WHAT I WANTED…

What I wanted tonight was love songs but all I'm getting are Rap rhymes, old school High-life and too much talk on Radio.

So I am going to just pretend it's daytime and try to enjoy the High-life...they used to make me fall asleep those good old days when I was much younger and in primary school.

I remember how I would come back from classes for the day and get home in the heat of the sun. A heat so scorching sometimes it almost feels like my skin would melt off. I would walk leisurely even though I didn’t feel right in my skin. While I walked, I would fantasize about a lot of things. My visions would gain full reign and slowly, even the sun and its effect would be inconspicuous in the moment.

My feet would dig into the grasses as I walk. I reveled in their parting as they gave way to the weight of my stride. While that felt cool beneath, at times it would no longer be enough for me to just walk on it with my shoes; at which point I would peel them off and give in to the temptation to walk bare footed...OH! It felt good to bask in the caresses of the shrubs on the soles of my feet.

Occasionally it would awaken me to sing and make beautiful music. Other times i would be lost in reverie just thinking of the wonders of nature and contemplating in my heart lots of stuffs that only a young girl can dream up.

Sometimes if I was still close to the school fields, the flying grasshoppers and the sound of their snapping wings as they take to flight does manage to catch my attention enough for me to center my thought on other beauties, rather than the pictures that my mind was readily creating.

When I was done walking the distance away from the school fields I would start relishing the scenery of the streets that lead all the way down to my home.

Under the sun, the streets usually took on a new life. On occasion it would be calm and quiet and at other times the sheer loudness of the cars and the people defined the new piece of the art carving on my mind.

It was not unsightly to see little black buttocks getting along down the street in awkward steps; and another right behind. Little boys scuttling around in the sun, laughing with glee in friendly chase had a way of causing my face to light up in smiles.

Yes, it was a good sight to see...all of that!

And when I got back sometimes, I would meet no one at home (which today seems funny to me since I have five siblings). My father's stereo will be blaring at a high pitch, doling out ballads of this sort that I hear tonight. Beautiful sonorous voices that reached out to my young heart. Drawing me into mental imageries, that is almost indescribable with words.

I remember the long wooden bench that stretched in length on the corridor of my home. They were two of them. And they were in the original colours of their natural state; Untempered by the spraying of garnish paints. I would put them together and stretch my little lithe body on them and allow myself to be drawn into the sweet clouds of my own making, listening to the tunes that gently patted my mind's head.

Often they were high-life songs from Nigerian descents; other times it would be soulful rhythms of people from other far away African countries singing away and enticing you to come away too, to their distant lands. How I loved it.

Radio had such power at those times and those times were very often. They knew when to talk and when to keep silent. The songs had meanings and every anchor had the voice and diction that kept you yearning for more. I used to look forward to the cool of those times. And tonight I am reminded of those memories once again. What it used to feel like.

Perhaps I shouldn't consider it...perhaps, the changes in times are so far apart but I can’t help but wonder: Has Radio changed for you? ...HAS IT EVEN CHANGED?

So here I am, still wondering.

Quietly, the blues have crept into the background without my notice. And now it is beginning to suit another part of me. It is sweet how the voice types merge. The sheer wonders of music, tempting me to close my eyes, enjoy and doze off. Maybe this is what I need. Come with me if you can...

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A ROOM???

…THE POWER OF PRESENCE
 Have you ever been in a room where someone walks in, and suddenly everybody turns to see who it is? 

Sometimes it’s the sweet whiff of their perfume heralding their appearance combined with the striking combination of their attire. Other times it’s the voice of this person that captivates. Or perhaps It’s a sum total of all of these.

When you look, you get fascinated by the sheer confidence of this individual: They seem in control. The very air around them seems to do obeisance to the aura of this individual. Most times the added suaveness of their vocal intensity makes everyone in the room want to look to see who is speaking and even when you do, they seem oblivious of others around except for what they are saying and who they are talking to, making everyone go green with envy. And yet there are times when you are aware that they are well informed about the effect they have on others, but they are so masterful in keeping you enthralled by the charisma they exude.

This is what I call the power of presence!

The power of presence is undeniable. It is what sets you apart from the crowd. It gives your message an added edge and leaves a strong imprint of your personality long after you are gone. It is a commodity that few have access to. Yet it is an act that can be learnt; even developed.

I am sure there were times when your very own voice or appearance has captured the silence and interested looks of others.  There would have been times too when you felt for certain that no matter what you said or did, you commanded the attention in your vicinity. If you quietly assessed those moments, you will see elements of the same influence that these individuals exuded.

Have you asked yourself what it was?

Be that Person!...picture courtesy:Destiny Obiakoeze

Don’t you think you can have that effect as often as you want if you cared enough to invest in paying attention to those moments?

There is something good about this ability. And that is, that you get others to listen to you, give you attention and ultimately; you get more done. You soon realize that the quicker responses save you loads of time and you recognize that others are willing to help you address your issues quicker.

Naturally, human beings love attention and it becomes even more inspiring to be attending to someone that everyone noticed  or wants to get to know .And that is not saying that one should go about ,feeling like a blob head and hoping that it’s the same thing as having presence. No. In fact there is something absolutely subtle about this ability that makes it more appealing. As I have observed, the very astuteness of the high sense of gentleness and regard is one of the acting force of Presence.

If the power of Presence makes you more successful and helps you in getting more achieved, what are you waiting for?

Build on it.

Be that person!

Nigeria: The mathematics according to Nigerian lawmakers - Omojuwa | AfricanLiberty.org

Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon title and the first in seventy-seven years for a British man. This feat was achieved under the President Jonathan administration and it is very much in line with the Nigerian President’s transformation agenda. You are probably wondering about the connection but you should not. You know Nigeria used to be a British colony and no Nigerian President had witnessed such a feat since our Independence. This is one of the reasons President Jonathan must be supported to continue to transform our country. The earth is turning on its axis and revolving around its orbit in line with the Jonathan administration’s agenda. Yes the earth had always rotated and revolved but it never did with the various realities such a pass of time has come to mean for Nigeria. President Jonathan is working and his enemies cannot continue to pretend about this.

If you are wondering about the wonders of the first paragraph, what will you say about what happened at the Rivers’ State House of Assembly yesterday? 5 members of the house sat and elected a new Speaker just after illegally impeaching the legitimate one. There are 32 members of the Rivers’ State House of Assembly and you need a two third majority to impeach the Speaker. You need at least 11 members of the house to form a quorum; these men decided five was enough. What gave them the guts to behave with such impunity? They are Nigerians remember and they know just a few weeks ago a man was accepted by the presidency for being the leader of group where he had earned 16 of 35 votes. The man who had 19 was deemed the loser by the Presidency. These activities are all in line with the transformation agenda of President Jonathan.

The President in his usual brilliance is fast helping to redefine the root of mathematics. First it was the janglization of mathematics with the equation 16 > 19 (16 is greater than 19) and now we have a new one in Rivers where 5/32 = 2/3 i.e. where you need two third of the house to impeach the Speaker of the House, the Jonathan backed rogue-esque lawmakers decided 5 was enough. The evolution of this Jonathanian mathematical formula can be summed up thus;
Jonathanian mathematics | 16 > 19 (16 is greater than 19 where 16 belongs to Jonathan | 5/32 = 2/3 (where 5 belongs to Jonathan)

Mind that this formula holds sway only when the interest of the president is at hand. If you use it in school you are likely to fail except the teacher specifically demands that you janglize the equation or says evaluate this according to the Jonathanian formula. We were promised a breath of fresh air by the president and no one can deny he is delivering on that. Our children must be told that the debts they will be repaying tomorrow are being racked up as we speak. Mr. President is in China to borrow more. We need more than enough money because 2015 is around the corner and we cannot trust mathematics alone. These are all in line with the transformation agenda of President Jonathan.


Nigeria: The mathematics according to Nigerian lawmakers - Omojuwa | AfricanLiberty.org

NIGERIA SHOULD NOT EAT HER FUTURE NOW!

I read a news story on YAHOO today.

It has an eye catching headline screaming: NIGERIA TO SIGN OFF ON $3 BILLION IN CHINESE LOANS.

...I could not resist the temptation to comment.

Would you share your opinions with me after reading mine?

...this is what I wrote:

I do not believe that we should eat our future now!

That is what borrowing is. And to me this is clearly a typical case. Already it reeks of unequal advantages and greed. There is no level negotiation ground that I see.

I believe Mrs Okonjo Iweala should know better. We must not enslave the future of our generations unborn just because we are less comfortable now. This is the same reasoning she promoted during the subsidy removal and in many other times.

Her defense is that "we need roads, we need power, we need help on aviation, agriculture," and that Nigeria needs $10 billion a year of investment to improve infrastructure like roads and electricity to keep up with a rapidly growing population, already some 170 million, and to sustain economic growth at around 6-7 percent.

I dare say the things she enunciated are challenges that has always been there for decades till today and often used by past leaders and public servants as excuses to justify reckless spending. We might keep having these challenges for times to come as long as we have Public officials that are willing to squander our resources.

Besides, most of these infrastructural projects will eventually be executed using Chinese firms in conformity to their interest, leaving our indigenous companies on worst outcomes in the nearest future. This is a wrong move and I share Mallam  Sanusi's viewpoint. Both the cheap loans and this extremely extravagant loan will be destructive in the long run.

Sadly this is going to be another Wrong action, laden with hugely negative consequences to our economy.

NOW FIGHT!

I saw a movie this weekend. At first, when a friend handed me  THE SUCKER PUNCH,  I promised to  see it chiefly to make someone else happy and since I was not having much load of activities planned,  I reckoned I could sit through and have myself  really really watch.

It was supposed to be one of those movies I fast forward to the end and probably turned off , but it turned out to be one of those I happened to learn a lot from. I got so hit by some quotes and lines I could use for the rest of my life and possibly maybe you will too.

Obviously this is not a blog spot for film  reviews but at least let me try to give you something that looks like a summary:

"Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls-the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung)-to band together and try to escape a terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac) and Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino), before the mysterious High Roller (Jon Hamm) comes for Babydoll. Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey-if they succeed-will set them free.. -- (C) Warner Bros


Honestly, it is neither the plot, storyline nor the characterization that did it for me. It was the powerful lines that  jumped out into my reality. I found Diamonds in the midst of roughs! Eureka!

I do not know if you will ever see this movie but I want to make sure that you share what I learnt. It is so amazing to me I need to  put it out here for you to see. Now these are my epiphanies:

To me, the loads of pieces here and there relates to life. To survive you will have to FIGHT your way through with your will, strength of emotion and your mind. Knowing what your weapons are ,as you will see below and the way to utilize them will be your constant asset on the path to your unraveling story.

In this sense, a MAP then will mean your vision; a FIRE will be your inner drive and passion,the inner light that helps you see the way even when other people do not see it; Your KNIFE will mean your personal convictions and belief system that helps you to decide on what goes or stays,what needs to be cut off from your reality; Your KEY will be your talents and giftings...it is what will give you entrance to the playing field where you want to be.

In truth, all of these might come at you in a different order but somehow I do believe something in all of it will jump out to you ,and maybe you will shout 'EUREKA!' too .

So please if it does, do leave a line for me on which one actually got you.

I am going to start off with some of those beautiful quotes from the interactions and end with my favorite power-lines :


HERE WE GO!


"It is like we talk about. You control this world. Let the pain go.Let the hurt go. Let the guilt go. What you are imagining right now...that world you control? That place can be as real as any pain".

"I am going to play you some music okay? I want you to just relax.Feel the music.Open your heart to it.Let it in. And when you are ready...I want you  to dance".

"If you do not dance,you have no purpose.And we do not keep things here that have no purpose. You see,your fight for survival starts right now'.

"You do not want to be judged? You will not be.You do not think you are strong?..You are! You are afraid?...Don't be! You have all the weapons you need, now FIGHT!"

"You know, for those who fight for it, life has a flavor the sheltered will never know. It is yours. It is your story. Now is the time. And remember, when your story begins; don't screw it up".

"These are your weapons.When you take them you begin your journey to freedom; you will need five items for the journey. The first is a MAP. Then a FIRE, a KNIFE  and a KEY. The fifth thing is a mystery.It is the 'REASON'. It is the goal. It will be a  deep sacrifice and a perfect victory.Only you can find it. And if you do...it will set you free...oh, and one more thing, defend yourself".


MY FAVORITE POWER-LINES
Everyone has an angel. A guardian who watches over us.We can't know what form they will take. One day old man, next day little girl. But do not let appearances fool you. They can  be as fierce as any dragon.Yet they are not here to fight our battles...
...But to whisper from our hearts...Reminding that it is "us".

It is every one of us who holds the power over the world we create.

We can deny our angels exist...convince ourselves they can not be real. But they show up anyway. At strange places and at strange times.They can speak through any character we can imagine. They will shout through demons if they have to...daring us..challenging us to FIGHT.

And finally, this question; the mystery of whose story it will be?...of who draws the curtain. Who is it that chooses our steps in the dance?

Who drives us mad...lashes us with whips...and crowns us the victory when we survive the impossible?

Who is it?...that does all these things?

Who honours those we love with the very life we live? ...Who sends monsters to kill us..and at the same time sings that we will never die? Who teaches us what is real and how to laugh at lies? Who decides why we live and what we will die to defend? ...Who chains us? And who holds the key that can set us free?

                                                                     IT IS YOU!
                               
                                             YOU HAVE ALL THE WEAPONS YOU NEED,
                                                                    NOW FIGHT!


Yeah...There you have it: "NOW FIGHT!"
                                       

WORDS OF A PICTURE!

I took a shot at a writing prompt from Writer's Relief.Usually they use a Photograph as a  writing prompt and say "Give this one a try" , and you are expected to write something...Anything, as it becomes imprinted on your mind.

This is what this beautiful picture inspired me to write:

STANDING FROM THE OTHER END I COULD SEE BENEATH THE CLEAR COOL WATER. IT HAD A LIFE OF ITS OWN IN LIVELY SPLASHES OF BEAUTIFUL GREEN; WHERE NATURE WROTH AN ART WITH NO RESERVATIONS ON COLOUR. YET, EVEN CLEAR TOO WAS THE REFLECTION CAST BY THE BEAUTY OF BOTH THE FRESH AND THE PALING TREES...IT THREW A REVERSED IMAGE,MERGING INTO THE SHEER APPEAL.I DREW A BREATH AND CLOSED MY EYES!

There!
What is the one word that comes to your mind when you see this picture.I will be glad if you can drop a line to let me know.My eyes are still closed*Giggles*.

AT LAST I FOUND WHERE TO HIDE MY BRA!

"I need your help" i whispered into her ears. "Ok",she responded. By the next few minutes she was with me in the ladies,unzipping my cute gown since it was a tough feat for me to handle on my own. I needed to feel more comfortable without this bra as only some hours before i had worn it in  a hurry while runnnig late  for an appointment and forgetting the fact that i did not need one in this particular outfit.

I got to learn her name  after my ordeal.Untill that moment, she was a total stranger who understood the language of smiles,sight and polite civility."My name is Derby" she told me."Mine is Destiny" i responded back;completing the introduction.

We had some few minutes of animated sharing,during which my disengaged Brassiere found it's way into my handbag and thereafter she was off on  her way,leaving me to handle the rest and the exchange of thoughts that followed from a male who had watched the drama unfold around him,arousing enough of his curiousity to ask questions since it was obvious to him i had never met Derby before.

Within the next few minutes we talked about bags.A lady's bag.We talked about how much of a treasury a woman's bag can be.Holding all the valuable and delightful things...even the mundane.We talked about my bag. Spotting a mischievous smile on my face i gave thought to my bag...every woman's bag.



photo:renttycoons.com



Our conversation was sparked with the sweet admission that a woman's handbag is an  interesting place,capable of holding anything and everything.Both the shockers and the usual of things.Infact amid the conversation a lady friend said that "a woman's bag is a moving Wardrobe".That elicited quite some laughs but mostly,it  was the notion of the 'shockers' rather than the usual that appeared more appealing.

Functional, fashionable or both,a woman's handbag is a great companion.On days like mine,it can be  a life saver from an all-day-discomfort.Most ladies feel confident knowing they will not have to worry about where the keys are or what she will be needing during the day such as makeup,money,spare jewelries(in case you are not sure of the one you have on), even offending undergarments like the one i yanked off.

Today am getting a full dose of my money's worth and on any good day i would not let prying eyes into my handbag easily; And am sure most women do not. Whether it is a make shift office and a hold-all, hangbags usually does reflect a lot.Now wouldn't it be fun to find out what that hot chick has in her bag?...

God help you if you get caught!