Ukuvimbela: Indoda i-Smart, Owesifazane Onobuchule

Lapho ngisesekolishi, ngangifuna ukuba ngumlobi wezokudla obhalisiwe. Ukudla okunempilo kanye nemikhuba yokuzivocavoca kubalulekile ekuvikeleni izifo eziningi kubo bobabili abesifazane nabesilisa, futhi bengicabanga ukuthi ukuba ngudli lwezincwadi zokudla ngeke kuhlomule mina kanye neziguli zami kuphela, kodwa futhi ikakhulukazi nomndeni wami nabangane. Ngeshwa, angiphathekile kahle ezibalweni noma kwisayensi, ngakho-ke lowo msebenzi awuzange ungisebenzele, kodwa ngisaqhubeka nokusebenzisa ulwazi engilutholile ezifundweni ezahlukahlukene zezempilo nezondlamzimba kanye ne-internship ukuzama ukusiza umndeni wami nabangane ukuba babe okunempilo.

Ngigxila kakhulu ekusizeni amadoda empilweni yami ukuba abe nempilo engcono: ubaba wami, umfowethu, nengoduso yami. Ngani? Ngoba abesilisa banesikhathi esiphansi sokuphila isikhathi eside kunabesifazane - ngokwesilinganiso, amadoda afa engaphansi kweminyaka emihlanu kwabesifazane.¹  Ngoba abantu besilisa kungenzeka ukuthi bafe ngenxa yezimbangela eziphezulu ezi-10 zokufa, iningi lazo ezingavikeleka, kubandakanya isifo sikashukela, isifo senhliziyo, nezifo zesibindi noma zezinso.² Futhi ngoba abantu besilisa bavame ukugwema ukubona odokotela babo, futhi ukubona udokotela kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekuvimbeleni.³ Amadoda nawo mancane kakhulu amathuba okufaka elangeni lapho ephuma ngaphandle. Kulungile, ngenze eyokugcina, kodwa kuyiqiniso kumadoda empilweni yami okungenani!

Elinye lamaqembu engiwathandayo yiGrateful Dead, futhi bebevame ukumboza ingoma ethi “Man Smart, Woman Smarter.” Yize ngingavumi ngokuphelele futhi ngingaqhakambisi ubulili obuhlukile kunanoma iyiphi indlela, kufanele ngivume ukuthi isayensi isikisela ukuthi abesifazane “bahlakaniphile” ekuvikeleni kunabesilisa. Lokhu kuyinto enhle empilweni yabesifazane jikelele, kepha futhi kusho ukuthi singasiza abesilisa ezimpilweni zethu ukuthi babe ngcono futhi bahlakaniphe ekuvikeleni.

Futhi uJuni isikhathi esihle sokuqala: yinyanga Yempilo Yabesilisa, egxile ekukhuliseni ukuqwashiswa kwezinkinga zezempilo ezingavikeleki futhi ikhuthaza ukutholwa kokuqala nokwelashwa kwezifo kubantu besilisa nabafana.

Ngizama ukukhumbuza ubaba wami, umfowethu nengoduso yami ngezindlela ezilula zokuhlala uphilile ngaphandle kokubheja. Lokhu kunzima kunokuzwakala, kepha kubaluleke kakhulu! Ngizama ukubasiza ukuthi bakhethe ukudla okunempilo (ubaba wami ungibiza ngokuthi yi-snack track yakhe), ngibaphoqe ukuthi bavivinye nami noma ngabe kuyinto yokugcina abafuna ukuyenza, noma ngibakhumbuze ukuthi bafake isikrini selanga noma nini lapho bephuma ngaphandle (ikakhulukazi lapho bangivakashela lapha eColorado, ngoba sivela eNew York futhi ilanga leColorado liyi-STRONG).

Ngiphinde ngizame ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi babona udokotela nodokotela wamazinyo njalo ukuze bahlale belandelwa futhi babambe noma yiziphi izindaba ezincane ngaphambi kokuba baphenduke izinkinga ezinkulu. Bangangithola ngicasula kakhulu, ikakhulukazi uma ngikwindlela yokuqagela umthamo ongasho lutho, kodwa bayazi ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi ngibakhathalela ngempela futhi ngifuna ukuba bahlale bephilile. Kungenzeka bangangilaleli ngaso sonke isikhathi, kodwa ngizoqhubeka ngizama noma kunjalo, ikakhulukazi phakathi neNyanga Yezempilo Yabesilisa. Kulenyanga, sonke masenze umzamo wokukhuthaza amadoda ezimpilweni zethu ukuthi aqale ukuthuthukisa imikhuba enempilo engaholela ezimpilweni ezinempilo. Ngisho nezinto ezincane zingasiza ekwenzeni umehluko futhi ziguqule lezo zibalo!

Imithombo

1. Ukushicilelwa kweHarvard Health, Isikole Sezempilo SaseHarvard: Kungani amadoda evame ukufa ngaphambi kwabesifazane - 2016: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-men-often-die-earlier-than-women-201602199137
2. Inethiwekhi Yabesilisa Yezempilo: Izimbangela eziphezulu Zokufa Ngobuhlanga, Ubulili, Nobuzwe - 2016: https://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/causesofdeath.pdf
3. Cleveland Clinic Newsroom: Cleveland Clinic Survey: Abesilisa bazokwenza cishe noma yini ukugwema ukuya kudokotela - 2019: https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/09/04/cleveland-clinic-survey-men-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-going-to-the-doctor/