Life………as harmless as it could be, can also prove to be the most harmful , …as quiet as it could be, makes the loudest noise,….as playful as it could be, presents itself harshly…..as caring as it could be, even the toughest ones cry. But then these two sides of life (which after all explains the fact that ‘for every head of a coin, there is an opposite tail’) don’t decide our fate, no, they come to us only as a result of the most significant decisions we made at different points in our lives. “Life is either a darling adventure or nothing”- Helen Keller. As such, you and should be wise enough.
While the morning squirrels were making a fool of nature’s quietness, I woke up; still struggling with a nodule I picked a day before…. Today was not like every other day, it was different; as though I finally woke up to reality and had been in a rather unrealistic trance all these years. One that I had found solace in and built a comfort zone. Unconsciously, I gazed at the ceiling, lost in the world of thoughts, the “every guys” thought that usually finds its way into my head, knew it had lost it this time. I was 20 years of age, exactly 7months and 2 days after my birthday and in the final stage of attaining my Bachelor’s degree. I was going to become a “someone”, but telling you I was prepared for it would be falsity and would tag me a shady person.
Back in the days, owing to humans spontaneous changes in life, I was growing with the belief of always having to be spoon-fed daily, never getting bothered about the laundry, always had to think that those furniture located itself one way or the other into the house. Waking right before dawn was not a thing I was bothered about even if sometimes, I had to, on days when I was bent on seeing my favourite TV cartoon programmes. Tomorrow certainly wouldn’t be an issue; reasons being that I always awoke to a stress less new day. Food found its way to my table and eventually my mouth at any point of the day it was needed. Playing with friend was sporadic as there wasn’t half a reason to care much about sunrise and sunset, talk more being time conscious. Well, to me, I didn’t know how I came into being, but all I knew was that life was awesome with those giants (my parents and elder siblings) around me, created to serve me stupendously. I coalesced with the saying that “life is a bed of roses”……of course I liked roses. But then at this first stage of life, one would desire a chronic stay as a baby.
As we grow older, more and tougher responsibilities befall us. In as much as we desire to remain at that first stage, we must be ready to bear the pain of the spear life throws at us. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived, to be understood”- Ralph Waldo Emerson. When we advance in life, we realise that things only get as tasking as it could be, as we start to strive to get things achieved, those things that we would have readily ignored in past years. Growing up is in fact inescapable as it is a natural phenomenon. No one grows in age alone but physical, mental, psychological, social, and sometimes even spiritual growth comes with it which we have to be wise about. “No wise man ever wished to be younger- Jonathan Swift. Moreover, I realised that there were things I was left to do myself, did them without even realising I did, or if I didn’t do them before. I had to return from school on my own, some little house chores were assigned to me, I was left to care for my laundry, I had to get used to sleeping at nights without having to wrap up the blooming night with old fashioned fairy tales told by my elder ones. Impromptu exercises became the order of the weekend… Forcefully I must confess. I got spanked when it was called for…..even watching TV had its own restrictions. Generally, life became necessarily but highly demanding. “Life is like an onion, you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes, you weep”. – Carl Sandburg. But even at this, there were still many things I still didn’t have to worry about. Naturally, we face increased responsibilities, with a branded instinct of knowing they will always come. These take effects in the first and second stages of life, but at the third stage, OUR FEARS ARE FINALLY REALISED.
Still gazing at the ceiling, I thought to myself …life has not been so fair to me after all, it presented itself to me with an intense non caring attitude, it was as though it kept me on hold so as to deal with others first. Things weren’t just working out as I wanted them to; I thought people didn’t really care about me anymore. To me; the supposed unending love that I once experienced had disappeared. It was as if I was left by myself and the world was crumbling around me. I needed to be spoon-fed as usual, I needed not to bother about financial issues nor thereabout, I craved once again to be treated as the special one, but as I thought deeper into these things, I realised that dreaming and hoping that the nature of my life reverts back to the times where the world was for me is no difference in plain stupidity than going hunting bare hands in the deep forests of the Amazonia. Yes. Over the years I have had a number of mentors and role models but it was time to start being one myself. “In as much as one enjoys looking up to others as role models, it gives even the greatest joy to be looked upon as a role model”. – Chibueze Okafor. Not many mistakes are greater than the one of moving freely with the wind of life. It is worse than a free-fall because even a free-fall is opposed to the direction of the wind. Well, It was time to face reality, to leave old concepts behind and recreate new ones, it was time to start being the statue of recognition, it was time to know where the journey had all started from and where it was going to end, it was time to look straight up into my future, and know where I am heading, it was time to mould my destiny to my desired shape, it was time to get up and run, it was time to bring out the true face of my being. It was time to be more of “ME” than “me”. The fact is that, at this particular stage of life, your guardians and leaders don’t abandon you, neither do they let you be because they feel you’ve been loved enough, or you don’t worth it anymore. No, they’ve watched you grow over the years, they know what you are capable of doing, they have an idea of how much you can achieve, they see greatness in you, and as such, they let you be, because that’s the only way you can ever realise your worth. That’s the only way you can start having something in store for yourself. After all, you will never be able to tell how high a bird can soar if you lock it up in a cage. I realised that, I could only be by myself convincingly because I have the utter idea and the clearest picture of what I actually want, and so, looking up to people to get me where I want at that stage of my life will be but a menace to life on my part. “You are the best artist of your imagination”- Chibueze Okafor. It’s not wrong building castles in the air, but then, it becomes absurd and you become unfair to yourself when you don’t get your butt up and put a foundation below it.
I finally have come to terms with the fact that the whole of life, is but a moment of time, it is our duty therefore to use it, not to misuse it. It’s like a game of cards; the hand that is dealt u represents determinism, the way you play it is free will. Live life to the fullest by always trying something new, you never tell what works out well. Always do more, the things you are afraid to do the most, they bring the greatest joy. Life truly is a bed of roses …. with thorns in-between. I have learnt to always anticipate both good and bad forthcomings because life is like a pendulum that tends to swing in both directions and as Ernest Hemingway would say, that… “The real reason for not committing suicide is because you always know how swell life gets again when the hell is over”. I owe thanks to special friends and relatives (Names withheld, citation needed) who have been a vehicle, constantly driving me to the world of possibilities through their in-depth knowledge of success, diligence in sort after matters, optimistic way of life, and of most spiritual wellbeing. I can’t help but reminisce everywhere I go, especially when I’ve got something to laugh over or cry about. After all, I still thank the Almighty God for his Love Protection, Favours, grace and Mercies upon my life. Everything has been possible only as a result of his eternal existence, for without him, there will be no life to start with, let alone living it. He is GREAT. This day was a day that brought me to the light of ‘living’, a day that gave me a true definition of life, a day that distinguished reality from mere fantasies. This day changed my life forever. This is my story. My life is timed. Your life is timed too.
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As Pen Breathes Life 