EBOBO! IT'S A SICK WORLD

 

I was thinking this morning.... News broke this past week of a Nigerian man living in the UK who was arrested for impregnating his wife, his wife's mother and his wife's sister. According to the news, suspicions arose when all three ladies started showing pregnancy symptoms at the same time. As concerns around possible manipulation and misuse of power arose, all I could do was exclaim in the voice of my mum, 'ebobo!' (Which means 'wonderful' in my native Itsekiri language).

I was still scratching my head when I read snippets of World of Statistics and came across one that left me in shock. It was about the number of years it took different products to gain 50 million users. For Airlines, it was 68 years and cars 62 years. For telephone it was 50 years, credit card - 28 years, TV - 22 years, computers - 14 years, Internet - 7 years, YouTube- 4 years, Facebook- 3 years, Twitter - 2 years. The shocker? For PornHub (a pornography site), it took just 19 days for 50 million users to subscribe. Surely, it's a sick world and in one day, I shouted my second 'ebobo!'

It was almost bedtime when I saw photos showing billionnaire owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, kissing a humanoid (robot) with the news saying he plans to release 'robot wives' for sale later this year. I was about shouting my third 'ebobo' when I received information that the photos are fake and AI generated. Phew!!!

What is this madness about sex that the perversion has degenerated from same sex marriage to sex toys and now robot wives (even though there is currently no evidence that robot wives are being produced). Truly, it's a sick world.

How can one man impregnate three members of one family? Chai! When it comes to sexual immorality, Sodom and Gomorrah dey learn work. That the world is sick does not imply you should get infected. You can be immuned to the immorality in the world. Let's start by promoting chastity. If we must shout 'ebobo!' Let it be for something positive. Remember that you are in this world but not of this world (John 17:16).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

BACK THROUGH THE YEARS

 

I was thinking this morning.... Last Tuesday, we had our departmental team building away day. It was a time to get away from it all - the meetings, inspections  and long hours of looking into the computer. As part of the activities lined up to help us unwind were games and karaoke sessions.

I had never partaken in any karaoke session in the past, not only because I am not a great singer but primarily because I usually do not visit karaoke lounges. The closest to karaoke I have ever had was singing along with the church choir.

On this day, I summoned up courage and took the microphone. My colleagues were surprised, fixing their eyes on me. I loosened up even as the beats of Dolly Parton 'Coats of Many Colours' rang and the lyrics started scrolling on the screen.

'Back through the years, I go wandering once again. Back to seasons of my youth....' I sang the first line and kept singing even as my colleagues joined me on the floor. On and on I went until the very last words, '...Made just for me.' The score? 90%. As everyone clapped and gave me a hug, I felt like a child and was truly taken back to the days of my youth in Warri.

Back in days, we didn't have karaoke, but we danced ulaga (singing ulaga kiledemo) while the girls played ten-ten. We didn't have video games, so we created our version of action game, 'war-start'. We played soccerli, koto (from snail shells) sardine-key (nearest to the wall), ceeway (or suwe) and rubber seed. Every day was away day for us as kids.

The world is a different place today. It's so difficult for us to unwind these days. It seems and sometimes feels like we are carrying the whole world on our shoulders. With heightened insecurity, our children have become prisoners at home while we the parents are the prison wardens. Little wonder mental health challenges are on the rise.

Take life easy. Create time to refresh, laugh and unwind. Sing and dance with your children or with the choir. Otherwise, sing unto the Lord (Psalms 96:1).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

MY FRIENDS SAY I LIKE FOOD

 

I was thinking this morning..... Last Wednesday, the 11 years old son of a colleague went for an interview for admissions into Greenspring Schools Lagos. In the presence of the mum, the young man was asked, 'what do your friends say about you?' He answered most sincerely 'My friends say I am a good goalkeeper, I am funny and that I like food.'

As the mum confirmed amidst a burst of laughter, that her son truly loves eba and egusi soup, I couldn't but ponder on the sincerity of the lad. Of all that his friends had to say about him, his love for food was important to him. The question is 'what do your friends say about you?

Before everyone else, you can be a great footballer, engineer or administrator, but what your friends think about you is more about that silent or unknown passion of yours. Is that passion a virtue or a vice? Will your friends say you are a womaniser or a debauchee. To the public, you may be perceived as great speaker, but to your friends, you just might be a fibber.

Real friendship is meant to be a mirror that reveals our true self, but that has become something of a rarity in our world today. People can no longer tell the truth to themselves talk less to their friends.

Many today thrive on falsehood about themselves rather than embrace the truth. Finding out what your friends truly think about you is the first step to discovering yourself. Little wonder Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:13 'Who do people say I am?' For so many, who they are and who their friends say they are, remains a paradox.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

LIFE IS A GALAXY OF STARS

 

I was thinking this morning..... It is no news that yesterday, May 6, 2023, in Westminster Abbey, King Charles III, along with the Queen Consort Camilla, were officially crowned King and Queen of England. What many do not know is that the former Prince Charles became heir apparent (next in line to the throne) at the age of three in 1952, and went on to become the longest serving Prince of Wales in 2017. He waited patiently for 70 years, 214 days to be crowned King.

In a world where everyone is in a hurry, waiting for 70 years for a position 'no be beans o.' We all are stars in the galaxy of life, but not everyone is meant to be Sirius also known as the 'Dog Star' (the brightest shining star in the sky) nor Polaris, the star that never moves. Some are like a shooting star that appears briefly and burns out. Others are meant to shine in the shadows of other stars.

King Charles is a star destined to shine brightest in the twilight of his years, but nevertheless, he shone for 70 years as a Prince. You don't have to be a King or Prince to shine. You don't have to be a President, Governor or Senator to shine. You can shine right where you are. The light is in you and not in the position.

The position is like a lamp holder that helps the light shine brighter. If the light is dead, it doesn't matter the position you occupy, King or President, you will not shine. Many have fought and killed for position and quenched their light forever.

If you are meant to shine at night like the moon but forced your way to shine in the day, you will be inconsequential. Many have done despicable things to shine before their ordained time and ended up burning out like a shooting star. Shine when and where you are destined to shine.

Many believe they need titles and political power to shine, but did not realise that Aliko Dangote has neither and he is shining. Some believe they need loads of money to shine but forgot that Mother Theresa had no money but shone brightly.

Whatever level you are, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THE TWO SINGLE BEDS

 

I was thinking this morning..... I have had to stay in two different 5 Star hotels in Abuja and Lagos very recently. Coincidentally, on both occasions, I was checked into a double room with two single beds instead of my preferred double room with a king size bed.

As I wondered why, complaining to my young wife on phone, she said 'the extra bed is for the Holy Ghost who is always with you.' Thank God for godly wives.

However, as I laid down on one bed peering at the other, I couldn't but muse on why hotels would have two separate beds in one room. A number of reasons came to mind. Two friends or siblings may be travelling together and decide to share a room. Some hotel guests receive visitors that may want to sleep over. But a very common reason I don't understand is a couple travelling together and sleeping on separate beds. Strange bedfellows?

It's common nowadays for couples to have separate rooms and even sleep on separate beds each night. Research shows one in four couples sleep in separate rooms citing snoring, restlessness, parasomnia, frequent trips to the bathroom or incompatible sleep schedules as reasons. While the impact on sleeping apart from your significant half could be extremely positive for one, it could also be extremely negative for another.

Some are married but lonely and it has been established that loneliness kills. As a married man, how can you sleep on a separate bed or room from your wife as if she is your sister in the Lord. Lol. if you and your spouse sleep on two separate single beds, then you probably are singles. When you ride in different cars to an event and sit apart, you are sleeping on separate single beds.

Irrespective of the sleeping arrangements though, what is critical is the quality of your relationship. A good life is built with good relationships; quality relationships with your spouse, children, colleagues and community and it is not achieved by sleeping on separate single beds. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says 'Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY HEARING

 

I was thinking this morning.... While growing up in Warri those days, pidgin English was our forte, while Yankee accent was a struggle to understand. There was this TV commercial on a food product that split my siblings and I in two ways because we couldn't agree on a word which the commercial actor was pronouncing. After listening to the advert severally, some of us insisted she said 'okro' while others heard 'pepper.' When we couldn't agree, we decided to combine both positions and take it that she said 'pekro.' Lol..

I recalled that incident when I read a story of how an evangelist at the end of a revival service invited people to come forward if they wanted someone to pray for them. About midway through the line of people stood an imposing, intimidating looking man. When the minister asked about his prayer request, the burly guy said, “Reverend, I need you to pray for my hearing.” The evangelist quickly placed his hands over the man’s ears and prayed fervently for restored hearing. When the minister finished praying, he looked the man squarely in the eyes and shouted above the choir’s strong singing, “How’s your hearing now?” The man loudly replied, “I don’t know yet, Preacher. My hearing ain’t until next Wednesday at the courthouse.” oops!

While the man wanted prayer for his Court hearing, the man of God thought it was for his ear. Truth is, poor hearing is at the root of many a disagreement and wars in families, groups and nations today.

Many have ears but do not hear. Some can hear but when you speak, they chose what they want to hear and misinterprete the others, leading to friction and acrimony. When someone says something, seek to understand because our interpretations are coloured by assumptions and biases. We should not be cognitive misers who don’t think and reflect before judging others.

If you have had serious disagreement with your spouse or colleague based on what one person said, then you should be saying 'Please pray for my hearing.' If you are quick to misunderstand what someone has said, then declare 'Please pray for my hearing.' Matthew 11:15 says 'He who has ears, let him hear.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

AMALA SINCE 1052

 

I was thinking this morning..... I was in Abuja this past week and was taken for lunch by colleagues to a joint at Central Buisiness District (CBD) called 'Àmàlà Central.' I didn’t know what to expect and just hoped it satisfies my dainty appetite.

As we stepped into this makeshift facility, I was surprised to meet a queue of corporately dressed men and women waiting patiently to place their order at the counter. I joined the queue along with my colleagues even as I did a quick scan of what everyone seated was eating.

My attention was drawn to a framed message by the counter titled 'Brief History of Àmàlà.' It says that Àmàlà was first prepared by Aduke Agbedegbeyo of Abule Onipaki of Osun state in the year 1052 in the days when Sango was Alaafin of Oyo. It concluded by saying it was the same year Sango spat fire for the first time. As I looked around again at the men with tie digging into their bowl of Àmàlà, I wondered why the history of Àmàlà was so much tied to Sango.

If you were a first time inductee to Àmàlà  and stumbled on that little history, would you be swayed not to eat it? I don't think so. I do not judge Àmàlà because of it's origin or history, rather I eat it because it is healthier than most 'swallow food'.

While some will say they don't eat Àmàlà because the colour is not appealing, I will say, don't judge a food because of it's colour. Taste it before you judge. Someone once said if you hate Àmàlà because of the colour, then you are a white supremacist.

As I stepped out of Àmàlà Central, I wondered, if we don't judge Àmàlà by its origin and colour, why do we judge fellow Nigerians by their history, state of origin and religion? Why do we give oxygen to tribal and religious bigots in Nigeria?

To a connoisseur of the Àmàlà dish, Àmàlà has been saving lives since 1052. That you don't like how it was made or how it looks is not enough to demonise or denigrate Àmàlà. There are many people who grew up under very difficult circumstances and don't look or speak like you expect, please do not judge them, rather love them like an Ibadan man loves Àmàlà. Mark 12:31 says 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Easter!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey