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Are you aware that your deceit, selfishness, thoughtlessness, embezzlement, nepotism and unpatriotic tendencies that you carry around with you - without any consideration of the people whom you hurt along the way - are hurting your country? Your one-track mindset of succeeding is more important to you than anything else because Ghana�s progress is not part of your agenda. However, no real successful person wants to live in a country that doesn�t match with his own success. In other words, how good is your success when everything and everyone around you is suffering and stagnant? We will all fall down or rise together. Therefore, if you want to enjoy your success, you better do something about the condition of your country, town, neighborhood and community .The plastic bags which are choking up the landfills are your responsibility too. The poor academic record of our kids, in our towns and villages is our responsibility. The water shortages in the town are our own making because we run our SUV�s on the pipelines with impunity. All our rivers are being polluted by indigenous and foreign mining companies, but it seems no one is saying a damn thing. Look at Ghana�s success. Do you really like what you see? Very impressive, huh? Yes, Ghana has discovered oil but, sorry to rain in on your hopes and aspirations. I apologize to my more sensitive readers as this is rougher language than I normally use in my rants. Are you offended? Sorry! But seriously, grow up! Sure, some overly sensitive folks, perhaps those with a bit of guilty conscience, may attack my comments with vengefulness. Some of you will point out how you made it on your own and that you don�t care what anyone says or thinks of how you made your money. Good for you! No one is trying to exploit your success. Human nature being what it is, some may argue that each one for himself. Therefore you can grab as much as you can while the country is anemic. Good for you again! I hope you have a nice sleep when you go to bed. Some of you may even argue that it is not anyone�s business how you made your money and live your life. As long as you and your family are doing ok, there�s no cause for an alarm. Seriously? Okay, then good for you one more time! Do what you want to do to amass as many houses and cars and roll the dice with your nation�s future. If that�s your stance on social responsibility, then good for you. Let�s see how that works out for you and your family a decade from now, when the country goes down the tube and everyone around you is bleeding. When your family can�t sleep at night because of armed robbers you would see your role in Ghana�s lack of progress. When Ghanaian children can�t read or write you�ll know your role in the society and how you help to perpetuate the national decline. Whilst Ghanaian workforce can�t compete on an international arena you can go ahead and brag about your success when you keep duping your country. As a road contractor aren�t you proud that our roads are a death trap? Aren�t you tired of too many funerals on Saturdays? When things start to fall apart uncontrollably and rapidly a decade from now maybe, just maybe, you will pay attention to what I have been writing about all these years. You would also realize that I�m not having some sort of psychological episode. Yes, I know some of you have had your blood pressure soar about my writing and my stance on national issues. But, before any of you blow a gasket, you have to understand one point in this piece: Hello, you can�t and won�t enjoy your �success� and all your worldly toys unless you help Ghana to walk the same pace with you. You get it? Good! Oh yes, I know some of you will attack me for using a simplistic approach to tackle such complex problems in Ghana. You will say our problems are not black and white; therefore I have no idea about the �gray area� of life in Ghana. No kidding! Are you serious? Thanks for pointing that out to me. How would I know that? I have never had financial problems or any life challenges. Yeah, I went to Ivy League schools, so I have never attended run-down schools with no desks or reading books. I have never attended school under a mango tree. I have never seen hardships. I have never lived in a poor neighborhood or in a house without any electricity or running water. I have lived a completely sheltered life in a cave somewhere in Afghanistan, blessed with positive life trimmings and all the good stuff. So I have no clue. I have less real life experiences that real people face and honestly had no idea that life is hard and not fair. Folks, I know life is full of potholes and we tend to look out for the number one�our individual interests. It�s just that I think we all have roles to play if we want to enjoy our so-called success in peace and harmony. We have become too comfortable, enjoying our ill-gotten gains with no regard to how the country fares. Everyone is trying to get whatever they can get their hands on without any obligation or remorse. Things are so bad and out of joint that I want people to begin to think more in terms of the general welfare of the nation as opposed to individual success. We need to recognize that we�re either going to rise together or perish together as a nation. It�s easier to live in your own on little world and pretend that what goes on outside is not your concern. From the piled-up garbage in our midst, potholes, the tendency to pocket the revenue from the toll booth, for your own personal need, and other petty vices that you�re conveniently over looking. You�re eating into Ghana�s development and progress. Unfortunately, we�re too busy striving for bigger homes, more elaborate lifestyles and other life trimmings beyond our reach. But, we have to pause for a moment and ask ourselves: What �success� really means or what is important? So the next time you�re screwing Ghana, think about the long -term effect of your actions and what is important. Just use a condom to protect her. Don�t be selfish and use your head because our future is intertwined with Ghana�s future!