ARE YOU HAPPY TODAY?

 

 

 

I was thinking this morning... In about three weeks, it will be 22 years since I joined my current organisation. For 22 years, almost every morning after greeting colleagues, I ask one simple question: “Are you happy today?” In recent years, I added another version: “Are you coco today?”

Some respond with a cheerful “Yes.” Others use the opportunity to share the burdens they are carrying. But beyond the words, the real purpose of that question has always been simple, to remind us to be thankful for another day.

This past week brought that message home in a sobering way.

It began on Sunday night with news of an explosion at a Qatar LNG plant. Thirteen people lost their lives, and 66 were injured.

Then on Wednesday came another tragic news report, this time from outside the Oil and Gas Industry. A four-storey building under construction in Port Harcourt collapsed, trapping workers beneath the rubble. Sadly, at least one person who left home that morning would never return.

So yes, when I ask, “Are you happy today?” I ask from a deeper place.

If you woke up each work day, went to work, and returned home safely, that alone is reason enough to be grateful. No be every battle we dey see with our eyes.

Safety is both a personal responsibility and an organisational duty. But beyond procedures, controls, and systems, we must never forget that life itself is a gift. Sometimes, despite every precaution, freak accidents happen. Ultimately, God is the One who keeps us.

Never take today for granted. Every safe return home is a blessing worth celebrating. Psalm 121:8 says “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Let me ask one more time, Are you happy today?

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

WHO WILL SPEAK FOR MEN?

I was thinking this morning… When it comes to family matters, na who write that script? And why dem no consult men before releasing the movie? Yes, women carry pregnancies and give birth, no debate there. Respect. Massive respect. But when it comes to the stress of caring for infants, men too collect premium package.

From the day our wives become pregnant, we begin running around like people wey borrow money from ten banks at once. Midnight cravings? We move. Foot massage? We report. Mood swings? We adjust. One minute she wants ice cream, next minute she wants pepper soup. If you delay small, you are now insensitive.

Then baby arrives.

We double our hustle because failure is not an option. We want to be heroes. We want that child to admire us. But after all the sleepless nights and hard work, the child’s first word is usually… Mama. Chai. Pain. Emotional damage.

After that heartbreak, we triple our hustle. This time, we work harder so our family lacks nothing. But in doing so, we spend less time at home.

Now, if you decide to stay home more often, your wife starts looking at you with that “gbejoro eye” and asks, “Hope everything is okay at work?” Your neighbours too will contribute their own analysis. “Why this man dey house like this? E no get work?” Before you know it, dem don label you agbaya consultant.

The hardest part is the unwritten rule that men must always be strong. Who made that rule? Are we robots?

Months ago, I lost my dad. During his lying-in-state, as we all walked around his remains, my sisters cried openly. They poured out their emotions freely. We the men? Everybody was looking at us like we were on some “Strong Men Association of Nigeria” executive committee.

“As the sons, be strong.” Strong ke? As how? Are we not humans too? So we did what men have mastered over generations. We wore dark glasses and behaved like undercover FBI agents, hiding tears behind tinted lenses.

But truth be told, men feel deeply too. We hurt. We cry. We break. As we say in pidgin, “Na person wey wear shoe know where e dey pinch am.” Even the strongest man gets tired.

Today, I celebrate fathers. The present fathers. The fathers carrying burdens nobody sees. The fathers showing up every day, tired but determined. Thank you for the sacrifices. Thank you for the strength. Thank you for loving, providing, protecting, and enduring. I also remember my late father on this Father's day. God bless his soul. Proverbs 20:7 says “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Father's Day!

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

NO MATTER HOW LONG YOUR MONEY IS...

 

I was thinking this morning... Some years ago, I was negotiating to buy a property in Warri and could only afford about 60% of the asking price. While still pleading with the owner of the property to consider my offer, I was told a week later that someone had offered the seller 300% of the asking price. My friend helping me with the deal just asked me to walk away because according to him, "the person money long." Though I was annoyed with the arrogant show of wealth, I wasn't surprised because that is Nigeria for you.

That memory came rushing back on Friday when Elon Musk became the world's first ever trillionaire in dollars and has $2 trillion at his fingertips after investors flocked to buy shares in SpaceX yesterday. Let me help you understand. One trillion dollars is one million million dollars. Laid end-to-end, two trillion dollar notes could wrap around the equator 3,890 times and reach the sun from the Earth. Yet, one poor man in Warri is harassing me saying "im money long." Rubbish!

What about the fans of Manchester United that will not allow us Gunners rest, because they claim to support the richest club. Yet one man, Elon Musk, could snap up Manchester United more than 281 times. Abeg sports fans, make una let us breathe.

Imagine me attending an event in Lagos recently and parking my 2020 Lexus SUV in one corner, feeling good. Just for someone to come and park his brand new 2026 Lexus beside mine, turning my car into a welfare case. If that is not oppression, then I don't know what is. That guy should go and flex muscle with Mr Musk, who could buy the world's most expensive car, a Rolls-Royce Droptail, for £25 million and even splash out on a new one every day for the next 163 years. Or he could purchase 14,000 Boeing 737s. Mtcheww.

Even more annoying is how Nigerians oppress you with joy. At another event, we were required to bless the celebrant. I went out with my hard-earned change in crisp notes. Before I could do anything, I observed one guy dropping bundles running into hundreds of thousands that made it look like I was there to sacrifice to an unknown god. He didn't see his mate, Mr Musk, who could pay off Nigeria's total public debt ($110 billion) several times over and still have enough left to tackle world hunger, na my body e dey get power.

But beyond the jokes, perhaps the lesson is that there will always be someone richer, stronger, smarter, or more influential than us. The race to impress others never ends because the finish line keeps moving. After all, no matter how long your money is, there is always somebody whose money is longer. Comparison steals joy, but contentment multiplies peace. Hebrews 13:5 says "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,.'"

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

SEEDS, SAPLINGS, AND THE CHILDREN WE RAISE

 

I was thinking this morning.... On Friday, June 5, I was a special guest at RA International School (RAIS) to join the early years pupils, ages 3 to 6, in celebrating World Environment Day. After a short indoor session where we talked about going green, we all stepped outside to plant some trees together.

With the children gathered around excitedly, we planted the first tree, the perfume tree (Ylang-Ylang), popularly called Queen of the Night. At the second spot, we planted a Queen Palm. At the third spot, we were about to plant a mast tree when a bright little boy, about four years old, asked, “If trees grow from seeds, why are we planting saplings instead of seeds?”

It was such an innocent but thoughtful question. We explained that the saplings had first started as seeds in a nursery where they were carefully nurtured to improve their chances of survival before being transplanted into the open ground.

As we explained, my thoughts drifted back to my childhood in Warri. In those days, many of us were thrown straight into the fields as seeds and not saplings. There were no nurseries to cushion us. We started trekking to school from very young ages, exposed early to the harsh realities of life. Yet, by God’s grace, many survived and grew strong.

Today’s children are more like nurtured saplings, protected within high walls, surrounded by comforts, cartoons, video games, Capri-Sun, and Choco-Milo. There is nothing wrong with either approach. Some seeds survive the storm. Some saplings flourish because they were first protected.

Perhaps the lesson is that every generation grows differently. Some are planted as seeds and learn to survive storms early. Others are nurtured first as saplings before facing the winds of life. Neither method is completely right or wrong. What matters is that, whether seed or sapling, we grow roots strong enough to stand, branches wide enough to give shade, and hearts humble enough to remember the hands that watered us along the way.

As we planted those trees with the children that morning, I was reminded that growth takes patience, guidance, and grace. Some of us grew through hardship, others through careful nurturing, but ultimately, it is God who gives the increase. 2nd Cor 3:6 says, “Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase".

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

ONE NIGERIAN GATHERING, PLENTY PROVERBS

 

I was thinking this morning.... Two nights ago, I organised a sendforth for a colleague and good friend of 22 years, who also happened to be my boss over the last three years. We gathered at the Lake Deck (Eco-View) of the now-popular Finima Nature Park gazebo for drinks, fish, and other “medemedes.” It was an evening filled with lighthearted jokes and banter.

My mind was fully focused on the event until someone made a comment that sent my thoughts into overdrive. He said, “This place is so nice. I am already feeling at home.”

“Feel at home ke?” was my immediate reaction because, as we say, “Feel at home, feel at home, na im dey make visitor spoil remote o.”

Shortly after, a group of four colleagues arrived. As we exchanged handshakes and shoulder bumps, I noticed one I hadn’t seen in months looked much lighter than before.

“Bros, see as your face smooth and fair,” I told him.

He smiled and replied that it was enjoyment. But as I walked away, my restless mind whispered another proverb: “E dey clear pimple, e dey clear pimple, na so bleaching dey take start o.”

Later, one guest mentioned he was leaving to honour another appointment. I stood up and said, “Let me escort you.”

Immediately, I burst into laughter because my mind instantly responded, “Escort me, escort me, na so slave trade dey take start o.”

Towards the end of the evening, I noticed a few people ordering takeaways. When I asked why, someone replied, “Abeg, make we chop your money today.”

As my face frowned slightly, my mind, determined to keep the comedy alive, dropped yet another line: “Make I chop this guy money, make I chop this guy money, na so ashawo take start o.”

Thankfully, none of those proverbs applied that night. It was simply another reminder that in Nigerian gatherings, no statement survives without a street proverb waiting to escort it home.

Humour, culture, and everyday sayings often reveal the creativity of our people. Sometimes, laughter is not just entertainment — it is how we bond, reflect, and keep life light even in serious times. “Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” — Proverbs 25:20

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

Cricket Mama Don Fail: My Battle With a Bedside Lamp

 

I was thinking this morning.... I checked into one of the big hotels in Lagos this past week. By the bed was a basic bedside lamp, nothing unusual. At bedtime, I wanted to put off the light by trying the switches but none turned it off. I ran my fingers through the lamp holder looking for a switch, but nothing. I walked to the master switch at the entrance of the room. I tried each of them but no luck. I tried every single switch in the room but the bedside lamps didn't go off.

As I was getting frustrated, I forced a smile while recalling the pidgin proverb that says, “Na cricket mama tell im children say, no matter how ground strong reach, dem no go sleep outside.” I was determined to figure this out. I went back to the lamp, stared at it for another minute but still couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Finally, I decided to power down the whole room so I could sleep. Cricket mama don disappoint im pikin. Dem sleep outside.

The next morning, I called room service to send someone up. I told the technician to please show me how to switch off the lamp. He simply pointed to the lamp and said, “Just pull down this rope.” Wow! For the first time, I noticed a tiny thread attached to the lamp. How was it possible that I didn’t see it during the five minutes I spent searching the previous night?

The answer was simple: I wasn’t looking for a thread; I was looking for a switch.

It is like the iconic FEDEX logo. Many people never notice the hidden arrow in the design because they are not looking for it. But once you see it, you can never unsee it. It is also similar to deciding to buy a particular brand of car. Suddenly, you begin to notice that same brand everywhere.

Life is often like that. We sometimes miss opportunities, solutions, lessons, and even people because our minds are fixed on a particular expectation. What we seek shapes what we see. Keep an open mind; solutions do not always come in familiar forms. Frustration often blinds us to simple answers. Perspective can determine perception. Psalms 119:18 says “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

WHAT IF I NEVER WENT TO OKERE THAT DAY

 

I was thinking this morning.... Yesterday, my brother-in-law turned 60, and family and friends gathered physically and virtually to celebrate his diamond jubilee. As the joyful shouts of “Happy Birthday” and “Congratulations” filled the air, my mind drifted back many years.

It was a quiet evening sometime in August of year 2000 when I received news that a mutual friend was having his marriage introduction in the bustling community of Okere, Warri. I left work early that day and attended with my brothers and a group of friends we fondly called “Officers.”

While at the event, my attention was drawn to a young lady moving around warmly attending to guests. Curious, I asked about her and discovered she was the younger sister of our mutual friend. About eighteen months later, that same young lady became my wife. My young wife.

As the birthday celebration continued yesterday, one question kept echoing in my heart: What if I had not attended that introduction ceremony at Okere? Would I still have met my wife? Would my children even exist? Could the course of my life have turned out completely differently?

That single decision to attend an event changed my life forever — thankfully for good. Yet it also reminded me of other moments in life that carried unseen consequences. I remember surviving a terrible accident one Sunday while returning from church. Years later, I still wonder: What if I had stayed back a little longer?

Life is full of moments that seem ordinary at the time but later reveal themselves as destiny-defining encounters. God orchestrates events in ways we often cannot understand. What appears accidental to us may actually be part of a greater design.

Never underestimate the significance of simple decisions. Some opportunities and encounters carry life-changing consequences. God often works quietly through ordinary moments to shape extraordinary destinies. What if I never went to Okere that day, would I be celebrating Kess Moke at 60? “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” — Proverbs 19:21

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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