The Feeling

It’s a feeling
That cannot be read by the eye
That troubles the mind
With beautiful mystery
It’s the trigger to sudden sweat attacks
The impulse behind inexplicable shyness
It’s the feeling we wish would go away
Because we love it so much

It’s a strange feeling
The unwanted comfort
After we swore we’d never tread that path
It’s coming is unwelcome
It’s departure is dreaded
With the strangest of thoughts
And the deepest of conflicts
It’s the feeling nought can decipher
From which none can deliver

It’s the best feeling
The union of two lives
Or more- then it’s a tragedy
In its purest of forms, it’s heaven on earth
In its worst of shades, it’s the heathen’s dream
Be it lofty or vile,
It’s the best feeling
When love is returned

It’s the worst feeling
When the bubble ruptures
Sour lives right next to sweet
All that’s between is a wall
That is hastily knocked down
When affection is spurned
It’s the feeling you want to take away
As you exorcise the demon you loved

It is THE feeling
The one that matters most
The beginning of remarkability
And the end of aeons
It’s the reason for battles
And the justification for murder
It’s the rationale for a truce
When bloodthirst is yet appeased
It is the feeling
The start, the drive, the end

The End

Ope OWOTUMI
27/09/2012

 

The Tomorrow That’ll Never Come

When I was in JJS1, I had a class teacher named Mr. Ochida. He would go on and on about how we could be leaders and Presidents tomorrow. He said it so much it became a mantra. On one such occasion, my friend Abdulrashid Danyaro said to me, “Ope, if we’ll be leaders tomorrow tomorrow, let us go home and sleep na so that tomorrow will come quick”

That was classic!

It appears though, that the future never comes in Nigeria. The opportunities of five years ago’s tomorrow are still in the future there’s a lot of furore over the place of the youth in development and nation building but it’s a huge farce. Respect and opportunity in Nigeria are strictly earned not by endeavour but by the consuming and hapless passage of time. An empty skull covered in gray hairs is more authoritative than a first class intellect of a young lad

And then we never get the chances we deserve. The so-called elderly never get up from the dinning table so we sit around on the sidelines hoping for when our chance for a go at the left-overs would come What’s worse, when our chance does come, we do the exact same thing- we never want to let go. The office-holder never wants to hand over; the appointee never wants to end his assignment; even the sportsman never wants to retire

This is not a pity post. It’s my own response to realising that as Nigeria that as Nigeria privatises power generation and distribution, IBB is one of those who’ll be calling the shots. I’m confident though that our time will come. But with such great expectation comes the even greater responsibility of knowing when to let go and pave the way for others. And even as we canvass for our shot, I know we haven’t learnt the tolerance that gives others theirs

Until that much-cherished day comes, we’ll strive in the sun, play in the mud and dream lofty dreams. Surely, our shot will come

PS: do check my gallery page (from the home page) and view the pictures of the previous day that I found funny, fascinating or interesting

Ope OWOTUMI
26/09/2012

 

Learning Love

What does Amigo Supermarket and Umaru Musa Expressway have in common? I’ll get to that

Recently, a friend of mine told me about his new girlfriend. I sensed he was crazy about her and seeing her pictures, I could tell why. Then some days later, he told me she’d been an orphan for over a decade and had had to drop out of university to do some work with her hands. After a while, I urged him to encourage her to return to school cos in the final analysis, he couldn’t take a non degree-holder home to his parents. His response was “we never reach there na”. I countered by saying it didn’t matter- even if they split, her renewed educational goals would be his eternal gift to her

That has been my attitude to life. And it will never change. I begin and cultivate relationships (of any flavour) with the intent and undying commitment to leave a mark. To never be forgotten. And the fact that sometimes the only mark I leave is a scar does not deter me

But then I realise that it’s usually our first impulse to be selfish. After all, who better to look after our interests than us, huh? So when we go into people’s lives, we go in searching for benefit and reward rather than offering service and impact

Interestingly too, people receive us into their lives with that same attitude. How many times have you refused a person’s friendship cos you don’t see what impact they could possibly have in your life- forgetting that impact is a two-way street? This is where my Amigo analogy comes in

Amigo has two doors- one for inflow and the other for outflow of human traffic. When you’re going in, there are vendors and staff who would sweet-talk you and make sure you don’t turn on your heels and leave before entering. A doorman graciously opens the door for you and holds it ajar for as long as it takes you to shuffle in. When you’re headed out, nobody sweet-talks you. And no matter how many bags you’re carrying on your way out, the door leading out has no doorman

Umaru Musa Yar’adua Expressway is the major route out of Abuja town towards Gwagwalada Area Council. On the lane that leads away from the town, there’s no checkpoint. On the other lane a few meters away that leads into town, there is a military checkpoint. The implication I read is this- it doesn’t matter what you’re taking out of town- even if it were a nuclear weapon. What matters to the government of the FCT is what you bring into Abuja- which is arguably the most valuable city in Nigeria (at least, in significance)

So I ask myself, how often do I do this? How often do I open the doors for people and act chivalrously towards them only because of the potential of benefit of some kind? How often am I unconcerned about the dangers they carry into other people’s lives simply because they don’t bring such dangers into mine? Many times

I think we need a change in perception. A change in attitude. A better appreciation of our roles on the earth. As Abraham Lincoln once said, we are friends, not enemies- though passion may strain, let it not break the ties that bind us. It is my undying belief that our principal goal on earth is to preserve our environment and our fellows in it. Everything else is secondary and nothing (not even religion or politic) should take the place of that

In any case, our claims to religious piety and law abiding citizenship both fall apart in the absence of spite-free and wholesome inter-personal relationships. In the words of scripture, ” Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom 13:10)

Let’s learn a little love today. And let it’s natural impact flow from our lives into all and sundry in our sectarian world at this perilously divided time

#oneLove

Happy Birthday, Kenneth “bass” Ogueji

Ope OWOTUMI
25/09/2012

 

Turn By Turn

Two Saturdays ago, I attended a wedding.

I have very little regard for guys who change several girlfriends within a short period. First because it is indicative of a selfish and deceptive character who would chop and clean mouth then move on to the next one. Secondly because it wears me out. I really never know how to wish the guy well with every subsequent new catch- or whether to wish him well at all. In their defence though, a broken engagement is always better than a broken marriage and there’s no law against walking around the entire Shoprite until you find that particular item that best suits your need

Still, long-lasting relationships are a thrill for me

When back in 2009, a former room mate of mine and fresh graduate of Unibuja paid us a visit and and spreading out his arms to the side announced “your brother is hooked up now o”, I jumped down from the top bunk I was perched on, hugged him and whooped out loud. Then imagine my delight when I got a bulk SMS last month saying he was getting married

The wedding itself was a delightful journey back in time- i saw a lot of faces all etched in my memory some with their corresponding names and others without. The three of us to whom the groom had declared back in 09 were there again- all graduates, with love (or a semblance of it) in our lives, still friends

At the conclusion of festivities, I made my way away from the venue in the company of my cousins and my good friend, Ken. Curiously, this is where my story starts 🙂

Somewhere around Wuse market, we encountered some very rough and uncourteous driving from other road users. Such rascally driving is to be expected in a gridlock consisting majorly of commercial vehicle operators in relics and jalopies that have withstood various scratches and scrapes inflicted by reckless after reckless user who doesn’t mind further mishap

But this particular guy stood out. He recklessly and suddenly cut into our lane from his and wouldn’t even budge upon realising how dangerously close he had come to hitting us. When he was fully placed in front of us, I noticed a slogan boldly sprawled across his rear windscreen- TURN BY TURN

It was a tragically humourous paradox – this impatient man was driving around telling the world to exercise patience. Then I realised- he’s just like me! He’s just like everyone of us . The temptation to say one thing and do another is so strong, compelling and convenient – particularly when there’s the possibility of getting away with it unseen or justified

How many times have we hated on politicians who embezzle government funds and yet gone ahead and altered documents and reports at work ourselves? How many times have we condemned tribalism and sentimentalism because it denied our relatives plum jobs only to make political choices based on the exact same base sentiments? How many times have we called our selves Christians but shied away from putting up any form of religious DPs and PMs – until Sunday, of course?

It’s human nature. But we need not labour under it’s weight

And then patience. Indeed, it is a virtue. But that’s all it is. It’s not a talent or genetic trait. It’s not an aristocratic legacy reserved for a few. It’s not even a divinely imparted attitude- although it could be. It is a virtue. It can be learnt and cultivated. Last week, I saw a tweet that challenged me. It said- all impatience is pride. And I think it’s true. Every time u get weary of waiting for or on someone, it’s because you think (or at least, a part of you thinks) it’s beneath you to wait. After all, you’d wait just a wee bit longer if Obama, the Queen of England or some huge sum of money were on the other end of the wait

So I hope we all learn some patience. God knows, I’m learning. And as I sit here and punch at this keypad, I wish my newlywed friend would also learn these twin lessons- to never draw a distinction between his words and deeds and to always give in to patience in dealing with his lovely wife. After all, he conquers all who first conquers his will

Happy Married life, Mr & Mrs Kakogbe

Ope OWOTUMI
24/09/2012

 

What is so great about being a Nigerian?

What is great about being Nigerian?
You sleep in fear
And eat in tears
The truth is never told
The young detest the old
For they bequeathed us a legacy of foolishness
A tomorrow of despondency
Yet they require our gratitude
For life- at the very least

What is great about being Nigerian?
We are the exception to every proper rule
We are the anomaly in normalcy
The stark paradox of affluent poverty
We’re told stories of glandour
And sick tales of splendour
We look on in disbelief-
Whenever did we not know grief?

What is great about being Nigerian?
When without training we are sent off to battle
Our enemies unseen, our cores rattled
The heads serve their pockets
Dream-talk of Space Rockets
When a simple meal is hard
And we’ve never crafted a video card

What is so great about being a Nigerian?
You might as well be anything
Or nothing.
What is so great about being an Englishman?
If you live in Peckham with an ebony shell
What is so great about being Russian?
When your power goes off in the depth of winter
What is so great about being Chinese?
With the greatest inventions and littlest discretions
What is so great about being American?
The truth is red or blue- usually neither
Indeed, What is so great about being human?
But it’s a journey we must make,
A test we must pass

I’ll love her till I die
Though she’s being a huge lie
I’ll love her when it chokes
Even though she’s been a joke
I’ll serve her till it hurts
Though she’s a fickle flirt
It’s a journey I must make
She’s a test I must pass,
Nigeria

Ope OWOTUMI

23-09-2012

Happy Birthday, Grateful Itiowe