Simi Joel

Author: Simi Joel

  • Holding Up a Mirror: Embracing Change

    Holding Up a Mirror: Embracing Change

    I stared at my laptop screen, a small smile playing on my lips as I read through my NYSC call-up letter. Before then, the date for resumption at orientation camp had been shifted a few times. There had also been one or two scams related to the download of the letter, so it was a relief that the real one was finally out.

    “Edo State is not bad I guess.” I was working through mixed feelings and thinking up all the positive reasons there were to look forward to the service year. “This is a valuable opportunity to sort out what I want to do with my life. It will give me the much needed break from work pressure. I would get to live in another state, meet new people and explore different opportunities.” All these and more were the things I was saying to get over my reluctance and lack of excitement.

    It had been ten months since I started my internship at a multinational FMCG company in Lagos, and I absolutely loved the experience. After I received the call-up letter, the rest of the week passed quickly as I worked through reviews, on-boarding sessions, and send forth activities. Out with friends on the evening of my last day at work, I looked around the table of familiar faces, co-workers who had become family. I licked the cream off my cake and fought the pang of sadness I felt as they spoke of our time together. We said our goodbyes amidst laughter, teasing words and promised to keep in touch.

    Little did I know that some days from then, I would be multiplying ₦19,800 by 12 months and raving at the ridiculousness of the “corper allowee”. Or that soon after I would be praying for direction and frantically scribbling plans for the year, because I couldn’t afford to waste one year of my life.

     

     

    One way or another, we all experience change. It may be thrust at us, or arrived at through careful planning and preparation. We may give into it softly, or fall at neck breaking speed. Either way, change is a natural part of life and how we react to it can determine to a large extent how well we enjoy life. Although unexpected change can be dramatic, perplexing and uncomfortable, it can be beneficial if handled rightly.

    I’ve come to see change as a chance to grow and garner new perspectives, a signal of new beginnings, an opportunity to make a difference, and a prompt to learn new lessons and apply old ones. More so, the unexpected can be good and can add spice to life.  Despite these good sides though, it’s up to us to embrace change. If we don’t do so and move forward, we’ll be left behind in life. This process of embracing change starts with the mind. We need to think differently about the situations surrounding us, and be open to opportunities and possibilities that can result from change.

    It might be necessary to form new habits and routines, so we should be prepared to make the necessary shifts. Then go over the things that matter to us and stick to them. We should be daring, curious, thankful, optimistic resourceful and willing to adapt to new conditions. Build resilience, set new goals, break them into small bits and go after them. Swallow our ego when treading on uncharted waters, and ask for help when we need it. Rather than shrink from change, let’s embrace the thrill of taking on the unknown, learn new lessons, relish the experiences, and enjoy the ride.

    Cheers!

  • I Met A Gentleman

    I had never known a gentleman, till I met Mr. Raphael, our sweet tempered neighbor. He always looked out for me, tending to my wounds whenever I got hurt. His touch was tender and his words kind. I loved listening to his stories and enjoyed the treats that followed. He bought my favorite books; he knew they were my escape from the days of hawking oranges in the sun. I was not raised to be greedy, my dad’s death had made us my mother, siblings and I settle for whatever measly meals we could afford. So I turned down his treats at first, but he insisted and promised that there were no strings attached.

    ‘You are such a good girl. You deserve to be treated well,’ he said.

    His gait was confident, his smile beguiling, his words soft and convincing. It was those words that led me here.

    I’m sitting on the cold floor, clutching my ripped dress tightly to my chest. It is what remains of my stripped innocence. I stare blankly into space, still numb from the defilement. My throat is blocked with unshed tears.

    I cannot bring myself to cry over the monster in front of me. My screams had made no difference. My pleas offered no respite. When he grabbed me and threw me on the bed, I had thrashed and kicked but he persisted till I lay in a helpless heap. When he found his release, I writhed in pain.

    ‘I will hurt you more if you ever tell anyone about this.’ His smile is sinister, his voice as ice. I shudder as his words chill my bones. My body shakes violently as the dam breaks, and my tears freely flow, washing away my hopes and dreams.

    I was only 12 years old when I met a gentleman.

  • Self: The empty Journey

    Self: The empty Journey

    The strong voice of the preacher penetrated the quietness and resounded across the room. His words were so powerful that they seemed to penetrate the strong sturdy walls of the room… ‘I say to you, Love your neighbor as yourself.’ His animated gestures reflected the fervency of his heart.

    If only he could see the walls beyond the room; the barriers in the heart of men; the voice of the mind and the questions that nature raised.

    Out of the stillness, a voice screamed…’how do I love my neighbor when I do not love myself?’ Yes the voice of reason spoke out.

    In that split second, the focus of men shifted, and people sought for answers because of the appeal it made to their nature. Everyone forgot about the neighbor the preacher spoke of. The scramble for gratification became intense, and self became magnified. Oh how men sought and fought, shoved and strived, lied and manipulated, even maimed and killed to get their own way.

    In the quest for self, the satisfaction each man sought for eluded their reach. Just a little more, they thought, till days became years, and tears became rivers of blood. Then the ground opened up and received each one…empty!

  • Beyond The Sheets: Be Inspired to Do

    Beyond The Sheets: Be Inspired to Do

    The pen scratched the sheet of paper and words flowed with such fluidity that even the writer marveled.

    The list grew longer. “I will…I will and I will” then at the last dot, he dropped his pen, leaned back in his chair and smiled. “There, all done. This is beautiful.”

    Then the unexpected happened.

    Each sentence of “I will” took form and the figments of his imagination leaped off the sheet. His eyes grew wide and he cried out in agony. “Nooooo. Come back here! You were made for the sheet and not the world.”

    He shot out of the chair and ran after the forms grabbing at them frantically. He groaned as they ducked and swerved and eluded his grasp. One jumped out the window, another through the open door. Each searched and squeezed through any opening found. Soon they had all escaped and his sheet was left bare.

    He sunk to the floor in despair and cried out at his loss.

    Then he heard a call that sounded much like his voice. He stood and wiped his tears. Still holding his empty sheet, he stepped out of his room.

    “Ohh…” The sight he met left him breathless. His hands flew to his mouth and his sheet slipped down to the moist ground. He stood transfixed by the indescribable beauty of the world he beheld, at the splatter of color that followed the tiny forms that bounced all over.

    “What…how..who?

    He felt a slight tug at the helm of his trouser, so he looked down. A tiny figure smiled up at him,

    “We were made for the world and not the sheet.”

  • Letting Go

    Heavy heart, aching eyes, trembling lips and a battered soul are all that are mine.
    But to the hellos and waves, I offer lit eyes and bright smiles.
    Day by day, my hope fades;
    Bit by bit, my strength wanes.
    They say it’s just a phase,
    but it’s more like a race;
    a never ending craze.
    Turn after turn, I search for a way,
    out of this maze.
    But all i find, is futility as a prize.

    Desperately I cry out,
    overwhelmed I give it all up.
    I fall to my knees and am still.
    It’s then that His whisper embraces me.
    In it, His truth rings out,
    louder than all my worries.
    I draw near and bask in His promises.
    The shackles of anxiety loosen and my fears take flight.
    It’s in this moment that I find peace.
    In this fellowship, the haze clears.
    I am at ease cuz my cares are His,
    and my soul finds rest in the promise of His love.