My Clock Still Ticking - Thank you God!!!

In a couple of days I will be a year older!!! Yeah for me it is a day of joy, although I might be working on that day or not, I can't help but go back and in remembering bless God for how far I have come. I remember those years when I could not even speak out due to been shy and thinking what would people say or think? Do I have anything sensible to say? I remember when I was so insecure it was difficult to succeed at work. I remember when I started writing for the first time. I remember with love over the past three decades the people who have had positive impacts in my life. Let me tell you the ride to this point has not been all jolly fun. But even with the bumps and rough times, I would not have had it another way. This is 2012 and I have so much more I want to do, so many places I want to see, so many lives I want to touch, so many people I want to meet. But above all I give all the thanks and glory to God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. From the topic, my life clock is still ticking; unlike so many. It has not stopped entirely, it has not malfunctioned, neither has it been stolen. My time is still moving at the right speed and is maintained by the maker on a regular basis. At anytime you check my life's clock it is always right, whatever season whatever time! Oh and I thank God its not moving backward either. Lol. This is me wishing myself and all my friends who have their birthday this month A JOLLY MERRY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Nigerians and the effect of the fuel subsidy!

Today is the beginning of the New Year and in Nigeria the overall man who went to school without shoes decided the best way to wish his fellow Nigerians a happy new year is to remove the non-existent oil subsidy. After the plea, threat and entreaty of Nigerians that this would be a bad idea he still went ahead to do as he pleased. I wonder what it means to be a leader. Are we in a democracy or a dictatorship? Was he elected or did he inherit the position? Even kings listen to their subjects. This is the summit of a rabid dog barking and looking for whom to bite. The dog has done its worst and it is left to its owner to either put it out or allow it to continue in its rampage. The minutest of service will have an increase in its fee. If you happen to go to the market tomorrow and bought pepper of N100.00 be assured that at the least you would pay the same amount to blend the pepper if not more. You dare not go to the barber tomorrow or for women don't bother asking that the generator be put on to dry your hair in the event that there is no electricity. What this means is that the cost of not just doing business will increase; it means that the cost going to the toilet would probably increase why? If you leave in a house where there is no bore-hole and you have to buy water from the "Mallams" then the cost of buying a bucket of water will increase from N15 to N30 naira. This is where we have what Fela called expensive shit!!. Meaning you must monitor how you go to the toilet and how you use water. It also means that pure water of N5 must increase to N10 abi how do we expect them to meet their cost? To add insult to injury we have been told to all go buy bicycles very funny indeed!!! It is not enough that the man living below the standard of living cannot afford to send his child to a good school because of the high fees at whatever level now what they are saying is that the hard working low income earning Nigerians have now become foreigners in their own country. The only citizens that Nigeria has now are the elites that will be able to afford the high cost of living. This means everybody will be striving at all cost to become a member of the class of the elites which will result in an increase in crime, touting, fraud, Yahoo-yahoo, ritual killings, kidnappings, and all the sorts. Abi how would the average man be able to make ends meet? The sad part is that most of the crime would be perpetrated against Nigerian citizens who are also struggling to make ends meet. Even LASTMA and the men-in-black will increase their toll at all the check points at least "man must wak". Will Nigerians fold their arms this time also and leave everything to God in prayer? Are we going down on our knees to ask God for a miracle? Will the "oil subsidy" be miraculously removed by prayers? I wonder what the sermons will be in church this year since a lot of people might find it difficult to go to church as a result of the high cost of transportation and the fact that they would rather spend their tithes and offerings on their family instead of taking it to church. I would love to be a fly in the churches now to hear how the religious leader would walk us through this. Well I am sure that even the law enforcement will soon have their hands full before the middle of the year if nothing is done to alleviate the rubbish that has been dumped on Nigerians by THE BADLUCK WHO WENT TO SCHOOL WITHOUT SHOES OR BAG and expects every other Nigerian to do the same. Must we all pass through the same picture that he painted during his campaign before we realise that this is not the way Nigerians should live? Which way Nigeria? Which way Nigerians? What next after the removal of the "oil subsidy"?

What is in a name?!

Merry Christmas to all my friends, family and loved ones. May the joy of the season not pass us by neither shall it leave us behind in Jesus name!!! What is in a name? why do we have names in the first place? What meaning or impact does the name we bear or are given have on our lives? A lot of us have wonderful names with great meaning but we reduce the name and its effect by ourselves or we allow our family and friends to do that for us. When you shorten a name it no longer makes sense and you reduce the full impact the name should have. This is why I use Mariam instead of Oluwatoyin a name with great meaning. I don't like been called "toyin" because for me it has no meaning. At least its difficult for your to abbreviate Mariam. lol Back to the note jare. Some of us even enjoy nicknames with odd and terrible meanings just because we want people to be scared of us or realize our popularity. I love a particular place in the bible in the book of Genesis. It was when God took all the animals to Adam so he could give them names. Adam looked at each animal and with wisdom of what they could or would be able to do he gave them names. One thing I love and which stands out for me is the fact that the bible makes us to understand that "whatsoever name Adam gave them that was the name they answered to" If your friend calls you "ijapa" for instance like i hear some people call themselves, it means you are and behave like a tortoise. The same thing goes for names that are shortened. Take for example "wonuola" meaning enter into wealth. People will shorten it to wonu meaning enter or ola meaning wealth. One is good for the the former short form is questionable. Why? where is the child entering into? The uniqueness of the Yoruba race and Africa in general means that names carry a lot of weight and has a great impact in the life of the child. Some people go to the extent of giving names to their children without actually knowing the meaning of such names. I remember a few years ago when we were watching a Mexican film and the lead ladies name was Paloma. At the end of the film people started naming their child Paloma without even finding out what the name means. My people will say "oruko a maa ro eni" meaning a name will always have an impact in the life of it bearer. If the meaning of the name of your child is king then most definitely you shall see the attitude of a king in him. If it means servant however he might behave like one. lol Aside from this is the annoying way that Nigerians now have of pronouncing and spelling names. Oluwatoyin has become Horlowatoying or something worse. I tell people that this has no meaning. If you need to have an English name that people would find easy to pronounce then get one NEVER EVER reduce yourself to a meaningless name that has lost value. Basically if you do that you are like the salt when it has lost its taste and its value. A name must always remain unique and help you to stand out! Please this goes as a sign of warning (and the last warning) to friends and family who feel that the best thing for them is to re-shapen the name my mama and papa gave me the day of my naming. It angers me and makes me feel little in your eyes if your dehumanize my name. Again my name is OLUWATOYIN meaning God is worthy of praise no man has a right here on earth and even in even to change my name. If you find that name difficult to pronounce use my last name or use MARIAM. I sabi vex o! You all know who you are please as we enter into a new year value your name and endeavour to find out the meaning of whatever names you have been given. ONCE AGAIN MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Ps; It is Christmas and not xmas it is also In Jesus name and not IJN don't insult God or ......................