Rumbidzai Tawanda Business CorrespondentOn Christmas, I woke up to dozens of Christmas wishes from friends and family all over the world. The one I liked the most was from my friend Matilda in South Africa which read, “Merry Christmas and the happiest New Year ever. Please don’t drink and fight, don’t drink and drive. Be safe and enjoy your holiday.”
I thought the message was very apt because people are prone to indiscipline during the festive season. The holiday excitement usually leads to indiscipline in drinking, eating and spending.
While the famous adage goes that the love of money is the root of all evil, I believe that indiscipline is the root of all evil. Going beyond one’s limits with the bottle often leads to inconceivable consequences. It exposes one to untold dangers.
More often than not, binge drinking leads to annoying drunken brawls, which at times even result in deaths. I vividly remember the Christmas of 2011 when a young man from my neighbourhood, fuelled by one too many drinks, stabbed to death a colleague.
Needless to say that two lives were lost that fateful Christmas. Two families were affected in an unfathomable manner that day. Indeed the whole community. One family last its son to death and the other to jail. The cause of the disaster: indiscipline.
A lot of erratic behaviour has been attributed to indiscipline in drinking. The Zimbabwe Republic Police has attributed the majority of road accidents to human error, defective vehicles and driving under the influence of alcohol.
While there is nothing wrong with letting one’s hair down once in a while, one has to be careful not to go overboard. Too much of anything has never been good for anyone, let alone too much of alcohol.
It only leads to recklessness and puts one in danger. People should not drink and drive, or let someone else drink and drive. It is dangerous. Statistically, it has been proven that most people who perish in road accidents are aged between 25 and 60, age groups which who constitute the bulk of the country’s labour force.
How then will our country develop if we keep losing the critical workforce?
Besides being a catalyst for road accidents, too much alcohol also leave one susceptible to questionable sexual behaviour.
In this era of HIV and AIDS, that is a thought. Hence temperance when drinking is encouraged for everyone’s safety.
Alcohol is not the only vice that threatens people’s well-being during the holidays. Indiscipline with food poses health challenges.
Naturally, the holidays are a time for sharing with those we love, yet we should be mindful to handle and prepare food safely.
As we prepare holiday meals, we should remember to keep ourselves and our families safe from food-related illness. Hands and surfaces should be cleaned often so at to minimise dirt. Binge eating also poses its fair share of challenges. Indiscipline with food when one is sedentary is utterly unhealthy.
With balance and moderation, one can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. It is recommended to find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to one’s favourite music. Children and teenagers should also be encouraged to be active throughout the holidays so that they burn off unwanted calories.
Last but not least, discipline should also be exercised in spending. Long after the holidays have gone, money commitments remain. School fees and rentals still need to be paid.
Holidays need not turn pockets topsy turvy. Hence commitments and spending must be kept in check.
Until next time, have a safe and healthy holiday. Remember Let’s Go Zero because Zero Harm is Possible.
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