomorrow. …life bila regrets.
You just described a book am reading.
Rich dad Poor dad.
Talk of being complacent in our small ‘victories’.
It is happening. Thanks for sharing
Problem with kenyans is we get “eye openers” like such and vow to make that u-turn but once tomorrow sets in with its own Christmas sack of problems its always back to square one…i mean let’s face it poor folks work their asses off just so one day they can level up to their counterparts, this while those who’ve reached this accursed middle class level strife to out do their mates…its just a blasted cycle and by my book its what society now looks at as a measure of development and keeping and maintaining image is just part of the contract. What am saying is as much as you may think of achieving “greatness” you don’t just take the lift, there’s a flight of stairs you’ll have to manoeuvre through so its just a matter of priorities.
Hey! You are brilliant! And, wise too.
please write a book with all the m8ssing details in between of a similar life lived.
well put bro!
fak yeah! …..i thot i was alone for turnin down jobs that wud put me in the cycle… despite mwah grades ….just 2 yrs dwn… my small businesses r learning to walk…..yrs coming i know i will av the last laugh….my resolve is cemented…ua article awoke that zeal…needed it……biz biz biz. (rolling sleeves)
Baba this is an eye opener to many youths and adults who still live in this bubble. You should write more article of this nature though I must admit it’s fortuitous. Keep up the good words.
This is beautiful. I want to meet you.
This is the reason as to why stupid people and drop-outs succeed in life while the bastards thinking they are educated more than others fail.
inspiring… tag me more. like this article.
Spot on. thoroughly drafted! big up!
i am impressed with this article. Most definitely i have to share it! This is the bitter pill we all are afraid to swallow it’s happening in the corporate world and it should change because the debt crisis in the future is awaiting.
Well put Joy
Average living is not good enough..
Nothing truly matters…we’ll all die eventually.
Nice…got me thinking hard.do not live on debts.focus and care less what the world thinks about you.this article should be a MUST-read for any young Kenyan aspiring to be successsful in life
Reblogged this on barbarawino.
Interesting
WOW!
Nice read Maina. The reality of wasted youth life…
Wow, amazingly true….
http://www.kaschanaa.blogspot.com/
This is a real eye opener, and good food for consumption. I’m 21 years of age but feel challenged. I definitely do not want to live a life like that…
Awesome
Amazing piece.
Reblogged this on Uncritically Acclaimed Rasta Girl.
Reblogged this on freshallday254 and commented:
It can get crazy…but we just need to be sober minded about things…
Gone 20 years into the future then came back to reality. Very well done article. Inspiring
Very true. A reality check for many.
daaaaaaamn. just glad am living the life i want
You are a life saver….may God help you to achieve your dreams, this article will save me and many others if we humble ourselves and heed.
maish you are an awesome writer
Quite some good stuff to read.
I haven’t read such an inspiring in a long time..thanks Mark..
Am so educated with this article. At the point of awaiting my graduation, this comes as the best pathway advice from this point onwards.
I had to share it even after reading the first paragraph. Am sure my friend will learn a lot from this.
Great article. Let me mention this: there’s nothing important in life, so, we all eventually do what we want. Also, there’s neither regret nor blame for our actions. we all die, a perfect end for a perfect life.
this is sadly the reality and truth of the matter…..for once i reading an article i resonate with…i have seen this with my uncles.
I suggest you do a follow up article on how the youth who are in the middle class category can avoid falling into the same hole.
Reblogged this on ferventexpressions.
Just bumped here and I like the article..*bookmarks blog
Interesting read al-right. A few grammatical errors. Nonetheless, doesn’t spoil the flow of the story. It would have been more real if you were writing this from the comfort of your living spaces rather than a remote camping site in South Coast. Am sure it does not cost a few cents. It kind of waters down the pivotal message of your story which I perceive to be frugality. Then again, after five years of sweat, toil and blood, a retreat is more than welcome. Good job. Still a lot of polishing to do but you’re on the right track.
Nimepatikana pap!! A leason though.
I am rarely influenced by what I read on-line but today you win. We must rethink our lifestyles.
Inspiring read,keep up!
I wish I read this 20 yrs ago…..
Reblogged this on raytots and commented:
Best Blog So far
Ukwei mtupu!
nice read ….this has slapped some sense into me
Reblogged this on mishpie.
nice this has slapped some sense into me
Hard truth. Well written.
Haha. This is the story of ALL the middle aged guys I know: impressionable campus girls, pot bellied with debts up to their necks and a boring stagnant life, not to forget the wife thing. I dread that life. Haha, spot on Mark. Spot on.
Good stuff.
On the flip side, highlight instances where contentment is depicted and “competing with the Jonnesses” is shunned
Reblogged this on BeatStep.
This is sadly true.Sad but very true.
Very inspiring
Mark, you will have to answer this? What did he mean , ‘should have followed my dream!” ? What other dream did he have
I keep wishing I had pursued my dreams when I had a chance instead of choosing the safest option.
Truly thats the most bitter part of whole of story.
this is a fact. i am reading this again and again
Great read Maina. You echoed my school of thought.
Wonderful how you pen your thoughts,Mark. Sometimes we all need a reality check. I guess I would say ” Cheque”… I just got paid…hehe. Thank you.
This is a bit Pessimistic, I say never pass up on opportunity! The guy suggests we pass on job opportunities and work at our hobbies/passion and try to build great empires from scratch, with nothing in the way of savings or proper experience, that is absurd. Never pass up on an opportunity but be smart about it, If you can build capital whilst in a job to persue your passion later, anyone can tell you its easier to borrow frm a bank when on some kind of income, Any decent enterprenurial venture requires capital. I like the writers thinking but he reminds me of the loads of youngsters who drop out of college to try a Bill gates/zuickerberg trade, end up realising that 97% of people who drop out of college end up working minimum wage with little prospect of upward mobility,3% make it Big am no pessimist but 3% isnt a really good statistic . Life is not a dress rehearsal, never pass up opportunities for unknowns.Take up up opportunities, build a base then try your passion.
Excellent sentiment @house; the youth should never pass up a job opp especially when starting out; but it is critically important to use your 20s to try and set up businesses when you still have low responsibilities; the false sense of comfort in employment and wasteful spending are the real danger; not jobs themselves. A job can be the fastest most effective catapult out of poverty if used wisely.
Wow, nice piece,feeling challenged.
Reblogged this on ninakimani11's Blog and commented:
Well said can’t add more on this but I have seen it even here I’m europe. Sad that people try hard to put up with others in order and land into debts forgetting that the people whom they’re trying to put up with are in debts too.
Bravo!!… awesome story
This is a very educative article! I’m glad someone shared the link on her Facebook page. People, more so we the youth should learn to live within our limits,save and invest early so that we don’t suffer in future.
this is just a must read article… amazing!
There is no reason that you taking the initial offer you now have will lead to all these events. Its the choices you make as you go along that will then determine if you are average or you are great.
Even great people start somewhere, and its not their initial step that is remembered, it’s where they end up.
Awesome read
This is more of a slap with reality pertaining instant gratification and a buzz kill to those in that kind of life.
Invest early, epuka madeni.
very true. sad thing is, i am at one stage narrated therein but i believe i can change…it’s not yet too late.
“Ukuru uriaga withi” Old age depends on youth Good stuff mark
wow!,,,,,great piece of writing…..
Reblogged this on sailenyi and commented:
NICE READ
I received a similar message from a prosperous gentleman. He could be in his late 60s and runs a successful QS firm.He referred to it as a ‘status virus’.
The problem as he indicated is that the youth want to march the old generations by whatever means within the shortest time. In the end it leads to this scenario.
Reality Check………
nice
awesome stuff there, truth that hurts
Reblogged this on Legal Speak.
Thanks for the reminder!!! Soo true
Great piece Maina.inspired!
“Fellow young Kenyans, when did living an average life become so enticing?” *drops mic*
A good piece, and a mindblower too. I dont wanna walk on that path too
U knw me mark..gud stuff I shuld say…drop an email.
i have really loved that piece on middle class nightmare bt its very true
Nice content
Wooow.It is awesome .
Nice article..word!
delayed gratification
Great read! This is reality for many in Uganda too, people really need to stop this “keeping up appearences” thing and plan to lead more sustainable lives.
This guy totally gets… Remember y’all, average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.
This is excellent stuff to all ego driven guys……..I will take action beginning right now.
Reblogged this on This Dude, Victor Fidash and commented:
Wow… Blown away…
This left me thinking alot. Time to make changes.
Boss,you nailed it with article. Good job.
You nailed it bro….. You nailed it, hats off for you 😉
A true depiction of the real world now! Nice work
Reblogged this on Allano.
This is a great piece. You are good, Mark!
Facts only! Love this!!
Reblogged this on JARVIS.
Wow,this article is an eye opener!Hit.
Good story, very informative and educative. Well this is not limited to Kenya but many other countries Uganda, my own inclusive. Leading a “corporate” life. So many lessons to learn, worth reading.Joan Apio thx for sharing on FB.
on this you really killed it!!
what am i to say , thanks in got this before am out of age and i can now start saving NOW!!!
That’s a really nice read. And it’s absolutely true I’ve seen all of it happen to people I think I shouldn’t happen to. So to every one like me just handed im your research project and looking at life and those middle class wanna bes there can be redemption. And limit borrowing for consumption.
can’t say more! awesome
nice stuff up there. this led me to read more articles you’ve written. keep it at the top man. waiting for the next earth shaker
The fact is most of us know this but how many are willing to give up their small comforts today in order to live a richer life later? The ‘YOLO’ mentality has us in chains.
The sad thing about this article…is that the writer, even after being able to have such a gift for observation, still thinks that the important thing in life is to amass wealth….or as he puts it “amass real wealth”…..that idea alone, forms the root of a mediocre tree of life.
STANDING OVATION! Thank you for this truth! May the truth be heeded and practised by all who read it!
Middle class or not. Who’s the model at the top? 😛 Great writ, more people out of campus should read this.
Best article I’ve read in a while!! Very true indeed. I must share this!
Wow Mark… this is a sober read right here
A must read and very educativeb
So interestingly true! Someone once defined status as ‘buying things you don’t need, with money you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like.’
God help the young Kenyans come to their senses!
Waoh it’s worth reading.
What a way to put the message across? I enjoyed reading this my friend
The naked truth has finally been told in the daylight!
Where the rain started hitting us…. Best read so far
This is an interesting article. But it is unfair to attack an entire middle class. Trust me. i am in middle class and I did not take a single loan. I simply plan my salary well to the point I am almost completing my own house. I think you need to specify which middle class (a sub-group within a middle class????)
Sasa hapa ndo ujinga huanza….. Human…. Do u laugh to Churchill shows…. If yes… They got jokes on kikuyus, luhyas, kambas, kisiis, merus, luos etc…. Do they apply to all…. Ofcos if no u aint even middle class.. U r a third class wannabe… Dude….?
Say NO! to ujinga
Very nice article, totally աhat I needed.
Being a student graduating next year, this has really enlightened me. Thank you.
Reblogged this on dianakui.
Great wit.
This message is good for me as well as to most young professionals and undergraduates.
I urge you on to reach out to many on this unique nature of benevolence. Cheers.
Reblogged this on teamtestimony's Blog and commented:
Midlife crisis versus delayed gratification. The power of a wise choice!
Reblogged this on gichukidennis and commented:
for any young youth out there this is your piece. waiter another bottle
That’s a solid read, and is exactly what happens!
Consumerism is the 21st century atomic bomb.
among the many cancerous -isms that we conform to as a society.
I love your article very nice
I’m reading this while taking notes.
This article has unwittingly put forward a great argument for a live-fast-die-young/YOLO lifestyle. Should not have implied that consequences of poor financial choices during youth come later in life but rather immediately.
Great article Mark. ..very educative. .no more Average lifestyle. .
Very nice read…funny even!
Wow!!Its amazing that dis is the same cycle that even ugandans go thru &Africa at large . Thanks Mark,this article is worthy sharing.
Truelly
wish i could see life through your perspective.Very significant to all young people out there.
Amazing piece,your an inspiration!
Wow…Great great article for us in Kenya. We are getting you Mash from Kenyatta University – http://ku.ac.ke
spot on!
Nice! One of the very very very few Kenyan blog articles that has been worth the read.
I like this stuff
My oh my… one of the best reads I’ve come across this year…
Reblogged this on gichurudan3 and commented:
interesting read
I never comment or read through to the end… Until now…
…got me thinking….nyc!
this has really helped me thanks
One of the very few articles on Kenyan blogs worth reading!! I love the article…
(But I can’t fight the urge to correct u where u wrote “The middle class COMPRISES OF…”.
We say…. “Consists OF households….” or “comprises households”…….
It’s wrong to say “comprises of”.)
Looking forward to more articles 🙂 🙂
A tale of caution …..an honest masterpiece into what’s reality for many young Africans
A really GREAT PIECE!!!
clap*clap*clap** what you have here is really what happens in real life! nice piece of truth there,keep it up!
Lesson learnt
this it the truth that really hurts
iIalways thought everyone in kenya wanted to be seen “rich”…
Thanks to this post i hope my future after campus wont be this bad ..ill follow my dreams thank you
Delayed gratification is not something most people are willing to practice…they had rather live life right now..in the moment, hence the middle class situation we have right here.
I honestly think everyone should read this, middle class is no longer good enough.
http://pearlsprettyskin.blogspot.com
Im greatly touched by the plain facts highlighted.I feel like reading and rereading it again.Delayed gratification,cutting on expenses,planning for the future ,investing and saving.We gotta to be real.Leaving other pple’ s lives should cease and we need to stay focused on what we real want in life.Congratulations Mark!
I have personally wanted to write about this. Im really glad you did because theres no better way to put it. #Realist
Reblogged this on Kendi Untamed and commented:
Something worth thinking about. 🙂
Reblogged this on ahmedgreek.
well put Mark can’t get enough of this article. nice eye opener
Reblogged this on UmunyaRubanda and commented:
Being average – not for you! #GetPut
way to good, congrats. the method you used to pass the msg was incredible
So awesome…..the way of life already defined!! Good work
i am so challenged and encouraged by this. God bless you
This is a very enlightening article. A truth we need to be reminded of often
Am i a financial mess coz of loans,,,guys take this seriously
Wow
Reblogged this on vincentdailydose and commented:
A master piece …must read!!
You are…good. I love it.True story.
Such an inspiring revelation Mark!
This article encourages me the more. Thank you.
Awesome post….will definitely make people re-evaluate their lives.
How old are you again. Quite an impressive piece.
Nice piece! When I grow up, I want to be just like you Mark
I must say this is one piece have enjoyed reading. Well done.
wow….
First, where have i been, first “a noisy subaru” that had me laughing, i can give more than one points that i really just wanted to copy and paste.
This was an amazing post.
http://www.wanjiruwangethe.me.ke
damn am only 26 and am in this already…
Very good thoughts. However, there are more fundamental laws to success than the law of delayed gratification, which is purely money oriented. True success is lived today, lived now, and lived first! True succeed is about pursuing your purpose with definiteness. If you are pursuing this with service to others and no harm to anyone, it doesn’t matter what you spend doing it, you can even spend more than you actually possess because nature naturally over compensates.
More focus needs to be put on purpose rather than money. But we’re in a capitalist society where no one sees the sense in no cents. I suggest study the works of multidimentional success philosophers like Napoleon Hill, which emphasise on the battle against the biggest enemy known to man, HIS OWN FEARS. Be a little critical of the powerful works of modern day financial success gurus like Brian Tracy or Robert Kiyosaki. Saving is actually a fear-based habit. The only thing certain about life is death. So its pointless to think about what will happen when you die. It’s more important to actually start living the life you want now. If you do that right, you will naturally be planting a seed for your dependants to harvest when you are no longer there.
If you spend your life denying yourself happiness pleasure for a tomorrow which you are not sure will arrive, you miss the point of actually LIVING. The middle class have a point in living the way they do. The problem is that the vast majority don’t do it with definiteness of purpose and thus are not successful and are not actually living their lives’ potential.
I believe in a grey area in everything. The difference is perspective, determined by mental attitude and value system.
Dr. Michael Odero
Twitter @oderomichael
Email oderomichael@gmail.com
Aaaaaaaw that nothing but the truth am inspired
Great, that is very helpful to us the young men..
This is a great article that most friends will hate you for if you forward it to their inboxes. I thank God for opening my eyes early enough before plunging into this pit.
Good read. However,
I wouldn’t call it a nightmare though. If those are your problems, I wouldn’t feel sad for you, given that there are alot of Kenyans who live hand-to-mouth and would love even a chance to sit in a room and talk about car loans. To have parents who connect them to a job. Think about the large percentage of undergrads who don’t have those ‘connections’ and regardless of how good they were, will have to tarmac for years before finally giving up on getting a job (to start a ‘bizna’) and even if they do, they get a 30k salary for their troubles (almost a job). Am I supposed to feel for the middle-class then? That their self-built gutter involves living a debt-ridden psychologically-depleted life but materially comfortable life. I fail to find a shred of sympathy given theat there are alot of people on the other side of the tracks who would relish such chances and would lead their lives better, given that they have seen poverty fisrt hand. If what’s described above has been your life’s journey, I feel nothing for you. Sorry.
To take from Kanye, having money is not everything, not having it is
I loved the challenge to me as a young man
Like the article.
Awesome read!!
Congratulations….You just explained the American dream.
The Middle Class in Kenya is rather pseudopodic than real.We can thus nickname it MC ‘wonabi’
Perfect to young undecided guys like me
I really appreciate the article. It was speaking into my nerves…
That’s a very insightful breakdown of the possible outcome-reality of the Kenyan middle class (average living). The advice on ”delayed gratification; planning for the future, cutting on expenses, saving and investing….. ” is very helpful. Thanks Mark.
That was an awesome piece. Eye opening too.
A very insightful piece
its super duper bruh….i love it
Nice assessment. Though contributing to the growth of the economy, Kenyan middle class faces a hurdle of challenges
And another important thing to remember is always to look in the situation you are in and ask the following questions:
1. Why am I in this position?
2. Should I get out of this? Why? what’s motivating me?
3. How can I live and improve myself (and others) without acting as if the world (anyone) owes me anything?
4. What steps can I take to go from where I am to where I want to be?
5. How can I tenda wema, nenda zako more often and not advertise my generosity.
hey mark youre the kind of blogger this continent never had for the last decade. Nobody can pretend to ignore your uniqueness. ure addressing topics that not very many young people will want to hear about, thanks for those REALITY CHECKS this site has become a true inspiration keep up.
I like the law of delayed gratification, let us think of creating jobs rather than the already existing graph that majority falls in.
nice article, good stuff
You are spot on on this one. It is a nightmare to be a middle class in Kenya. The peer pressure and influence for more riches occasionally drive an appetite for accumulating more even going to the extreme to acquire what you really want
true story on what is happening to young people with no vision on their life
Great read though I disagree with some of this…too generalized.
Nice
Very educative information.
Great blog!!
This piece got me thinking seriously, for the first time in weeks, about my future. I completed my undergrad a few weeks ago and, just like you, I’m faced with the same dilemma.
This is awsme,it’s motivating.am loving this
Great information here. Hope every single person reads this and contemplates about life. Thanks
Wow I love the message
Went thru the crisis bt thank God i woke up in time to correct it
What an amazing article! My words cannot express the intellect and wisdom in which you pen your words. You are an amazing writer and as I shift from the middle-class mentality, I take your words with me. An average life, a life not pursuing your passions, is not worth living! Thank you for sharing.
hey..Mark this is really a great reasoning…am inspired
The kind of writing that changes lives for the better. Thank you!
Very insightful and eye opening.Every Kenyan youth should read this before its too late to make meaningful changes.Big up bro!
Deep. But no one forgets their dad infact that in itself creates deep seated wounds in these children’s lives.
well said Mark, well said..
Oooh i love your choice of words and the flow of the story. it got me thinking about these so enticing middle class boom. We have to plan very well for a better financially stable future.
Very inspiring worth reading
A good read. Totally relatable, i enjoyed every line in it and the fact the it mirrors what the reality of the Kenyan middle class. Nice piece.
eye opening
nice stuff people should follow their passion…
Wow. Good stuff man.
Love it!
My life in a nutshell
Very true, well said and articulated in perfection. Its a clear depiction of what is happening in the world today esp in Kenya.
Thank you Mark. Through your art of writing I get to know of what lies ahead of me.
Through your writing I’m able to learn the reality of life so that I don’t make mistakes when I get there.
Keep it up. ???
So true. A real eye opener.
Hello Mark. Is There Any Way I Could Contact You? I’d Like You To Write A Piece Or Two On A Particular Subject.. Please Get Back To Me,,
Thanks
Very real..thanks you,my kids don’t have to live with the shame at all..
I concur. Wealth is inter-generation. The likes of Bill gate & Oprah are rare and come up once in a while but the so called ‘old-money’ just understand the underlying rule- You need to pass the wealth to ur children.
I think he puts it best, Watch: https://www.facebook.com/BOSSTYPE.101/videos/1070651286288558/
Nice stuff… people should follow their dreams
Very eloquent in choice of words, flow of the story is beyond beautiful. Since the beginning of the story, the picture is well drawn and point driven home.
LOVE your writing. Amazing true story.
FOODIES: http://www.tastiedine.com
Enjoyed that… Kudos for being blunt…
Entrepreneurship is hard at the beginning but pays off at the end
Awesome piece
Men following the above script will land them in turmoil, am here to forge my own path, the decisions i make today will reflect who i will be tomorrow.Action results to reaction.Build business from life earned skills.Follow your skills not your dreams.
A nice piece indeed. Thankyou for the great words
I had to read this again
Very informative
Deep stuff. Quite Instructive.
What a piece!
Waoo, what an amazing article. Was almost sinking in that direction.
Hi.
This is an excellent read. Have you heard about centonomy?
Please contact me.
Awesome piece!!
This Is The Real Meaning Of Individualism- Living in the world as “alone you came, alone you shall return”!
A Great Challenge/ Food-For-Thought!
Wow. On this I agree.
Is this average living or is that simply a myriad of messed up priorities in one’s youth?
wow! such an awesome read
Great article. That’s why I decided to live in Limuru. Pay cheaper rent, access fresh food and still commute to Nairobi for business during off-peak hours and pay cheaper fare than most my friends in the surburbs of Nairobi.
The middle class bubble is so real
Couldn’t be said better!
Well said..It’s a shame that all we think of is fitting in…
Thank you for this.
My approach will now be different.
Oh so true! And the trend is catching on. A lot of money spent on flossets instead of assets. Let us get our priorities right.
Great read!
The attack on middle class is overrated. First of all, there are people many people who have grown in employment and became rich from employment. Second of all, while we are working to become “rich” should we all move to umoja or kariobangi until we become rich and move to Rwanda? Then we should sleep on the floor and not own anything as we save up every cent? Third,there are people in middle class who are happy, still working hard but happy, with successful children etc. Lastly, life cannot be simplified by how rich you are, some people actually value family friends travelling etc. So no need to attack people for hosting house warming and other social functions. I could go on but let me stop here.
Awesome piercing truth.
Very informative and excellent blog here! I am proud of my country Kenya!
nice one
Insightful piece.
Wow!!!
This article describes my life style… I am in 50s and nothing to show for it……….,
Awesome piece and cool stuff for the youth out there so damn piercing..
That’s a great piece of writing
Very true.
What a story.This makes sense from Jan to Dec.This is the truth;even if it hurts.Good day.
The article is so deep, i read it each time i am stuck in a rut then reflect about the future. Thanks Mark Maish for penning such an insightful piece
Its a very nice article, i enjoyed reading it
Its true life story applicable in our day to day life.
This is so true. Quite an eye opener
awesome
an eye opener
hehehe. the struggle is real, seen a few comments that i agree with as well.
Well written Mark Maina. And so true
Awesome piece
Can we relate this to class wars here Kenya? Seems like everyone wants to prove something to someone!
Good piece there
great post.
I’m always reading and re-reading this post.
Nice stuff
Well said hopefully we will learn from this because someone out thinks that’s the life we ought to live eventually you die poor and leave behind a bad reputation and never ending debts.
Inspiring read. Got me thinking hard about my future and career. Thanks Mr Maina