Have you ever had that feeling that you are in a place where you do not belong, or that you are in someone else’s body? Do you know the nagging feeling that everything you do does not add up, that something is following you? When you sleep do you feel a shadow cover you? When a word is out of your mouth you can see all eyes are on you. Everywhere you go you are questioned: “Where are you from?” Do you have to justify your right to be, and work harder than any other person just because of the color of your skin?

We humans are messed up – not by chance but by nature. How do we bring comfort and satisfaction to both parties – reparations for injuries, expressions of remorse, desire for amends? We frequently do not bring up what ails us because so many wounds look absurd. Small or big, direct or indirect, intentional or by mistake, they are all strange in the light of day.

When is a debt really considered paid? When do you begin to start walking and raise your head up straight? When do we start to practice what we preach? They say charity begins at home and if the walls do not open, the lizard will not have the chance to enter. Every wall that protects us has cracks and we try every day to block them, but they never close. What type of mask do you wear?

We all have work to do, and this must start from the grassroots. The time to blame is over. The time to sit and wait for elders to do something about it is over. Now is for action. Now is our moment to do our best in every corner of every street. Let us all put our pride aside and ask for forgiveness as many times as we can. Let us clear our conscience and cleanse our minds, our land.  No one is free of this. We are all guilty, so we cannot save face anymore. We are at the finish line. The time for atonement is now.