The Oliver Twist syndrome

I remember a part of economics which talks about the fact that human wants are insatiable. This means our wants cannot be satisfied. They are unending.

I think it's just in our nature to always want more. It's something I've come to realise over time. No matter how much a person has, he/she still craves for more. Even those people that we can call 'successful' don't stay on a spot. They keep moving because they want more. I guess that's one of the reasons Aliko Dangote continues moving. He has to stay on top of his game as the richest man in Africa and continue working hard till he attains the position of the richest man in the world if possible. Maybe it's the Oliver Twist Syndrome that makes a married man go after girls that are not up to his wife's standard in any way. I also think the same thing goes for those in the entertainment industry. These celebrities sometimes go to any length get people's attention and remain in the spotlight. They want to gain more poularity.

It's a good thing to work hard and get better at whatever you do. And we should always aspire to be better than who we were the day before and never settle for less. One thing that can make it bad is taking it too far by getting so obsessed with getting everthing you want everytime. Also, never getting satisfied could make us bitter with ourselves. As much as we want more, we should appreciate what we have and try to take out some time to acknowledge God for taking us to the level we are now, rather than asking for more all the time.

Sometimes, all we need is a break

Sometimes we expect too much from ourselves and this causes us to be stretched. We go beyond our elastic limit and sometimes, we even get to the breaking point. It is at that point that we realise we’ve pushed ourselves too far.

If you’ve been around workaholics, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Some people work round the clock without having time for themselves and their families. We are so keen on making ends meet, getting so much done all at once and making money. While doing this, we sometimes neglect people and things that really matter.

“Good, better, best, I shall never rest…until my good is better and my better best”. I guess you’ve heard this before. I remember those times we used to sing this song on assembly ground in primary school. I also remember my principal in secondary school used to tell us “hard work doesn’t kill, it strengthens”. Yes, it does. Well…maybe hard work doesn’t kill, but stress can.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s bad to set targets for ourselves and work hard to achieve our goals. That is a very beautiful thing. I’m just saying that once in a while, we need to ease the tension and relax. Because in the end, we get to bear whatever happens (whether good or bad).

What happened to me some days ago is just an example of what I’m talking about. For like one-quarter of the day, I had headache. The bad part was even though my head was aching; I ignored it and continued what I was doing without even eating. I didn’t stop what I was doing until I got to my elastic limit and I knew I had to stop to rest a bit.

Taking this situation back to school, I remember it has happened at different times. The funny but true fact is that the courses I took so serious and got so worried about were the ones I ended up having poor marks in even though others had A’s.  

The bottom line is, in as much as we want to achieve some great things, we shouldn’t take things too hard on ourselves. We shouldn’t let our thirst for success cause us to lose our real selves. If we are not getting the results we want at the moment, we probably just need to take some time off, pray, reflect on these things and try to see the way forward.

I’m learning this and trying to always keep it at the back of my mind. I think you should too.

Would you?

This is me just thinking. Think about these too...especially you boys/guys/men...whatever


Would you still love her after you've gotten the keys to her heart?

Would you not take her for granted after she has agreed to spend the rest of her life with you?

Would you still look at her with so much admiration when she's wearing her shorts and t-shirt with no make-up on?

Would you still think she's cute when her flat tummy turns to a drum while carrying your baby?

Would you call her sexy even when she adds weight after delivery ?

Would she still be your baby when her innocent looks gradually disappear?

Would it remain "for better, for worse" when she's not able to conceive within the early years of marriage?

Would you stand by her side and still make her feel special if she ever suffers a deadly disease like cancer?

Would your shoulders be forever available in case of times she needs a shoulder to cry on?

Would you be willing to take up the role of a husband, brother and father simultaneously?

Would you be there to watch the stars with her when all she has left on her head is gray hair?

Would you still gladly take a walk with her even when your muscles have begun to lose their firmness and your bones, their strength?

Would she be able to look back after forty years and say "I love you and I'm so glad I met you" from the deepest part of her heart?

Would you be able to look straight into her eyes and say "I love you too"

Would you?

...I hope the questions are not many :)

Why are we so in love with the dead?

There's something that's been on my mind for sometime. Seeing "RIP Fada U-turn" on status updates, news and different blogs/sites since yesterday just brought the thought back.

I've come to realise that I appreciate a song more when it's already stale. And somehow, I was able to link this up with news about Fada U-turn's death. I'm going somewhere.

I've not actually lost someone really dear to me(like a very close relative or friend) but I hear of deaths everywhere. Seeing many posts and write-ups by people who seem to be affected by his death, wishing him a peaceful rest and claiming he'll be missed, I can't help but wonder where these people have been all along. If I'm not wrong, this is someone we haven't heard much from for years and nobody really talked about him.

Though I remeber that his very old song "Yetunde Yetunde o , Yetunde mi da?...", it's not like I'm a fan of Fada U-turn in any way because saying that will be far from the truth. It's just that this reminds me that we sometimes pay more attention when we hear about the death of someone.

This is not about Fada U-turn alone but also about the death of anyone around we've
heard of. I think about those posts, comments and pictures that come up on facebook especially on the official students' union page whenever a UIte dies. Though they go on for only a short while after the death, it could be overwhelming. The same thing goes for others, though it's more pronounced when celebrities are involved.

Many people have been made popular through their deaths. In fact, I think we celebrate and talk more about deaths than births. We tend to talk so much about people, remember the good times and say sweet things about them after they are gone. The painful thing is that we sometimes never get to say these lovely things to them while they are still very much around. Maybe that explains why I sometimes prefer old songs to new ones. Maybe it's just in our nature to value something/someone more when we have lost them or when they are no longer what/who we had or knew.

It will be so  nice if we actually shower all that care on them, say all these sweet things and make them feel special as much as we can when they are useful...when those people can actually feel them. So, even when they are gone, we can be sure they are happy with us wherever they are. We can be sure saying/doing those things when they are gone will not make us hypocrites. God help us all.

Maybe it will be better if we are not only in love with the dead but also the living...just maybe.

once upon a time

Little things used to matter
But now, no one seems to bother

A good name was better than silver and gold
It seems to be the other way round now, truth be told


People used to think twice before doing things
Now, we've thrown caution to the winds

True love used to exist
Now, a shadow of it is what we see

There was something called due process and fair judgement with nothing much to flaunt
But now, you're permitted to use what you have to get what you want

Songs had meaningful lyrics
Now, we hear senseless songs with great beats

Virginity used to be a sign of dignity
But now, they say it's lack of opportunity

A trium-owner was a semi-god and object of envy
Now, a primary school pupil boasts of owning a blackberry

Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity they said
But now, the craze for money is the order of the day

Once upon a time, things were different
But all that now seem to be ancient

Change is indeed constant!

Funny Nigeria

 

 

 

One thing that will continue to amuse me is the way Nigerians always make a comedy out of everything (good or bad), especially bad. The sense of humour is something you can’t but notice and I’m in love with that.

 

 

 

When I think of how Nigerians have handled things like elections, different presidents and governors, removal of oil subsidy, oga at the top, boko haram and ASUU strike in the past, smiles form on my lips. When I remember/hear songs that have been composed by Nigerians and see pictures like the ones here which are products of ‘inspiration’ from situations in the country, I can’t help but laugh.

 

 

  

 

Though I hate the fact that things are not going the way they should, I think I like the way Nigerians are not taking it too hard on themselves. Sounds funny, but it’s true.

Even though most of these issues are things that need serious attention and are not funny at all, we still find a way of looking at the bright side by finding ways to console ourselves. I’ve come to realise there’s a bit of comedy in an average Nigerian.

 

 

 

I hope someday, everybody will be able to have a good laugh in this country. And we will no longer say “e go better” because by then, it would have been better. Remember it begins with the man in the mirror…you and I.

God bless Nigerians…God bless Nigeria                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          

A place like this

Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if there were no words like side effects and consequences.

Imagine a world where you can do anything and get away with it.

Imagine being in a place where you can eat as much chocolate as you can without worrying about your diet.

Do you ever wonder what the world will be like if diabetes, cancer, heart and kidney problems don't exist?

I think of a place where you can say and do what you want without being judged.

What if there's nothing like pain, sorrow and failure?

I think of a place here where you can get whatever you want without paying a dime because there are no price tags.

Can someone show me a place where money means nothing?

A place where we're all equal and nobody is victimised

Where is that place where bad people don't live to see the good ones die?

Is there a place where everyone thinks of others and not themselves alone?

Imagine a place where we don't have to struggle for anything...

A place with nothing like poverty, unemployment, child molestation, religious crisis, wars, disasters and disease..

I think of a place where I can go to school and learn new things without cramming all the notes my lecturer gives ...

Where I read not only to have a 7point or even manage to get 1 point, but also to understand properly and find it useful when necessary.

I wish something called ASUU strike doesn't exist

Where is that place where love is all that matters?

Where is that place where life is really simpler than ABC

.....just thinking.....

Life, they say is not a bed of roses...true

All the same, let me know when you find a place like this ....i think it will be heaven on earth
 

Wrong judgment

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Does that sound familiar? I’m sure it does. Often times, we tend to judge people based on their looks or how they’ve treated us.  But I’ve come to realise that our judgement sometimes turn out to be wrong. 

You can’t really know who someone is or judge them from afar. You shouldn’t assume someone is a good person because he/she smiles at you and says sweet things. And you shouldn’t assume another person is a bad person because he/she hasn’t spoken to you. 

You will be amazed by the level of pretence some people can exhibit. They appear to be so nice to everyone but really, they care less about whatever happens to you and when no one is watching, they are something else. I will like to call them devil in angel’s clothing. For someone who has had a wrong perception about this person and has put all their trust in him/her, it’s going to be a great disappointment when you see his/her true colour. Same thing goes for someone you’ve had a bad impression about and later found out that the person is not as bad as you think. You shouldn’t be surprised that someone may be nice to you just because he/she knows what he/she can get from you. And once they’ve used you to get what they want, they walk away.

There are some people around us that really act in a bad way and we just conclude that they are no good. But I don’t think there is someone that’s totally good or totally bad. The ‘bad’ person surely has his/her good side if only we try to look beyond what we currently see about them. And who knows, they might just be going through something and they just need someone like you around. And if they aren’t, maybe being a bit kind to them can soften them.

Getting a bit closer to someone, you’ll get to see things you couldn’t see before. I’m not saying someone can’t be who you think they are. All I’m saying is don’t judge without thinking twice. Don’t trust someone too easily and don’t write anyone off when you really don’t know them.

I'M FINE

I’m fine-highly misused sentence/expression, you may say.

What do you expect me to say when you ask “how are you?”

I say I’m fine probably because that’s what you expect me to say and because that’s the normal thing to say.

I say I’m fine when I’m really fine and happy

I say I’m fine when it seems like the world is smiling at me

I say I’m fine even when things are not going the way I want them to

I say I’m fine when I’m totally stressed

I say I’m fine when my head aches

I say I’m fine when worry and fear creep in

I say I’m fine when I wish I could turn back the hands of time

I say I’m fine when I’m totally broke

I say I’m fine when life throws stones at me

I say I’m fine when I’m almost giving up on my dreams

I say I’m fine even when it seems my whole world is about to crash before my very own eyes

…because I know these things are temporary and God can never give up on me. Tough situations may not last but tough people do.

You want to know how I’m doing?...I’M FINE J

Fighting!