The World As I See It
For almost a month, I have stayed away from writing any articles, trying so hard to stay in the shadows. If you read my somewhat philosophical New Year’s Day article, you may have looked into the mind of a person considering the possibility of a new operating principle. However, some things have the zest to fall even the best-arranged stack of cards.
2017 just gave way to 2018 in a cacophony of jubilation, prayers, orgies, screams, joy and sorrow, depending on where one is in the globe and one’s proclivities. For me, for something like the first time in my young adult life, I neither got into the Christmas overdrive nor the new year’s festivities. I cannot really place why, but it seems somewhere in my mind, there’s something saying “2017? 2018? Kini big deal?” Maybe I would need Christopher Nolan to investigate the inception of this notion. Continue reading “2018: Another Year Begins”
The Italian poet, Cesare Pavese, is attributed to have coined this: “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” This quote is very true as most humans cannot remember a full day, only key moments on certain days. The only exceptions are the few persons like Jill Price who can remember entire days of their lives. Sadly, we do not all have this gift (or curse?) of never forgetting, so it’s best we make good memories that would stay by our side all our days. Continue reading “A Journey of Life”
“Every nation has hidden history, countless stories preserved only by those who experienced them.”
—Ruta Sepetys
I think this quote is appropriate for this article, which leans heavily on the historical. The quote went on to say we can achieve unity by learning from history. In a world where divisions seem to be growing, with more persons encapsulating themselves in camps that see others as unrelatable enemies, learning about some events in the past may spur us, if we are true to ourselves, to develop empathy, see things through others’ lenses, and build better relationships. Continue reading “Hidden Figures and Spectacular Lessons”
Today, 18 June 2017 is recognised in several countries as “Father’s Day”. In a world where a substantial number of children now grow up with their mothers as single parents, the role of fathers has never been more critical. There are people with the natural ability to deliver semen and whose semen have found a way to fertilise a female’s egg, and there are others who have not just delivered semen but have helped to nurture the resulting new life. However, while demonising the former, society has failed to recognise the sacrifices of the latter group. Continue reading “To My Dad, For the Thanks I Fail to Say”
Lucius Seneca’s assertion that “All cruelty springs from weakness” may seem true and untrue at the same time. On one hand, we may be inclined to accept the quote if the “weakness” is physical or intellectual, and so leads to overcompensation. “Weakness” in terms of “weak morality” may also count. However, how would Seneca’s quote hold water if the oppressor is neither physically nor intellectually weak, and even moves with an air of moral superiority? This is the state in which a good number of Nigerians find themselves. Continue reading “Nigeria and the Culture of Domestic Servitude”
When I decided to write this article, I first checked out some views about national dreams. A quote attributed to Miguel Zenon struck me, as I saw it as a fitting introduction. He described “national identity” as “something that’s directly connected to our personal experiences and the decisions we make, the roads we decide to take at certain points in our life.” I see “national dream” and “national identity” as interchangeable phrases, and so, ignoring the screaming opposition, Miguel’s description provides a launchpad for this monologue. Continue reading “The Nigerian Dream”
Charles Darwin’s evolution theory and its upliftment of the doctrine of “survival of the fittest” may have painted a picture of a human race primarily consisting of selfish humans only interested in themselves. However, people have repeatedly showed that humans are not some overtly self-centred species lacking the capacity for compassion, but that in the midst of a fight for survival, many humans would stick out their necks to save others, even if those needing salvation were random strangers. It then becomes sad when we see humans acting like a herd of giraffes that leave the weakest for the stomachs of approaching lions. Continue reading “When Humaneness Goes Missing”
When I started this blog, my creed was to describe “the world as I see it”. Looking at the over hundred posts since then, it appears that from my viewpoint, the world is political—very political. Most articles have been inspired by happenings in the political landscape. Today, I take an apolitical route. I write about two persons, or rather, two groups of persons, as each person represents more than one person’s experience. Continue reading “A Tale of Two Fortunes”
Jilomes 