ABCs and 123s, phrases are made and seconds counted.
Camera clicks and selfie sticks;
Moments are captured and time is seized;
but my beating heart, fluttering tummy and fuzzy heart still remain.
I can hardly deny how you make me feel;
but to confess my obsession is to give in to delusion.
So I’ll let sleeping hopes lie and not rouse their desire
-2017
Author: Simi Joel
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Sleeping Hopes
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The Little Things That Make Us Smile
‘This is a joke. No, it has to be. Like really, it seriously has to be a joke. This sooo cannot be happening.’
‘What’s not happening?’
‘I’ll explain in just a moment’
My Community Development Service group was to carry out HIV counseling and testing exercise on the 9th of February, 2017. I approached the location with anticipation, trying to catch a glimpse of the canopy we had booked and paid for on Tuesday. Vendor was to have it set by 7:30am, when team members were supposed to start arriving, so we could start by 8am. I walked up to the spot to meet the plain empty dusty brown earth that Oluwatobi was standing on. I threw questions at him and his answers brought us back to the reality of the ‘plain empty dusty brown earth’. The vendor wasn’t responding to Oluwatobi’s calls, so we tried with my line. He didn’t respond but later called back, rather ‘flashed’. We called him and his questions started:
‘Eh ehn, how many canopy una want?’
‘HA! At this time? Oga you shouldn’t be asking this when you ought to have set up by now.’
Long story short, the vendor brought the stuff by 8:28am acting like he was doing us a favour. During the wait, other team members arrived. We rejected some broken tables and the canopy for fear of it collapsing. Then he brought out a better one from his truck. After plenty ‘raking’ and pondering at their lack of professionalism or ignorance of the existence of the word, we set up and commenced the exercise.
Things were going on in order when some men approached. Olasunkanmi immediately moved to usher them to a table, but soon a blank look crossed her features. She motioned to me that the man was deaf and we looked on for some seconds wondering what to do. Then Funmi walked up and started conversing with him in sign language. His face lit up, scratch that, all our faces lit up. Tayo clutched her hands to her chest and kept repeating ‘awwn’ over and over again. Funmi went through the counseling session, he got tested and left. The rest of the exercise went on well and we were off.
This little moment hasn’t left my mind, because it shadowed every other thing that happened that day. I can still see Funmi’s moving hands, the smiles they produced and the awe of the moment.
It made me smile because we were able to reach out to someone who otherwise might have lost out on a valuable service due to a disability.
#NYSC #service #proudlyCPET #get_tested #know_your_HIV_status #NYSC_diaries
NYSC Peer Educator Trainers CDS group , Egor L.G.A Edo State 2017 -
Expressions
I was at a low point, against the world, averse to love.
Then you waltzed into my life, with your breathtaking stride and mesmerizing smile.
I found safety in your arms, hope in your words, light in your eyes, strength in your smile and the will to go on.
Now it seems like it’s been forever that you and I have been together.So, in this moment I ask, that we cast our best memories on stone.
And let the ocean waves wash away our our worst with the sand.
Let’s go through life together, cuz we’ll go farther with each other.
Let the embers of our passion burn brighter, and our hearts mould tighter.
Let our bond be unbreakable and our love incorruptible.
Oh dear, all I ask is that our love never ends.-2017
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Making Happy New Year Last: 6 Tips to Avoid burn out
Dazzling lights, shimmering colors, ringing carols, and it was the season to be merry. The shouts of ‘Happy New Year’ rent the air, strangers cheered as friends, and people scrambled to create resolutions. Then, gradually the excitement waned and the rat race began once again. Like a graph with its highest peak at the beginning, our enthusiasm may be spiraling down through the year leaving us stressed out at the end.Stress puts a strain on our bodies and leaves us at risk of ill health, poor mental performance, premature aging, and illness. Holidays provide the chance to get off work, catch up on sleep, and get together with loved ones. After which we get back to work refreshed, with higher levels of energy, and productivity, which is good for health, workplace hence our career as well.
The good news is that you don’t have to burn out after the holidays. You can be happy, refreshed and productive through the year.
Here’s are a few tips to make that happen:
- Change your routine: You can’t do the same things and expect different results. Identify bad habits and make changes that can make your life easier.You may need to correct bad sleeping habits, eating habits and even work habits. Be honest about the things you’ve been doing that have been toxic to your life. Create replacements for such and work towards forming new habits.
2. Manage your time: Create boundaries for time wasting activities and people. Draw out priorities like ‘big rocks’ such as work, family, and enjoyable activities. Plan these out weekly and follow them as much as you can. Don’t procrastinate.
3. Create ‘me’ time: Break your cycle of busyness and take time out to recharge and reset. When you take care of yourself, you can care for other people and things better. It’s a pointer that you value yourself, and saves you from feeling exhausted, rushed and spent. Don’t be a martyr; you don’t have to say yes to everyone. You can turn down invitations from people just so you have time for yourself. You’ll be better for it.
4. Don’t bind yourself to drastic changes: as enticing as it is, resist the urge to commit to drastic changes, because it is the perfect formula for disappointment. There’s the tendency to be zealous when setting goals, but at this stage it’s easy to fail before you even start the journey. Rather than setting far-reaching goals, take small bites, experience some success and failures (nothing to beat yourself up about), celebrate you and/or review wrong choices, then take bigger bites and let the cycle of success continue.
5. Surround yourself with positive people: Having a good support system eases your journey towards goal achievement. Always try to look on the bright side of life, and surround yourself with people who do the same. They will make your life less stressed and more enjoyable.
6. Volunteer: It might sound cliché, but by giving to others you can make a difference, reduce stress, find friends, become part of a community, learn new skills, and have fun.
Here’s to a refreshing year.
Cheers!
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Jonathan Wake Up!
I was wrapped tightly in her warm embrace, pressed against her soft bossom. This was bliss.
‘Jonathan…’ The name floated in my subconscious but I ignored its summon.
‘Jonathan…’ The call was louder, drawing me out slowly from the blissful depth of sleep.
‘Jonathan!’
This time, the sharp call was accompanied by the sound of a door hitting the wall. I opened my eye slightly and looked towards the entrance to my room and saw my mom with a scowl on her face.
‘Jonathan get up now. It’s Monday!’ My heart sank, and my mind scrambled to produce a coherent response.
‘Uh…Okay.’ My voice was husky. ‘I want to pray’.
My mother’s scowl grew deeper as she stared at me.
‘If you wanted to pray, you would have woken up earlier.’ I didn’t move an inch.
‘Mom…just let me pray.’
She looked torn, most likely wondering if she should risk killing my spirituality. She still stood at the door, so I shut my eyes and started to move my lips. She left and I drifted once again.
‘Jonathan!’
‘O oo ooooh…’
I reluctantly pulled off my cover cloth and lifted myself off the bed. Wham! My head collided with the hard edge of the head rest and sharp pain shot through my brain to my toes. I clutched my throbbing head and clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming. I blinked rapidly to stop the sharp sting of tears in my eyes, and shook my head sadly. I was definitely awake now. That was more effective than my mother’s screams.*Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person dead or alive is simply a product of your imagination.
Simi Joel 