What Belongs To Another

Lifestyle2 Comments
image: Pexels.com

I had just returned to my seat from a tea break at a formal event I attended recently. This fellow attendee had taken the seat next to the one beside me. COVID-19 prevention measures had prompted the organisers of the event to urge participants to leave a free seat beside them to ensure adequate spacing. The stranger said hello and I returned the greeting. As I settled in, he announced that he had watched me as I made my into the hall and thought I was pretty. I smiled and muttered a thank you. But the conversation did not end there.

Thou Shall Sieve

Lifestyle4 Comments
Image: Pexels.com

Sometimes, I think we (living in these times) are the luckiest bunch of people since the history of mankind began. At other times, I am not so sure and long for the simpler times when the internet did not exist. Times when there weren’t so many opinions flying around cyberspace; when things were subtler and saner. It’s a ruckus these days; a big, fat whirlwind featuring compulsive showoffs, faux intellectuals, cantankerous characters, and relentless rabble-rousers jostling for prominence on and offline. And as exciting as it is, it gets overwhelming all too often.

Fresh flowers springing forth in autumn

The Beauty Of Growth

Inspiration10 Comments

The other day, my cousin and I were discussing music and he asked me a question that comes up quite often among Nigerian music lovers. One that centred around two of the biggest artistes in the country and whose music I preferred. I gave my answer. Told him I was more inclined towards the one who had transcended the desire to make hits for the fans and now did music he loved and had grown into. It didn’t matter that he once appealed to the masses too. He had now evolved and his fans would have to come to terms with this evolution.

A Grave Site

How The Dead Can Earn Respect

Lifestyle2 Comments

We need to demystify death. That trepidation and awe we feel when we think about the concept of death is not doing us plenty of good. In particular, the idea that once a person dies, they assume a god-like status that forbids the living from criticising them is ludicrous. It makes little sense because memories are what they are and cannot be twisted or erased on account of a person’s demise. The controversy around this issue often comes to the fore when a prominent person—usually a politician or government official—dies. As soon as the news filters to the public, opinions on how well they lived while on this side are divided.

Female in boxing gloves and punching bag

What’s Your Vein Of Gold?

Inspiration2 Comments

I stumbled upon an interesting concept while reading an article on Medium. The writer, while giving tips for professional writers, advised that they try to identify their natural habitat when it comes to writing. She gave an example of A list Hollywood stars who have distinguished themselves by playing roles that only they could have given the best expression to. For instance, there’s a reason Steve Martin would excel far more in a comedy role than he would playing a superhero. In the same way, Wesley Snipes’ inimitable interpretation when he dons the hat of a villain is testament to his suitability for the character.

The World Won’t Leave You Alone

LifestyleLeave a comment

Time was when I assumed a lifestyle of staying in one’s lane and doing one’s thing in their little corner of the world would exempt them from the lens of critics and haters. When anyone was enmeshed in controversy, I believed they must have courted it. I mean, mind your business, do the right things and be a good person, and conflict would steer clear of you, right?

Wrong.

Double Wrong.

The Better Way To Tell

Lifestyle2 Comments

“I’m the best in this field, no one does it better.”

“I may not have any hits or even put out any music, but I know I’m better than Davido and Wiz Kid put together.”

And the most common of them?

“I have made six figures every week since I started this business. If you’re interested in being like me, comment ‘Yes’ below.

More often than not, people who make these sort of pronouncements are noisemakers and nothing more. 

Sometimes, Just Stop And Listen

Lifestyle2 Comments

 

 

We live in a time where everyone wants to be heard. Everybody is an expert at something and oftentimes, it’s the reason we have a cacophony of voices jostling to be heard. There are “Masterclasses” advertised on every other social media profile. The belief that the more knowledgeable one is, the greater respect they command may be true, but the flip side is a horde of humans who overestimate their grasp of a subject matter. People who think they and are convinced that because they have done something over time, they are masters at it. While this can be true, it is not necessarily always the case. You could have been doing something wrong for the ten years you have been an “expert” at it.