SHORTCHANGED!

You deserve very little credit for being what you are and remember, the people who come to you irritated, bigoted, unreasoning, deserve very little discredit for being who they are. Feel sorry for the poor devils. Pity them. Sympathize with them. Say to yourself: 'there, but for the grace of God, go I'. -Dale Carnegie

If you've lived more than a day on earth, you would probably agree with my roommate, Felix when he says, "the world is not a beautiful place". Maybe you've seen some beauty, maybe you had some respite or maybe not. But how do you view the world?

Here, on the unattended flyover of hall 3, with the obligated wind rushing against my fine chest, the view is almost tranquil. The sun is fighting his way up already. I can see a guy vigorously brushing his teeth that an unsolicited concerned has gripped me. Another colourful dressed fella is so carefully feeling the comfy texture of his afro hairstyle as he ceaselessly runs his comb through. And if you could look, you'd also see that everyone is so busy with starting the day. They seem 'OK'...or not.

No doubt, we've all received our own personal share of life's blows. To rephrase one of the laws from George Orwell's Animal Farm, "All blows are equal, but some are more equal than others". 

Sometime ago, I read of  a toddler who was abandoned at the foot of the home for special people with a letter that read "...he's such a sweet little boy BUT, he's an imbecile. Please, help us..." The only thing that child did wrong was to be born.

In the densely packed streets of our metropolitan cities are increasingly growing number of beggars, most of whom are children. Sadly enough, when they were born, the only craft they were taught was BEGGING! My friend, NDU Daniel Success captured it better in the last two stanzas of his empathic poem,

"Where did I go wrong?
I have groomed a lying tongue

Or maybe
Just maybe
It's cos my mother
Turned me to a beggar"

*smh*

Last week, in a hostel that's not too from here, three girls were raped in their rooms. I wonder what detached comments we will submit this time, since they were not scantily dressed but jejely studying or 'jacking' as it's known here. They dare not say it out...we can't know them...for then, the stigma shall be worse that the act itself. A part if their person has been ripped. Silence and their hate for men is the only 'how' they now know. We don't care, not when she ain't our sis or bae.

Matthew(not real name) is a final year student in his early 20s. He's a straight A student.. He didn't play with sand. He didn't learn how to ride bicycle or motorcycle. He never played football or boju boju. He didn't have playmates. His peers called him soft. He is the only child and was always locked inside for protection. His cousins were his only friends. His parents so love him that they unknowingly stole the most crucial part of his growth - his CHILDHOOD! He'll be graduating this year, BUT he can't start or substain a simple conversation. He can't relate with the opposite sex. He's afraid of the future. He' trying so hard to get back his childhood. Everyone thinks he's annoying, so, anger towards the world is his resolve.

Damilara is the kind of girl whose beauty made a lasting impression. Yeah....she is damn fine. BUT she attended a public school where those that spoke simple English where termed 'forming'. So pidgin and a haggard grammar was all she was left with. She was shocked by the reality of University, everyone or almost everyone spoke the Queen's english. She has now turned to a quiet soul. Her esteem is battered. She no longer feels beautiful. Reclusion is now her only defence. She is still trying to recover.

In their song, T. Tribett, J. Moss and K. Franklin sang, "It could have been me". None might relate to you. Yours might be better or worse.  Anytime you want to wear that cloak of judgement, remember that it could have been you. It's still our duty to help our brothers and sisters. There's a story behind every act. Do you care to know? The late Stephen R. Covey put it this way, "seek first to understand and then be understood". 

What if you knew that the guy with HIV didn't not forget to use condom, but was born with it! 

What if you knew that your pregnant course mate was raped!

What if you knew that the reason he's carrying over so much courses is because his papers were missing!

What if he's not selfish, but just broke

What if...

To everyone who has been shortchanged in one way or the other, I pray you healing. Yes, we can all heal. None of our heart wounds has got diabetes...some are just deeper than others. LET GO and LET GOD heal thee. I hope you know that you are not alone! Reach out to someone, Don't let that scar go to waste!

IS THERE ANY LEFT?

"It's funny how sometimes, the people you'd take a bullet for are the ones behind the trigger." - Unknown

After what seemed like an endless buzz at the forestry arboretum, individual and cliques quickly devised methods to ease tension. I saw firsthand how discomfort could magically bud the display of talents. One group resolved to singing, a good number subscribed to taking sporadic selfies. Others were gossiping and chatting. Some, as usual went AWOL!

Now, there was this group of girls that totally monopolised my attention. They were playing the childhood game, who thief my needle?

Let me try and explain it to those who managed to skip this game on their journey from childhood.

It went like this:

(Everybody chorused),

Who thief my needle,
Danger!
My father's needle,
Danger!

I put am for table

Danger

They come and steal it

Danger!

Oji bole,
Danger!
Highway rubber,
Danger!
Kele
suke lele(3*)
Danger!

There are two groups in this game. At every sound of danger, one person from each side fell backwards with reckless abandon believing that the team mates would catch her and spring her back up. And they did! Mhen, it was fun!

It is this simple display of trust that always fascinated me about the game.

The principle of the game is simple; Trust people and be trustworthy!

Now, Imagine for a moment what harmony there will be if we apply the principle of this simple game to our lives!

Betrayal is treacherous!

Julius Caesar knew such treachery. Among the conspirators who assassinated the Roman leader on March 15, 44BC was Marcus Junius Brutus. Caesar not only trusted Brutus, he had favoured him as a son. According to Roman historians, Caesar first resisted the onslaught of the assassins. But when he saw Brutus among them with his dagger drawn, Caesar ceased to struggle and, pulling the top part of his robe over his face, asked the famous question, "You too, Brutus?" 

Greed, jealousy and unholy ambition have caused families and friends to become unnecessary enemies. Nations and organizations have failed because they underestimated trust.

Now in our country, you can't trust leaders with votes; market women with prices; spouses with vows; lecturers with grades; students with exams, the list goes on and on.

Do we stop trusting? No! Life would be boring without it. Only be careful who you trust and be trustworthy! The finest way to cure our world of mistrust is to give trust.

...because I believe that with you and me, there is still enough trust left in our world.

pulished in THE BEAUTIFUL FEET MAGAZINE, 2016 edition.

TO REMAIN OR TO BE?

As I write this in an over populated classroom in one Nigeria's most prestigious university, I can see hundreds of faces laden with diverse expression. Many hearts asking, "how long must we continue?"
To those uncertain faces and troubled hearts, I write...

Until a few months ago, I used to mix up these two words, worrying and thinking. How many times have you seen people so enmeshed in thought  and eyes like they've just witnessed Armageddon. And you said to yourself, "Mhen that guy can think!" If w x-ray their hearts, we would say "oh my! That guy can worry sha".

Now, anybody that can at least still afford oxygen can worry. It is easy and almost require 'no sweat'. Worry talks like this, "kai, wetin person go come do nah!" "Hmm, maybe Nah so e suppose be sha". See, all of those touchy statements do not solve any problem!

My friend, Sweet Mokogwu said about worry, "it is to exaggerate what's on ones head  more towards the negative". Bottom line, Worrying is unproductive!

Now, thinking is different! It's creative, tasking, solution oriented. This simple definition by English caught my attention, "To communicate to oneself in one's mind, to try to find a solution to a problem. Success Daniel NDU defined thinking this way, "it is a process  of creation by means of engaging the mind". There's the difference!

Here's a funny statement I often heard while growing up, "The witch flew passed the house last night, the child died this morning. What killed the child?

Now, for years, it was believed that the witch killed the child.

Until the white men came!

Their own children died mysteriously too! But they didn't give credit to the witch. They researched and thought and discovered that it was malaria. So, they brought mosquito nets and insecticides, and the children stopped dying. I still Wonder what happened to the witch!

Laziness to think happened to us, not witchcraft!

This our perpetual paralysis in thinking has quickly led to a decorated bank of ignorance. Ignorance is worst than a legion of demons. What you don't know will hurt you! But, how will you know if you don't think and search? In almost every nook and cranny of Nigeria, everybody seem to know our problems. Yet, nobody is thinking out the working solutions. Problems grow so fat because we won't task our minds.

The truth - We can either blame our enemies or banish ignorance. You choose!

You've worried about those problems for so long, have they changed? Henceforth, deliberately set out to think out solutions.

So to those uncertain faces and troubled hearts... We shall continue like this until we think ourselves out!

I LOOK TO YOU

I've failed myself
The exact number of times I've tried
I've managed not to throw in the towel
'Cos of the eternal examples you've laid
I do hope you don't regard now
To break the instructive edge
Like brass, existence could be lethal
But joy can be suckled from the breast of living
In a lasting way you've taught
That I will win if I don't quit.
Frustrate the odds,
Stay on the excellence streak.
For by your light
A constellation shall be built
Even now as ever,
I look to you.

When I first heard Whitney Houston's I LOOK TO YOU, I knew I was gonna render a cover for it. Well, let's just say I never got to hit that note the way she did. However, I still got to do something with the title.

I used to be a thick  fan of I-don't-give-damn club. I thought everybody should mind their business. Well, like I would later learn; people were watching me! I'm not talking about the guys I was so pressured to please. No! I'm talking about those whom my/our life is a light to. Those who feed from your struggles and triumph. Those whose entire existence will be anointed by  your counsel.

Never be too selfish to think that your life is about you. Whatever manner you choose to lead your life will affect alot of people. Posterity is watching and learning from you. Lives are tied to you!

So, the next time you think, say or do, remember, a soul somewhere looks to you!

#happySUNDAY!