One More

Posted on December 3, 2015 by De-Me-Stified

One More

“The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

“One plus one usually means two – but it can also mean everything” ~ Imisi

It’s the start of December; the end of another year. I thought I’d mark the completion of another project by now. There’s this silent tremor at the back of my mind – and it gets louder the harder I push. I fear it may be right in saying I’ve bitten off more than my mouth can hold. This new dimension could the black hole that slowly sucks the universe in; keeping me from applying myself to anything else.

My mind still traces a fence around its deepest worries as I sleep. I’d like to think it’s exactly as it was a year ago. A ton of wool weighs about the same as the ton of wood. But Maslow points to the devil is in a pile of dust. A battle of desire is clearly nothing like one for survival. How time blurs the mind’s eye. Continue reading →

Posted in Endurance | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Stupid Ideas

Posted on August 8, 2015 by De-Me-Stified

Stupid Ideas

“Ideas: they have a mind of their own; still, they try to make your mind their own” – Imisi

Hi and welcome back to DeMeStified. Hope you’ve been up to great stuff in the time it’s been?

They say every good story begins with a damsel in distress. It’s true, but mostly in the movies. In fact, maybe only on Hollywood. For me, every good story – everything I consider of any worth along this journey – began with a stupid and flat-out laughable idea. It’s happened so many times I’ve come to embrace it – even right from the very beginning.

 

“I’m gonna get a degree”. “How??? Get serious while you’re at it”

“Let’s get married”. “That’s a joke, right? You know we’re from cultures that don’t get along.”

“We’re having another baby”. “For real? Are you having a laugh?”

“I’m going to explore writing”. “With your handwriting? Come on!!! Be fair to yourself”

“I’m leaving”. “At this critical phase? You can’t be serious. I wouldn’t if I were you. What if those plans don’t come together?”

“I’m gonna take that course?” “And do what with it? There’s no market for it here.”

“I’m gonna do this”. “Are you sure? Hmmmn. What’s to become of all your education?”

Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 5-12 iMagInG, Ideas, Inspiration, Kanu | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Snatch

Posted on June 20, 2015 by De-Me-Stified

Snatch

“Don’t snatch; it’s rude and bad manners. Don’t you know your manners?” – Bethany [from the Book “In Comfort of Mary“]

“Our planet is poorly equipped for delight. One must snatch gladness from the days that are.” – Vladimir Mayakovsky

“Successful men usually snatch success from seeming failure.” – A.P. Gouthey

 

There are two cardinal types of dreams we all have from time to time; one type probably more than the other. There’s the one where we go over what already exists, and remind ourselves how good our lives are. That’s the kind that gives respite and soothes our many aches. There’s the other, more conscious, in which we reminded ourselves how undeserving of rest we yet are. Where we instruct ourselves never to settle for less than we deserve. It’s one that calls comfort a prison and questions the purpose of such courtesies as ‘taking whatever comes’.

Imagine waking up in the cold and damp confines of a prison cell. The loudest sound you hear is the beating of your heart’s drum; clearly, you’re all alone and help is far away. The list of crimes for which you’re being held is neatly engraved on one of the walls. You smile. You may not remember how you got in there – but you know exactly what you have and haven’t done. The phoney charges won’t stick. You’re convinced. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, Change, Choice, Comfort, Dreams, Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Never Forever

Posted on March 21, 2015 by De-Me-Stified

DSC_0010

“Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts” – Alan Cohen

Sometime this month, I stumbled on the story of a lady who’d just lost one of her legs. The trauma was so bad she looked forward to what many would consider a nightmare – running in her dreams. It was her escape form the reality of life without one limb; something that brought her brief comfort – until she woke.

The best I could do as I read the words was empathize – but it was absolutely impossible to fully understand the true extent of her ordeal. Such loss really is just not something even the most masterful words can aptly convey. I gave some thought to it, nonetheless.

In fact, the thought was still warm on my mind when I stumbled on the most hilariously sarcastic message I had seen in a while. It was a notice in an office parking lot (signed by the ‘less ignorant occupants of the building’) chiding those without disabilities with a habit of parking in spaces for the less able. “…….if you’re fortunate enough to be in good health and have no disabilities, we would suggest that you leave this space vacant for those who actually require it. I’m sure the short walk from other spaces will not delay your activities too much”. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 5-12 iMagInG, Anger, Friends, Friendship, Logic, Loss, Soccer | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Sweet Surrender

Posted on February 5, 2015 by De-Me-Stified

Sweet Surrender

“At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice” ― Maya Angelou

“The greatness of the man’s power is the measure of his surrender” ― William Booth

Sometime, towards the end of 2013, I had the strangest feeling of all. From right out of the blues, I felt a prodding to write about my deceased uncle. The usual pattern had been to think about something consciously for a while – then, feel a push to write about it. I hadn’t even been thinking about him in the months or years leading up to that moment. I had simply accepted his passing, mourned him and moved on. So, there really wasn’t anything ‘bottled up’. I didn’t expect the ensuing post to make enough sense to complete – so I never bothered with starting. But, there was something else about that moment.

I would later find that it coincided almost to the minute with the timing of Paul Walker’s fatal crash. That definitely caught my attention. What ghastly coincidence! Made me think a little more than I was prepared to about the uncle. I started to think maybe there was a little more to that nudge I felt. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 2013, 2014, Death, Disappointments, Life, Plans | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Pulse

Posted on December 21, 2014 by De-Me-Stified

The Pulse

“Why am I dying to live, if I’m just living to die” – Runnin’ [Tupac ft. Notorious B.I.G.]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” – John 12:24

It’s been 168 days since I last put up a post; about the same time since I wrote anything that wasn’t official, a tweet or status update. In all that time, activity around me has been teeming. Yet, for the craziest of reasons, it felt like everything stood eerily still. I won’t even bother to insult you with pseudo-apology for my absence. This one time, no matter how much I wanted to write something, no matter how well the words aligned in my head, I just couldn’t find the strength to put them down. The story of ‘why’ is what follows. But, more than a mere story, it’s like a song by a newborn about a painting etched by piercing sunlight during a riot.

They say a magic trick has three parts: the pledge, where you mentally commit to and assert reality; the turn, where all you’ve affirmed suddenly changes – and the prestige, where whatever is taken away is brought right back. But, this isn’t a magic trick. If it were, it’ll be all about turn – the all-defining change; anything before or after gets mindlessly muted. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 2014, 5-12 iMagInG, Change, Christmas, Determination, Disappointments, Life, Resolve, Soccer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Big Brother

Posted on July 6, 2014 by De-Me-Stified

DSC_0078

“Which is worse: A lie that draws a smile or a truth that draws a tear?” – Defense counsel to judge [Miracle on 34th Street, the movie]

Hi, and welcome back! Disclaimer: Today’s post has nothing to do with the TV Show you’re thinking about – or any other one for that matter!

I started writing this shortly after a few of my ex-schoolmates (@SeunAlade, @FeyiShayur, etc) and I got together [online] to recount experiences from our secondary school days. And, just yesterday, I bumped into another pal from back then who had recently become a medical doctor. It just made the reminiscing all the more intense. I only spent three years at the school, but those years proved critical in shaping the person I’ve now become.

There were lots of memories, but one towers high above all others – and I remember it more today because I don’t know when I’d see the hero of the story again. Very true what they say about twenty kids and twenty years. Even truer when they’re siblings and well above twenty!

From my very first day in that compound, I knew I was in for a different experience. For the accomplished primary school kid that I was, secondary school felt like the chaotic afterlife. For every familiar face I saw, there were 40 previously unseen. For every previously held idea of how stuff worked, there were four better alternatives. For every one thing I thought I knew about life, there were a billion I was now to learn. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, Big Brother, Childhood, Esteem, FGC Ikirun, Lies, Perception, School | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Same Difference

Posted on May 26, 2014 by De-Me-Stified

Hi. Welcome back to DeMeStified.  Thanx for the very warm reception you gave the Terminal 8 series. Glad to have gotten that bout of silly out of the way. I had thought it’d be another while before the silly feelings returned. #Bleh…. Anyways, we’ll just have to see what becomes of the lingering cravings now. If this year’s busy outlook is anything to go by, they’ll come in handy at some point.

The past few months have been pretty eventful, personally, nationally – even globally. The twists and turns just keep popping up, leaving the distance between events no more than a few steps. You’ll marvel at the sheer number of alarming stuff that’s happened between the last post and now. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, Arsenal, BringBackOurGirls, Nigeria, Real Madrid, Shekau, Weird | 9 Comments

Terminal 8: Executive Orders

Posted on April 21, 2014 by De-Me-Stified

Executive OrdersHi. Welcome back. This will be the last episode of the series. It was an absolute pleasure for me, getting to work with some writers I hold in high regard. I have to thank you too for staying with us. Let’s hope all dots connect [visibly] after this episode. [Here’s where we left off]

Today’s writer is @SeunAlade – a trained lawyer, proper good guy and forward thinker. He’s a fantastic writer on top of all that. His enthusiasm was the fuel we ran on……

I had absolutely no clue how my day would go as I left that state house that morning. With the weekly executive meeting out of the way, I thought I’d coast into the weekend. My planned visit to some construction sites was mere formality – nothing I considered disturbing. It looked like a smooth sail. What did I know!

Even Macbeth’s witches could not have predicted a call from the president – but there he was on the first line. It was the last thing one could have expected, seeing as we weren’t from the same party – or on particularly good terms. But, elections were around the corner; sh*t happens. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 5-12 iMagInG, Easter, Leadership, Nigeria, Nurse, Politics, Terminal 8 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Terminal 8: The Great Escape

Posted on April 8, 2014 by De-Me-Stified

Great Escape

Hi and welcome back to #DeMeStified. My most sincere apologies for how late this post is coming. It was 200% avoidable this time; entirely my fault. I did something really silly that set the team back three weeks.

I hope you’ve been able to identify some trends and see what should go where? Today’s writer, @Feyishope, is a medical doctor and a proper marvel. He did all of this from his mobile device.

If you’re just joining in, you’d need about 1 2 3 4 quick breaths to catch up 😉 This would be the penultimate episode – and, with your permission, we’ll proceed.

The pain in my left knee which is usually so slight I forget it’s there had surged to an agonizing throb. The way it does when the cold descends or something bothers me a lot. The jolts of pain that shot through my bad knee as the train shuddered made me regret my decision-albeit necessary-to leave my walking stick in the office. It was going to be a rough walk to my destination. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I set down the PM newspaper I was trying to read to put the maelstrom in my head at bay. It was futile; I hadn’t gotten past the first line of the headline news since I picked it up. I couldn’t get rid of my friend’s apologetic voice echoing in my head. Loudly. I barely stayed above the overwhelming urge to cry and laugh at the unfair hand life had dealt me. I may have lost all else, but I wasn’t going to lose my dignity and my sanity, not in front of my fellow train passengers. Continue reading →

Posted in #512iMagInG, 5-12 iMagInG, Hospital, Suicide, Terminal 8 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments