Remember those gestures that little girls and boys used to make that always got you so riled up, it felt like they cursed at your mom or your self-essence? Yes! In this article, we’ll be reminding you of 5! This should bring back memories. Let’s get into it!
1. Elaar:
I hope you remember this one where the kids slightly stick out their tongues, beat their mouths to make a weirdly annoying sound, and turned to spank their backside as if to say you are ass and how it used to hurt so much that it felt like you were not worth much? Back then, we never stopped to think:
“Why does this hurt so much”
or
“Why am I feeling like dung just because someone hurt their mouth, made a few noises, and beat their backside.”
What is so triggering about that set of actions? Or that one where they pulled their lower eyelid down with their fingers and stuck out their tongues. Why? Why were we so triggered back then?
2. Your father/mother:
Let us not forget this one where your opponent would say:
“Your father”
or
“Your mother!”
We got so triggered without them attaching any curse or insult to that phrase. It was arguably the most triggering that set off even the people with the highest sense of self-control. It was the go-to insult for anybody that was trying to leave you on your rampage. It could break the pillar holding up the high road almost anybody was trying to take when having a heated exchange of words.
Many still get triggered by this even after they have grown so much. I will not lie that I am not one of the ‘many’. It always felt like there was so much unspoken insult behind that simple harmless phrase. It is so funny that we find a deeper meaning to gestures we shouldn’t just so we can justify our own anger. Like, why do we not just let meaningless strings of words be just what they are; meaningless strings of words.
3. Eyeing:
This was that one gesture that was effective and triggering mainly when the doer of the gesture was younger than who it was being addressed to. It involved a repetition of a near blinking motion. The speed of the repetition was usually varied while it was accompanied by a long or short hiss. This gesture is considered disrespectful in this part of the world. Like really? Is it not just a bunch of eye movements and a silly sound? What makes it so triggering?
4. Ntoor:
Can this list ever be complete without the legendary ntoor? Oh! This one was very good. That gesture where they pulled their lower eyelids down with their fingers and stuck out their tongues and at the same time make a ntoor sound. Till today, I’ve not still gotten why we were so triggered back then? It was most effective on a victim that was already broken or beaten. Even a kid that had just stopped crying would burst into tears all over again when this gesture was made towards him/her.
It was that good at provoking kids. It is said to be the most versatile of these gestures as it could be used to fulfil many intentions. It was used to make a friend or foe jealous, make someone else angry, escalate a situation in which the kid wouldn’t have needed to cry and declare victory during an altercation. It was just that versatile.
5. Waka:
Showing someone an opened Palm and shouting the word “Waka” used to trigger the person back then. It was more effective when “shege” and “damboroba” were said just after the Waka. Now to think back at it, was it worth batting an eye over? I presently don’t think so but that’s why they’re called memories right? To remind us of the silliest and bravest moments in our lives.
Being a grown-up and seeing little kids get so angry because of many of these gestures just make me think back at my childhood. “Why?” This is the question I keep asking myself.
Why did I let nothing trigger me so much?
Why did I give mere gestures enough meaning to make them trigger me?
Was it just the mind of a child thinking childish thoughts and getting angry out of nowhere?
I laugh so hard when a kid comes to report a ntoor or a hissing offence. I’m like, “please don’t mind him” every time even though I know I used to mind when I was their age. You might know more so make sure to let us know in the comment section.
Leave a Comment