SALUTATION: An Obligation Or A Voluntary Gesture?

SALUTATION: AN OBLIGATION OR A VOLUNTARY GESTURE?


Brethren, we could see for ourselves that this congregation is really improving and as well increasing on a daily basis. if I’m to comment on this, I would loudly and boldly say that such development wasn’t by our might, rather that of the supremacy.

Two nights ago, I was busy watching a certain melodrama on the humble television situated in my sitting room. The drama was all about a housewife who deeply lacks honesty, and she nags a lot even in the public; in other words, she also lacks respect. As a psycho/social analyst, I would say that the woman in question was in a severe social bondage.

Let me quickly remind you of one existing fact. There’re three very important words in life, which are love, honesty and respect; without these in your life, you’ve nothing.

Love, according to the context of the above clause, is the state in which you behave in a kind and caring way towards someone else because his/her happiness matters a lot to you. Also, ‘honesty’ is the state in which one does not cheat or break the law, and can be trusted with valuable things. Furthermore, honesty is that act your conscience tells you is right; thus, it has to do with one’s conscience. On the other hand, ‘respect’, in a nutshell, is one’s good and genuine opinion of someone or others.

Lest I forget; it’s high time we commenced. Salutation in a concise term, based on the context of this edition, is simply a greeting to someone. Greeting, on its own part, is something friendly that you say or do on meeting someone. This edition is trying to enquire if, salutation/greeting is supposed to be a statutory obligation or a mere voluntary gesture.

In an Igbo setting for instance, salutation is widely recognized by all and sundry as a mark or symbol of respect one owes his/her elder. In other words, everyone who hails from Igbo land expects a salutation or something similar from his younger ones each time they meet. Such ideology/norm is not unconnected to the type witnessed among the people of the Yoruba nation. Even, in an average or typical Yoruba community, salutation is being taken/considered more seriously than that of the Igbo nation; because in most cases, the person dishing out the greeting is expected to bow, or better still prostrate. Thus, on the average, an Igbo/Yoruba community takes salutation as a statutory obligation. Let’s ride on!

In a formal setting; for instance a corporate organization, every staff is expected to present his greeting to his senior in the establishment, regardless of their ages. Therefore, in such environment or community, it is statutory for any staff to send his greeting (salutation) to his superior or senior colleague. In this case, most times the junior staff wouldn’t wait until he/she meets his/her superior, rather, courtesy invariably demands that he seeks for the face of the affected or concerned superior by taking a walk to his/her office in order to extend his greeting. This aspect testifies the severity of the obligation in a formal setting.

Then, considering the military or paramilitary setting, you will bear me witness that, greeting or salutation is strictly obligatory; in the sense that, each officer must tender his/her salutation to his senior officer. This gesture is meant to take place when the officers involved, i.e. the junior and the senior officers, are in their formal uniform. But on the contrary, it’s often observed even when any of the officers or both of them is/are in mufti; this also signifies the severe nature of the obligation.

In my own singular view, there are certain factors that mustn’t be taken for granted whenever the issue of salutation or greeting is raised. In as much as it is mostly and widely noted that salutation is not a voluntary obligation, we are still bound to acknowledge some vital facts that accompany salutation.

From my perspective, salutation is meant to be reciprocal. Both in the formal or informal (native) settings, salutation or greeting is expected to be reciprocated whenever it is being dished out by the younger or junior person/staff as the case might be. Thus, one could describe salutation as an exchange of pleasantry irrespective of the ‘setting’ in question. Even, sometimes the elder person or the senior colleague could extend his/her greeting first in order to attract the attention of the younger or junior one. We really need to comprehend this fact to the fullness so we could put an end to the ongoing inconsequential bickering or pandemonium in respect to salutation (greetings).

Above all, I wish to remind you that ‘salutation is not love’. This simply means that salutation doesn’t signifies that the person presenting the pleasantry truly loves you. Suffice to say that, salutation could be deceptive or a sign of deceit. So we must endeavour not to fall prey to any deceptive salutation/greeting. Believe me, it is better for one to stay without receiving any respect in the name of salutation than to receive the ones that are fake or misleading. Of course, someone who often receive fake salutation from his younger/junior ones could be referred to as one in a ‘Social bondage’. Please, beware of insincere salutation at all times because it maims, and kills too.

Based on the aforementioned facts, I think it would be better for us to regard salutation as a voluntary gesture, rather than seeing it as what ought to be done compulsorily. After all, what would it benefit us to receive a deceptive salutation, at the expense of our happiness or lives? Think about it!



FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com