Personal
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26. Numbered Days
For the fourth time in a month and a bit, I have been reminded of death, and dying – particularly dying young and what those who survive are left to deal with. The first of these was listening in to a thanksgiving service for S, someone I had only loosely known from church over the… Continue reading
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19. Language (Non) Skills
Very often at these family dos, I’m usually the only non speaker of the Nigerian language common to the South West which most of the family speaks. This, in addition to my Enneagram 5 tendencies, often means that I am on the periphery of conversations. Once in a while, someone might catch themselves, announcing loudly… Continue reading
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14. Aging, Again
Aging seems to be a theme on my mind, if two posts on consecutive days can be called a theme. On this occasion, an invitation to a friend’s 50th birthday bash in a city I used to live in is the trigger. Like all Nigerian parties there is a dress code, the start will inevitably… Continue reading
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13. Half way there…
Source The spectre of being a mere ninety days away from turning forty-seven is chilling, primarily in the sense of causing me to pause, and wonder where all the time went. It seems like it was only yesterday when I was a young, bright chap starting my first day of proper work. If the Office… Continue reading
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8. Re: Running Behind
Photo by Andy Beales on Unsplash — In her Granta essay, Running Behind, author Stephanie Wambugu reflects on her relationship with (a lack of) punctuality. Weddings and church services are specifically noted in the piece – no surprise to anyone who grew up in an African context. As someone who is fiercely protective of their… Continue reading
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5. Small chops
The train home for me passes through Feltham, home to perhaps one of the more visible Nigerian food spots in Surrey. Today on a whim, I opted for a pit stop, aiming to satisfy my cravings for some hot spicy food. Tucking in when I finally made it home, I felt transported to one of… Continue reading
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4. Music & Me: On Life in a Song
The Poets & Writers prompt, Music and Me had me thinking about how many of my memories of growing up are inextricably linked to music. One example which has stayed with me for a long time relates to the Mariah Carey / Whitney Houston duet When You Believe. Growing up as I did in a… Continue reading
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1 . Of Rituals and Of Rest
For the Grateful Living poem/prompt of the month: Tea — I am finding that life with two little children can come at you fast; a constant battle for space, attention and clarity of thought. On any given day it is a struggle to prevent the almost five year old from plunging headfirst down the stairs… Continue reading
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10,000 Hundred Friends
“Extreme” Reading, Cartoonised with Gemini I may be biased, but I am increasingly convinced that the most apt turns of phrase come from those who are yet to have the strictures of grammar and punctuation drilled into them. The most recent case in point was a conversation with L the Elder in which – walking… Continue reading
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Spring-ish
Out and about.. — It is perhaps something between wildly optimistic and foolhardy to call it for spring in the first week of March, but given the many days of sustained highs with temperatures north of 14C and nary a cloud in sight, one can be forgiven for snatching at these first nascent signs of… Continue reading