The Voyager In You

Welcome back! How did May go? I hope you were not too overwhelmed? How are your stabilizers doing? Are you ready to voyage with me? Let’s go then!

In the past, when I saw a graduate of a Nigerian federal university, I was wowed, thinking; this person must be really wise with all that knowledge he acquired in 4 or 5 years! That was back then, now, I consider so much more. From Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike to missing scripts, stories of lecturers victimising students, payment even after writing an exam you prepared for, ghost students who pay their way through school, extortion, payment for books you will never need, frustration in the hands of non-academic staffs when it comes to filing papers, cultism, project writing issues, etcetera.

There is so much that runs through my mind when I see a graduate from a federal university in Nigeria (let me know if there is any similarity with private schools or public schools outside Nigeria), I am not in awe, instead I am curious and concerned in some cases.

I wonder if they actually merited those good scores on their papers and if the bad scores were simply missing scripts or victimization. I observe to see how mentally stable this person is after going through such hell.  I tell myself the paper they present is not enough until I see what they really know. I guess now I understand why some employers look beyond the certificates. This is how other people probably look at us too. To everyone doing their best in a federal university in Nigeria, my heart goes out to us. To those hoping to get in, I pray for you that you will come out in one piece. To those who graduated and still find a reason to smile, do not forget to send love to the rest of us. Alright back to The Voyager in You!

Do you like adventures? I love them!

Let’s go restore the heart of Te Fiti, shall we?

Although I am yet to go on a proper one, I have read and listened to lots of stories of adventures and road trips. It is always exciting when you get a first-hand gist about the quiet, and some might say ‘creepy’ old lady, that lives at the foot of the mountain or how Sam mistook a twig for snake and screamed his lungs out. Granted, the trip was about climbing to the peak of the mountain, but the adventure started the moment they set off. Everything that happened along the way built up to that immense joy they felt after reaching the peak of the mountain. The destination is worth the focus but do not miss out on the journey. Our story develops in the journey, it takes up 399 pages, the destination is the end with just 1 page so why are you in such a rush to get down there?

The Voyager in You

This story goes way back, 
buried deep down in our memory sack. 
When it was all about colours, tantrums and rhymes. 
We wanted to grow up yet we lived in the moment; 
Future was bright but we embraced the present, 
We were contented with sand and dolls 
Our subconscious knew that life would play us all. 
These were baby steps. 

We lived. 
What changed? 

Time travelled and left us behind. 
Stuck with the idea of black and white 
Unwilling to accept that there was red and green too. 
Cliques and squad, anger and envy 
These new peers hungered for much more 
Shells were broken to reveal vile, 
Many grew backbones and others crumpled from the blows. 
This was the true beginning.

We survived. 
What changed? 

Life happened, like it always does. 
We do not remember how to live 
The universe drenched us in cold facts. 
These are the uncertain times, hungry days of more and more 
We have become slaves to the endpoint, 
pursuit of obsessions with no memory of our true reflection 
Voyagers, now settled on an island 
We lost our wonder.

We died. 
Everything changed. 


               ⛵

According to the English dictionary, a Voyager is a traveller, a person who explores new lands and worlds. To explore is To travel somewhere in search of discovery. Discovery is An act of uncovering or revealing something; a revelation. The purpose of voyage is discovery.

If you were told that you have one week left on earth, can you accept it with a smile knowing you have made the most of your life so far? There is this illusion that we have enough time and another one is that there is not enough time. The moment we hear ‘death’, we realise that we do not have time, yet we had time. If you teleport to a new island on every voyage, there is no story to write because you missed out on the entire process of discovery . On the other hand, when you sail miles, singing the Wellerman, overcoming Darkseid, surviving the icy Ahtohallan and fighting Themysciran wars, there lies an interesting story.

Wars are too fierce, I do not pray for one, ever.

It is not about the next island you will discover, the story lies in the process of discovery. Are you living, surviving or merely existing? Where is your happy place? Where do you come alive? I liked the feeling of air whipping around me when I used to run, it made me feel unstoppable. Maybe this is why I love bikes and convertibles, if air can come in fast, I am game for it. Then there is water, I smile really wide at the sight of the beach, I am probably a descendant of the air and water nation, maybe that is why I have always liked Katara. So where is your happy place? Where do you come alive? Anyway, back to the main topic! Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything, do you fully grasp the meaning?

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1.

We can work towards it, prepare to grab the opportunity when it comes, that’s all we can control. So why get frustrated and gloomy over things beyond our control? The silent “God when?” we chorus because we have already given ourselves the same time as the person we admire or envy. Isn’t that the biggest joke ever? Because the bitter truth is, we do not have the same time. You agree that we have different interests, goals and purpose so why do you think we have the same time?

A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Ecclesiastes 3:2

When is your birthday? It’s not the same for everyone right? It varies, just like the final day will be. Again I ask, why are you in a hurry to meet another person’s end? Let us throw in a little agricultural science lesson here; plants grow in different seasons, the end of one is the start of another so that come rain or sun, there’s something to feed on. This makes me wonder why we try to plant everything about life in one season.

Global warming is real.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. Ecc 3:4

Ecc 4:10 talks about two being better than one because when one is down, the other can lift him up. If someone is able to pull you up then they are either stronger than you in that moment or in an advantaged position. B might not always be stronger than A but my focus is in that particular time, it was B’s turn to do the lifting. This begs the question, why are you spiteful that someone else is laughing while you weep? Do you realise that while you danced someone else wept too?

Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with thy might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. Ecc 9:10

A wise man I know would say, ‘be involved or walk out’. I have heard people say ‘it is not that deep’ to the “little things”. For me it is, every word spoken, every step taken, I try to do them with that consciousness that we only get one shot at this life. Every day is unique because it will never come back again. We stumble like everyone else but we know that the failures and trials are only part of the journey so we will keep writing this story. We are working with our individual time, not that of someone else. One day at a time, in joy and wealth, sickness and health, one day at a time. Every millisecond counts!

What will you do differently?

I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance overtake them all. Ecc 9:11

Our time here is temporary, we are just passing by. There’s a saying that goes, we did not stop playing because we grew old, rather we grew old because we stopped playing. So tell me, do you still feel everyday is a discovery? Do you pick out the lesson in every step and do better the next day? Or have you already lost your wonder?

Thank you for reading and supporting my blog❤️. Remember to leave a comment, let me know your thoughts. You can also connect with me via social media. Stay safe, stay in control and live. Appreciate the efforts you put in climbing, the celebration is not only reserved for the peak! Do not become a slave to the endpoint because it is endless; the end of one is the beginning of another. Try not to loose the child within you because that is where the wonder lies. See you on the next blog post!