A word a day … (05-01-13)

A word a day … (05-01-13)

When you do something excellently well the first time, it can be called a fluke.

When you do it well the second time, others can still call it a fluke.

When you do it well the third time, there might be doubts still.

But if you keep doing it well repeatedly and continuously, be rest assured that 

it’s no fluke. It’s a talent. You need to accept it and own it.

A word a day… (04-01-13)

Power not only reside with those who can command security forces; enormous power resides in a group of people who have the will, the unity of purpose and the mental capacity to forge together and pursue a common goal

A Joke a day keeps the doctor away! (04-01-13)

Sometimes, I forget things quickly, no matter how important. I forget, just like that. One day, I went to turn my changeover switch after putting off my generator. After a short while, I forgot whether or not I've turned the switch. So I went out to check only to find out that have done that already. As usual I started this conversation with my changeover switch:

Switch: O boy, you don dey old oh! (Man, you are getting old!)

Me: What?

Switch: Nor be na na you change me. (You came here a while ago to make the change.)

Me: So?

Switch:  kwekeee! (No equivalent in Queen’s English. It’s an exclamatory expression.)

Me: Shut up! Take your time oh! (Be careful!) Otherwise, I’ll scatter scatter you. (I’ll destroy you.)

Switch: Me, I’m not worried oh, I know you will soon forget what I said.

A word a day… (03-01-13)

You can get great things done if you get angry enough. In the same vein, you can get great things destroyed if you get angry enough. For example, if you are angry enough for being single, you can get married (a great thing). Likewise, if you are angry enough, you can get your marriage destroyed (a great deal).

A Joke a day keeps the doctor away! (03-01-13)

A conversation with my mirror: One morning, while preparing to go to work, I stood in front of my wall mirror for a long time. I was just staring and staring and staring at the mirror. To my surprise, my mirror spoke to me:

“You nor go go work? (Won’t you go to work?)

 You go late oh. (You are running late.)

 If you like eh, stand here till next year, you nor go resemble Ramsey Nouah. (Even  if you stay here for a year, you won’t look like Ramsey Nouah)”

Me: “Shut up! If you nor take your time, you go receive smashing blow (you will get hit in no time). Your mate dey showroom. (your fellas are in showrooms)”

Mirror: “I for don marry oh, Facebook na you cause am oh. (singing, 'I would have been married if not for Facebook')”

Me: “Sharap your yaa dirty mouth (shut up, silly!)

          Yanyanyan yanyanyan (O boy, I don’t know how to interpret this in Queen’s

           English)”

My Reflections - Gems of truth!

My Reflections - Gems of truth!

- A man can sing a lie all day long to such extent that he believes the lie and the people around him could become believers of that lie having heard it too often. That said, no matter how long and how often the lie is told, the real truth remains the same.

- Truth can't be judged based on popularity or likability  Truth is based on facts. There was a time many thought the earth was flat. It must have been a popular notion at the time. Now, we know for a fact that the earth is anything but flat. Whether it was popular or not, the truth stayed the same. Truth does not transform with popularity or likability  But humans and human sentiments do. No matter how popular or likable an idea is, the real truth - the hard facts of the matter - remains the same.

-When I was a child, I had some wonderful ideals of what was real and true. As I grew older, I realized that I was wrong on some counts. Now, the real things of life didn't change because I was older; it was my knowledge, perception and understanding of those things that changed. Yes, the truth doesn't change because we are older; but we change in line with the truth as we grow older.
Truth does not evolve or revolve around us. Rather, we evolve and revolve around the truth. We grow into the reality of what is true. Simply put, the truth doesn't change simply because we are older. It's our understanding of the truth that changes. So no matter how old or experienced or educated you are, the truth did not change, you did. The bare truth remains the same.

 -The truth consoles and brings closure.
At the end of the Apartheid era in South Africa, a commission was set up to help people deal with the horrors of Apartheid. The commission provided a forum through which the perpetrators of the injustices under the Apartheid regime and the victims of such injustices could come out publicly and talk about what really happened. The objective of the commission was not to punish the offenders but to find out the truth about what happened in the dark years of South Africa's history. It was thought that the truth will help to console and bring some closure to the hearts and minds of those affected and also bring about reconciliation between opposing parties. It was called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) headed by Desmond Tutu. The TRC may not have achieved all its aims but the reality is that knowing the truth about what happened to loved ones in times of crisis goes a long way to bring comfort and closure to those involved.

There are people who are still looking for answers as to what exactly happened to their loved ones in World War 1&11, Rwandan Genocide, Screbrenica Massacre, etc. While the truth can bring about justice, it also provides closure. No matter how bitter the truth is, not knowing what actually happened to one's loved ones is far more painful on the long run.

There are so many individuals today who are looking for a lost parent, a lost child or a lost loved one: Are they dead or alive? What happened to them? Some who were adopted or separated from their parents at a tender age want to know the truth about their biological parents: Who are they? Where did they come from? These individuals will give anything in exchange for the truth. 

No sweat lies can compare with the relief, satisfaction and closure that verifiable truth brings. The truth may be bitter but it has more healing and enduring power than a pack of sugar-coated lies.

A word a day…. 02-01-13

It’s easy when we want others to understand and acknowledge what we feel, what we think and what we believe. ‘Why can’t you understand me?’ is an easy question. What is more difficult is for us to understand and acknowledge the feelings, thoughts and beliefs of others! ‘I don’t understand why he acts that way? Why can’t he do the things I do in the same way I do them.’ Very often, we want others to understand us and accept us for who we are, is it not fair to show that attitude towards others as well?