When do we draw the line in Giving + New Poem

If you've lived a greater part of your life in Nigeria or had someone fill you in on common occurrences that happen at times, then the subject of 'Giving' might make you have raised eye brows.

For most people, circumstances have probably shaped our attitude to giving. A friend once gave me the gist of a roadside beggar that he used to give money on his way to work every morning whom he later heard was building a house in his hometown with the proceeds from the day's 'job'. I laughed so hard at the passion and  regret with which he used to describe his 'hard-earned money'. Hehe...I saw a really pained man lament.

Let's not even go to the creepy stories of someone disappearing after giving money to a stranger on the main road. Never been proven though.

It's a bit ironic that sometimes (if not most times), giving frees up room to receive more. More like it makes us channels and not reservoirs. Channels are ever fresh with new supplies, reservoirs are kinda stale and can hold on to things for too long. Nothing is hardly ever new with a reservoir and once a reservoir gives, it becomes empty. But a channel, always new and fresh flowing.

I stumbled on this very touching video on YouTube (see below) that just tells a lot about the importance of giving even when it's not convenient at times. Hope you enjoy it.

Meanwhile check out my new poem on Imagination & Creativity.
Enjoy your weekend ahead!

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Response to 'Inspiring Blogger Award'

Soo, it just occurred to me that Relentless actually sent this award since like forever. Better late than never I guess. By the way, is it just me or a lot of bloggers have not updated their blogs in a while. Except I'm looking in the wrong places...
A big thank you to Relentless Builder who probably has forgotten about the award sef...

So here are the rules:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 3 - 7 other bloggers and link back to them.

Numbers 1 and 2 have been covered...So on to the next 2:

7 Random Things about Me

1. I can't keep an afro. I will just keep scratching the hair till I peel my scalp. Once the hair gets to a certain level...To the barber kiakia because it starts itching even after lubricating and washing normally.
2. I have an engineering background, an accounting career (mixed with IT), a passion for education (social sciences) and a writing hobby (Arts).
3. I cringe at typo errors (haha...do I see your eyes scanning for some here?). I always feel it's intentional and meant to disrupt world peace. Why would you make such errors. Why! :)
4. I do laundry at late hours. For reasons I don't even know. It just seems perfect and right!
5. I've been practicing this water therapy thingy I blogged about some time ago and it has been AWESOME!
6. I'm the most silent talkative I've ever met. If my thoughts could be connected to a loud speaker, you'd be amazed at the conversations and role-playing that goes on up there.
7. I've never been to Eastern or Northern part of Nigeria before :( I had an opportunity to go to a Northern state recently but the universe just misaligned and made sure it didn't happen. I visited Abuja (if it counts as North though) for the first time in May this year.

Soo, thats it!

And ...I nominate the following bloggers:

Huntly Anabs

Nikkisho

Dayor

Was too lazy to add more. You'd sure enjoy your visit to these awesome blogs. Have a great week!

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Explaining the hiatus

Hello wonderful people,

It feels so kinda weird that I totally went off for months without a word and I really feel I should apologize for that.

I got asked many times why I stopped blogging and truth is I don't know (strange...I know right!). I don't think it was writer's block cos there were countless times I had things to write but I just wouldn't know how to start.

It's funny how a platform that is usually an outlet used in expressing oneself suddenly feels the way I described.

I got carried away at a point with an idea on Education I was trying to push for. A process in which I did learn a lot. I tried registering the blog with a new domain but the silly thing hasn't worked yet.

Well, the good thing is I hope to write more and return to form. Also, I'll be introducing a guest Author soon who would publish under the poetry section. It' s all part of the strategy of not leaving my readers hanging while I'm not available.

I hope y'all understand though. Enjoy the rest of your week.

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He shall be called 'Abiona'...

...Yes...Abiona is the name I would have given the child that was born in my presence by the roadside just in front of a hospital. Apparently, the heavily pregnant mother was just at the entrance of the hospital when her waters broke. Abiona in yoruba language literally means 'Born on a journey'.

I was fascinated at first from where I stood at a distance before it metamorphosed into slight disapproval of the crowd of on-lookers that had started to build-up. Trust Naija now, you will be surprised with the amount of people that had gathered. Within few minutes, some nurses with stretchers had rushed out of the hospital as I witnessed my first outdoor 'labour-room' experience. God is awesome.

Questions kept racing through my mind though, like:
"Didn't she know she was due?"
"Where is the father?"
"What about the germs in the air?"

So many other questions raced through my mind as they've been wandering for some weeks now. I'm sure you guys are weary of my blog stints every now and then. Please bear with me. It sure can't get any crazier and hectic.

I'll also use this medium to thank Relentless Builder for the 'Very Inspiring Blogger' award. Thanks!!!
This was one of the motivating factors to blog tonight plus a lovely piece sent to me through a friend last week.

In other news, I should be at LDP's wedding on May 25th, 2013. Sure it's gonna be another blogger meetup spot. I met Segun Akiode some months back at an Author's Master Class training also where I met Okechukwu Ofili (How Stupidity Saved My life), Bankole Williams (Engaged to the job I hate), Seun Salami (Son of your father's concubine) and Adeoye Adekoya (BrilliANTS).

Twas a powerful session that will make a lasting impact in my writing sojourn.
I'll respond to the award questions in subsequent posts.

Please check out our guest post by Opeoluwa Odeyemi. I saw her article on a friend's phone and just had to ask her permission to publish it here.

Trending: Viaje De La Vida by Opeoluwa Odeyemi

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When is the best retirement age?

It's 2am and I'm up already.
Not quite strange sha, especially as I didn't take a shower before going to bed the night before. Sleep is always interrupted when it happens like this. It's just a silly habit I formed that is now haunting me.

I've been given a slot to perform another piece at an official event in March. I've started writing it though and I think I want to do something out of my comfort which means more practice. *shivers*
First point of practice I guess would be at the monthly poetry reading I normally attend.

So a random thought jumped into my head as I tried to make good use of my awake time. "When is the best retirement age?" Occasionally, I see adverts on BRT buses on various Pension Administrators but one advert slogan that has caught my attention and possibly admiration (for the rhymes anyways) is Stanbic Pensions' which reads 'Today's swagger might be tomorrow's stagger'. Hehehe... I love the humor, yet serious sense of the ad.

So I was kinda thinking...when is the best age/time to start planning retirement?
What would one do in retirement?

We must have heard cases of people who died few years after leaving their jobs which I guess is due to physical inactivity and reduced social interaction. I doubt if retirement is really a function of age though.

I think it's a function of planning ahead though and planning early also. I have this friend who already has his children's school fees till secondary school planned for (he's gotten more than half ready). He's not married yet by the way. Oh sorry, I meant he's not even dating yet! I once thought he was plain crazy, paranoid and all sorts but really it's good to plan ahead. A Forbes article I read went on to give a few solid tips on planning early too.

At least, have a faint idea of when you wanna retire and how you wanna spend it. I believe it puts things in perspective and could even make you know how and where to channel your energy and resources to. Just my thoughts though.
I stumbled on another interesting article on the subject also.

So have you thought about retirement?
When do you think is the best age/time?
Share your ideas...

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A few Issues...

Here's hoping this post will break the jinx and I'm not in anyway trying to make light of the fact that I haven't dropped a word in months.

I've battled with so much guilt of not being able to write a single post and I'll try also not to be dramatic in explaining what has been going on.

Thing is...I'm kinda overwhelmed. There's so much clogged up in my head. So many things race through my mind per time that I hardly find the peaceful mental posture to pen down my thoughts. My greatest fear was even when I tried to write and couldn't figure what to write about. I guess it's a chronic form of writer's block I'm currently experiencing but keeping quiet about it hasn't helped. So here's me in my humble skin letting you in on the few issues I'm experiencing and hoping you'll understand as you've always.

Work has been a bit overwhelming and the perfectionist side of me has not helped either. I actually wrote a few things but never bothered to publish cuz it just never made any sense. So, I always thought to myself..."Okay fine, you can't write Michael, then soak yourself in more work". Only got worse. lol.

I missed the monthly poetry reading I normally  attend this January  which I only missed once last year. Well, enough of narrating the issues.

On a brighter side, some good things also happened:

- I read a poem at an official event in December and it was well enjoyed. When a partner walks up to you and gives you the 'Did-you-write-that-lovely-piece' look with a handshake, then you know it was a good one.

- Errm, I summoned the courage to re-write and put up one of the stories I talked about earlier in this post.

- The Hidden Ville comic by Koryarts finally got published. 

- I bought a new gadget that I'd been craving to buy since last year. I call her 'Regina'. lol!

- I met Huntly Anabs (a fellow blogger) in person and he visited me with a gift in December. I was elated!!!

- I discovered more on my walk with God.
- Super Eagles are in the AFCON 2013 Finals!

Though it's coming late, Cheers to a wonderful 2013 with you guys!

New Story!...Trending Now: Skydying

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