Today's Quote

Sometimes you miss someone more than you ever thought you will, because they seem so distant than you have ever imagined.

The LagosNewYorker.

Quote of the day

It takes a wise man to relate with and say things that will appeal to a wise man. On the other hand, Everything anyone says makes sense to the stupid man. 

The LagosNewYorker

Quote of the day

I had numerous friends, I loved them and thought they all felt the same way. Now I have a very few friends, and they sincerely love me. I love them in return. Keep your circle small. 

Happiness

Its a term, it's a word, may sound like it reminds me of a primary school rhyme... But I tell you today,  it is one thing money can't buy and a lot of people live a lifetime miserable and looking to find this, but never get it until they expire.

It's a stable mental feeling where everything around you seems right and seems to be working for you. In want or in need, you don't care about what you have or what you don't have. It's an unexplainable feeling which you just need to experience yourself and then you can explain to someone else just how it feels. 

I am happy right now. So very happy! Smiles... I feel like I lost a gem a while ago and that really saddened me, and then I found diamond, something even better and the feeling that comes with attaining this is more than words can express. 

I am happy! And so I wanted to express this to the world and to as many people as possible. But the fact is, many have a misconception of happiness and they belive that you can only have this when you have so much money or have amassed so much in wealth. But this is a totally wrong view. Research has proved that the happiest people live in the poorest parts of the world. So you might wonder, how can they be happy? Why are they happy even in hunger and thirst? What keeps them happy?
Well, it's not about how much you have but how much you make use of the little you have. I will give you an example. Growing up as a kid all I thought about was waking up the next day and smelling the aroma of the food my mom was cooking before I go to school, sure that I would eat. Embark on my 45 minutes walk to school and then happily join the line of kids singing nursery rhymes. Go for a break where I may not be able to afford buying from the school vendor, so I have my little lunch in my flask, and sometimes when I have none I go playing soccer with a little ball in a field so as not to think of the fact that I will have to look at other kids eating and don't have food myself.
I would walk back home another 45 minutes singing and reciting things I had learnt for the day. I was always happy. I always had the feeling of winning and the fact that there's something good waiting for me when I get home. So I never worried too much about what others had, and what my parents couldn't afford. And so with this attitude, I grew up to be the man that I am today.
I would wake up each day knowing that I have to go up the street with a bucket or kegs and get water as many times as it will take to get a drum full. It became part of me. So imagine how I would have felt if a bore hole of tap water was obtainable and presented to my house as a gift.

Check out these few pictures and tell me what you think:

One of the most consistent images of Africa is the smiling and happy kids. How much do they have you may wonder? What makes them feel this way? Nothing but happiness! 

The LagosNewYorker.

Quote of the day

I need certain things because my life depends on them. I want others  because I believe I should have them .... but can do without them.

The undeniable existence of beauty

Beauty comes in very different forms and you cannot doubt the existence of such beauty. Have you taken a good look at the birds that fly in mid heavens and how they look? There's a variety and each one has its peculiar characteristics that make it beautiful in its own way. The lilies of the field, the eagle that soars high, the pegions we are so used to seeing around us and the parrot that's such a talkative. Have you ever spent some time to look at these beautiful creatures? Yes I have. And I can tell you confidently that each one of them was created beautiful in its own way.

Have you ever wondered how the flowers array themselves with so much beauty? They could come in different colors and shades and they can smell better than the most nicely prepared scents and perfumes. Sometimes you wonder if someone decorated and painted them in those colors overnight before they blossomed the next morning... Yes! I feel that way at times. 

And so, do you know that humans are the most beautiful things you can ever see on the earth? Variety they say, is the spice of life. And so, we were made to look different and have beautiful features. Not everybody will have my big Nose and big lips. Not everybody will have my dark rich chocolate skin. I might not be as tall as the other man is, and my eyes may not be as grey as that beautiful woman's eyes are. I may have short hair and you may have long, curly hair. 

Our voices too are different. You may sound like the beautiful birds of heaven that sing beautiful songs by 5:30am while I sound like a cock that crows by 4am. You may be curvy and thick while I may be slim and average. It's all a variety and that makes us the most beautiful things on this planet. So, when decide to procreate and then we come together and combine these qualities and characteristics, it brings forth kings and queens like me and my family. 

I can bet you that I will make kings and queens because this is proof that I am part of the human race.

And the most beautiful children are always those who are mixed races. They turn out to look like diamonds because we are meant to make the best out of the variety we have, and not stick to the same routine all the time. This makes us humans. We have free will. We have a choice and we can see and feel the powerful existence of beauty. We are beautiful! 

The LagosNewYorker

You fall in love with the things you are attracted to.

It's funny how our wants, needs, desires and aspirations can change with time due to certain factors. But it's only natural that it happens that way. Recently, I fell in love with Jamaica and wanted to be part of the culture, the place, the people and I was out there to learn as much as I could about this beautiful island and take a trip there sometime to get to know as much as I possibly can about these wonderful tribe and people.
I fell in love with Jamaica and was attracted to It. The attraction was more than a mere attraction of the eyes and I will forever be attracted and be part of it. Planning for a trip over there soon, trying to learn a few things about the patwa slangs and language as they have it, and I have already learnt a lot of sayings, proverbs and demographics.
I was speaking to my Jamaican friend this morning and he said: Duppy know who fi frighten. And because of the context of our discussion I had a premeditated understanding of what that saying meant and I really took notice of it and kept it at heart. For the sake of knowledge and continuous learning I will explain the meaning in clear terms: Bullies pick on those who have the least defense.
They can tell that this person will not be able to fight back or talk back at them for certain reasons and so they feel superior and pick on these people as much as they enjoy doing it.
How much my interest grew for Jamaican culture, food, language, sayings and more cannot be explained or overly emphasized. It is what it is.
I fell in love with Jamaica and I am still in love with Jamaica as this is not changing anytime soon. I am on a quest to fulfill my urge and the yearning I have as I live my life and enjoy what I do.
I know some of you share my sentiments.

The LagosNewYorker