“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” – Margaret Thatcher
When I was a 12-year-old, my father started building an addition to our house. He wanted to build an extra apartment to earn extra income. He was motivated to complete this project because the poultry farm business was slow and could not generate enough income to sustain the family. He hired local contractors because he did not want to spend a lot of money. My father would usually buy cement blocks and materials as needed. He would ask my brothers to haul the cement blocks from several miles to our home. He then paid the contractors for their work.
One weekend, my father asked my brothers to haul cement blocks from several miles away. He rented a four-wheeler, usually referred to as “4-tires” in Ghana. This is not your typical four-wheel car. This was a four-wheeler cart designed to haul things from place to place. It was constructed of sturdy steel with a swivel handle for easy steering. These wheelers had regular car tires that allows them to move freely. Basically, it is a bigger version of the carts you find in Walmart.
My brothers decided to invite a few friends along for this project. My younger brother and I decided to tag along with them. We figured it would be a good time to hang out with our older brothers. There were about nine people working on this project. Before our first load, my dad warned us to be extra careful and not take too many risks. Our first and second trips were successful. I remembered that it was harder coming back with a loaded four-wheeler than going uphill. We had to use more energy to get the loaded wheeler home.
A couple of guys came up with this idea on our third trip. They thought it would be cool to put the four-wheeler on the top of a slope, push it down and then have people jump on. They wanted to see how fast the four-wheeler moved and how well they could control the four-wheeler with people on. The idea sounded cool but I was nervous. The guys decided to try it. My younger brother and I were asked to watch the roads. I was relieved when they came up with the idea to watch the roads as I was afraid to ride along with them. Deep in my mind, I felt something bad was going to happen.
They pushed the four-wheeler to the top of the hill. We watched the roads for cars. When there were no cars coming, we signaled them to start. They pushed the four-wheeler quickly and jumped on it. The four-wheeler went really fast. In a split second, the front wheel bumped into a pothole sending the four- wheeler and everyone into the air. The wheeler landed on the pavement and somersaulted into a nearby bush. Some of the kids landed on the pavement. Others landed in an open pothole. Many got blisters and scratches all over their bodies. I got really scared and started shivering. I couldn’t believe that they really did it.
At a young age, it got me thinking about the power of group influence on our behavior. This entire idea was really bad. Somehow, we all went along with it without thinking. It was a long ride back home after that incident. My brothers tried to convince us to lie to my father that it was an accident.
We have all been in those unique situations, where our friends or siblings are making bad decisions. We just go along with it without questioning it. We don’t allow ourselves to step aside to rethink these decisions and how they can impact our lives. We do so carelessly and the cost is huge.
On that day, we learned the hard way. We should not follow other blindly, especially when they are making risky decisions. Always give yourself some time to think through your decisions before you make them.