Dance With My Father Again

I never really got it, the pain of losing a parent but I do now and truly death stings. 😩My dearest King Daddy has gone to be with the Angels. It all still feels like a dream to me, and I often find myself wishing I could literarily turn back the hands of time and sit with him for a full day, maybe even get at least one dance in with him. 💔

I really do not know what to do, how to feel, how to move forward from this pain and the crushing heartbreak et al but I am definitely taking things one hour at a time and praying fervently that God grants me strength to get through this. Not one day at a time but an hour per time because, clearly, now I understand when they say grief comes and goes in waves.

I feel God had somewhat prepared me for this period ahead of time because the events and experiences I have had since the beginning of the year and me retracing my steps back to God are what has held me up since my King Daddy passed. There are no words to describe the numbing pains and feeling of helplessness but just knowing that God is my ultimate source holds me up and keeps me going through it all.

                                                   

We laid him to rest on the 8th of November and it was beautiful. He would have loved it and been very proud of us. God, I miss him so bad it hurts. we all miss him. Truly, only God can comfort the grieving because nothing anyone says to me penetrates enough to soothe me or helps me makes sense of this tragedy that's befallen me. (This is not to undermine your unwavering support o) Yes, he lived well and impacted lives but the huge tragedy here for me is not being able to reach him whenever I want to anymore, ever again o. Ah! To be able to rewind time just a wee bit....... 😞😭😫

                                           

💔

Adulting And It's Chokehold

Hi people, goodness me I cannot believe it's been this long since I wrote or even posted. I do apologize for the gaps, but you see, adulting has had me in a tight chokehold. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for me to get everything done, and there's definitely enough time for me to rest like I would and even when I do try to get a lie down and rest, my mind and brain then decide to do fun activities and everything but rest. 

To be honest, half the adults I've spoken with in the past two weeks sounded like we all needed adultier adults to step in, however briefly, and give us some quality time-off or something because whatttttttttttttttttttttt, we are unable to can anymore. Point us to the direction of these adultier adults please. :)

And to think we were all so keen to grow up and do adult things. rolling my eyes at us all Nothing fully prepared us for the responsibilities that adulthood comes with. These things were not shown or discussed enough around us while we grew up and longed for adulthood. 

As a matter of fact, methinks there needs to be a module/course every undergraduate MUST take that sheds some light on expectations and challenges one might encounter as an adult in the real world. It would cover issues such as jobs or a lack thereof, feeding habits, traffic, travel, friendships (fake and real), envy, relationships, marriages (successful and failed ones), finances (this one ehnnnnn), love, rest, joys, religions, office politics, back-stabbing friends and devious family members, intuitions and gut-feelings, parenting, etc. The full works because dare I say, there are more than enough real-life case studies on all these and several likely outcomes as well.

Gosh, the joy I feel right now just typing this post out. I have indeed missed writing and wish I could have enough time and mental energy to write more but as you can see, adulting has me hooked by my non-existent hairy balls. 😄

Am I right or am I right? How's adulting treating you at the moment? 💖

Give A Little Love

 

Yup. We own this month, us February born people and some of you people as well, lol. 😁It's the month of love. As a matter of fact, the entire year should be a year of love. Now, you may have been hurt, betrayed, jilted, dumped and so on by the seemingly love of your life and probably sworn off love but I'm here to tell and encourage you to give love a chance. Love is what makes the world a beautiful and wholesome place to live in. Let go of your pain and hurt and let love lead your way to greatness.

 

I know firsthand how desolate things might be when you have been betrayed by the very person who was meant to protect you and love you and I also know how beautifully you can blossom if you pull through and get past the hurt. Don't let nothing or nobody weigh you down. Never be afraid to start afresh and to love and be loved.

I know the month is almost over yes, I have been writing this post since the beginning of the month but I got caught up in other stuff. My apologies 😶 but that doesn't mean we won't celebrate love and life. Let us make the most of the daily moments we have.

Cheers. 💖

I STILL Better Pass My Neighbour!???

Dear Readers,

Would you believe that I wrote the post below since 2014? How time flies indeed. Alas, little or NOTHING has changed since I wrote this post. People are even more self-absorbed and have become more ridiculous in their manners and attitudes. The worst part is that the betrayal that comes with this selfishness usually comes from the closest friends and families rather than strangers even. 

Truth be told, I feel a lot of these craziness is driven by the unnatural desire to get rich quickly by any means possible thus showing that you are indeed better than everyone else. To what end, you wonder? I have not the foggiest clue, but I know that such mindsets are destructive and unsustainable. 

Some of you might have heard the news of the 22-year-old nanny that stole the baby of her employer and ran away a few days ago. That news proper stressed me out, but I just kept praying the poor wee baby would be found safe and in good time. Imagine learning the nanny was apprehended a few days ago, questioned and confessed to selling the baby off to a buyer for N800,000!! A whole child that the mother carried for ten months and laboured over being sold off like a piece of furniture because some people's twisted minds thought it would be a good scheme to get rich. Gosh. 

Thankfully, as of today, the baby has been found while the search is still on for the buyer and possibly the cartel behind this madness. We all need to do better as human beings and make this world a better and more comfortable place for everyone. 

Please enjoy the oldie but goodie piece below and do have a beautiful week ahead. 

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Seriously guys, who coined the slogan I-better-pass-my-neighbour? I would like to meet the person and pick their brains for a while. For those readers from outside Nigeria, the small petrol power generating set is what is referred to by some Nigerians as I-better-pass-my-neighbour. The generator is quite small and makes little noise and can only power bulbs and fans and a few small machines.

It is fairly affordable and thus accessible to the lower- and middle-class citizens. Some people own at least one of these smaller generators and an average sized one that can power equipment such as the freezer, refrigerator, washing machine and air conditioners. By now I'm sure foreigners are wondering if they are reading right. Yes dears, you are. We, the wonderful citizens of Nigeria, have to provide our own power supply individually. Those who cannot afford these generators, have to do without power until the power companies find it in their dear hearts to provide such. Sigh.

Anyway, this post is not about them today. Rather it is about the selfish nature of some Nigerians who think they have "arrived" by owning an I-better-pass-my-neighbour or anything such might connote. I find the name and mentality very distasteful and a tad too cocky. What makes you think you are better than those who cannot afford an item? If you go around with such a mentality, then it simply means you won't help the less privileged when they are in need because you are better than them.
RME.

We must love and help our neighbours as often as we can without getting weary of reaching out. That one is privileged today doesn't mean one should act out, especially when no one knows tomorrow.

I rest my case.

Bad Systems and Anyhowness

Sigh. We are not even a full month into the new year and already, a huge devastating disaster has struck in Nigeria and largely due to human error/carelessness and surely anyhowness. There were reports of a massive explosion in Ibadan last night and the first visuals from houses a distance from the actual scene showed a preview of how damaging the actual site would have been. 

It took over an hour before sketches of rumors started trickling out as to the cause of the blast. While some said it was a gas plant explosion, others said it was bombs that went off. Of course, it took several hours before official rescue and aid could come to the scenes of the blast. The Governor swung into action and asked that free medicals and accommodations be provided for the affected people. It was still a hot mess as people appeared confused and in the dark as to what had actually happened to bring such destruction to the city of Ibadan.

As of this morning, there have been more somewhat accurate reports of the cause of the blast stemming from a stash of dynamites stored inside a house in a residential area!!! You would think and wonder how on earth this is possible with the level of health and safety surrounding owning, storing and using dynamites in civilized countries right but this is Nigeria, a country with no functional system nor adequate repercussions for perpetrators. Anything goes here and it breaks my heart every single time the innocent ones have to pay for this. I saw some really horrific images of dead and dying people caught up in the blast and I really do not have the right words to express how I feel about this avoidable incidence.

I really do not know whose blood must be spilled before we act right and put appropriate measures in place in this country. We have learnt to be mentally immune to these abnormalities around us and we mask our pains with comedy, food and music, a fickle coping mechanism that only lets the issues fester and rot.

My condolences and prayers goes out to the victims and families of those affected by this explosion.

Autocorrupt And Vegetarian Mosquitoes

You know how you type one thing on your mobile phone and autocorrect frequently changes it to some complete hogwash instead, that is how the term autocorrupt came to being (that's my story....😶). The world nowadays seems to be turning upside down and nothing is as should be anymore. Basic things like good manners and common sense are now a rare thing, while abnormal things are now seen as normal and vice-versa. 

I noticed some mosquitoes flying around the other day and my mum noted how observant I was about them but she said it was ok for them to fly around since they weren't biting anyone. I thought to myself "ahnahn mummy, what in the vegetarian mosquitoes is going on here please?" 

So I made it my mission to kill at least one of the mosquitoes for research purpose and truly, it had sucked no blood. 😲 I was thoroughly perplexed. 😳 I guess my body got the "No gree for anybody/predator" memo this year and refused to be violated by any buggeroo 'quito. 😂

Anyway, I just want you to know that even when all others around you are neck-deep in corrupt shenanigans under the guise of "hustling", you do not have to join them. Be you, be true to yourself and do what is right even when no one is watching.

Cheers. 

A New And Different Year

Happy new year everyone. If you are reading this, I truly rejoice with you for making it this far on earth because the past few years have felt like there's an irrational person ticking names off a living people's list at every slight whim. Life felt like some weird survival game but hey, we made it through.

This new year, I aim to take a different approach towards life, living and people relations. Life isn't getting easier, people aren't learning to be better as they should and for empaths like me, it is very daunting and stressful so this year, we are switching things up.

The image above sums up my rule/new year resolution for 2024. I shall not gree for anybody. If you are nice and kind to me, I shall reciprocate 1000 times over. If you are mean and nasty to me, I will hit you with all I have and then borrow to add to it, 10000 times over. I am simply done with indulging rubbish from anyone. I am going to fight for the life that I want and deserve. 😊

Be a little bit "unreasonable' this year. Do not let people walk all over you, do not let them steal your joy, guard your heart and peace very jealously. Foolish people rarely change their silly ways, so do not let that foolishness drag you down. Set yourself free from the shackles of frenemies, unfriendly friends and enemies alike. You will feel better and grow stronger if you adhere to all of these. It is only the second day of the year and I have been putting this to test since about a week ago and boy, is it working. I feel way better with the newly set boundaries that protects me mentally and physically from bullshit.

Do not be afraid to try new things in this new year. Try new towns/countries, new food, new love, new approach, new music, etc. Give life a try and come back to share your joys and wins with me here. I am counting on you.  Cheers.

 "If crying does not solve your problem, try joy" - Apostle Suleiman

Knock Knock

It’s been a looooooooong minute, hasn’t it? You wouldn’t believe all that I’ve had going on in the past few months. My life reads like fiction sometimes and I’ve learnt to lean into it, knowing that come what may, I will ALWAYS TRIUMPH. 💪🏼😁

I have missed writing and I’ve missed you all. How’s life treating y’all?

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

So I found the write up below on FB the other night and it touched me deeply because I've always known the song but never the story behind it. I went on YouTube to find the original song and thoroughly enjoyed it.

At 3 a.m. one night in 1988, Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole called a local studio and said he needed to record something right then and there. He pleaded with the engineer: "Please, can I come in? I have an idea."

Then, in a single take, Kamakawiwo'ole recorded the iconic version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that would soon touch countless people across the globe. The recording, featuring just Kamakawiwo'ole's voice and ukulele, seemed to captivate everyone who heard it in a way that was utterly unforgettable.

Even after Kamakawiwo'ole died in 1997 at just 38 years old, his haunting music and his short yet inspiring life have continued to have a profound effect on people the world over.

Long and short lesson on this post is to remind you to make hay while the sun shines or like my Naija people say, "As e dey hot, do am sharp sharp". 

Eleven Years On…… #Aluu4

I recall the horror washing over me when I watched the #Aluu4 video eleven years ago.

I recall the helplessness on their faces as they were dragged and beaten and mocked and tortured by a mob.

I recall the hope in their eyes that perhaps, just perhaps, a miracle would occur and ONE person would step in and save them.

I recall the painfully outstretched hands pleading for mercy and begging for their lives to be spared.

I recall the rage, venom and madness that overtook the murderous crowd as they pummeled these young men to death.

I recall imagining what their parents would go through, knowing “fellow Nigerians” murdered their children in cold blood.

I recall crying and cursing at the injustice behind the savage act.

I recall my shock and disbelief at the fact that in that crowd were human beings as well, yet they acted as beasts.

I recall wondering how we got to such a low point in humanity and how such hatred and evil has came to reside in our hearts.

I recall seeing faces of women and youths and men, people with families as well yet they stood by and did nothing.

I recall my utter disbelief and shock at the fact that even the police who were on the scene did NOTHING TO SAVE THOSE FOUR YOUNG MEN.

I recall wondering why they did not shoot into the air to disperse the crowd, why they did not call for backup and if they did why it never arrived before the tragic end.

I recall wondering how ALL those who partook in the lynching as direct murderers and as onlookers slept that night.

I recall pondering on how they could live with themselves afterwards.

I recall the lingering horror that remained with me for months despite the fact that I did not 

watch it to the gruesome end, I couldn’t.

I recall thinking eagerly that surely, with video evidence there would be justice for the families of these innocent ones.

I recall putting my effort into a mini campaign of awareness about the evil in lynching suspects and even convicted criminals.

I recall that it took years for convictions to be made but that’s never going to bring them boys back. So I will keep remembering and posting these articles with high hopes that someday soon, jungle justice would be a thing of the past. 

I fear for what we, Nigerians and human beings as a whole, have/are becoming.

I vow to do my best to enlighten as many as possible on the ills lurking in the hearts of people.

I vow to do my part for humanity and get justice for helpless victims in any way I can.

I vow to raise my children right and teach them about good and evil and consequences.

I vow not to sugarcoat the truth to those I reach out to and to ensure they know that abnormal things cannot and should not be taken for normal.

I vow to do my bit for humanity and for our beloved country Nigeria.

What would you do?

REST IN PEACE Lloyd, Chidi, Tekena and Ugonna.