Bad things happen. Good things happen. Why do we find it so difficult to be thankful? Maybe its because we can't see the full picture of the puzzle that is our lives. You grow in bad times and enjoy the good times. As I sit and enjoy these last few hours of my 18th year, I can't but be thankful. The bad times this year made me grow immensely and the good times filled me with happiness. Looking back now, every single thing that happened, all fits nicely in my head. The puzzle that is my life is far from completed, but knowing that all those bad times fit together beautifully, give me the courage to go on. It wasn't an easy year but true to the meaning of my name; Oluwadara, God was so good.
As I turn 19 tomorrow (1st of August), my heart is so full of thanks. And I want to use this platform to express my gratitude. I really do hope you all can stay with me and grow with me through this amazing journey. My 18th year on earth has taught me that life is truly really wonderful. You'll have horrible times but all you need to do at those times is hang on. All you need to know is, Its all part of the puzzle and it'll definitely come together with time. The sun will shine again.
With all my love,
Dárà Rhodes x
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Friday 26 July 2013
Wrong.
Something is not right. Something is definitely not right. My society is rotting. My society is decaying. It's crumbling before my very eyes. How do I stop it? How do we stop it? Things have truly fallen apart. It's breaking my heart. How isn't it breaking anyone else's heart? Somebody must do something. Anybody must do something.
Let me tell you what has happened. You see, I live in an abnormal society. 3% of the society is oppressing and suppressing the remaining 97%. I saw a little girl chase a public bus on third mainland bridge and my heart literally broke. She couldn't have been more than two years older than my 5 years old sister whom I love ever so dearly. She was chasing after that bus to collect her money from one man who had just bought water from her. Who would let their precious little girl sell water on such a busy bridge? People in cars ranging from Porshes to range rover sports, watched as this little girl ran after a moving bus barefooted. Endangering her life. Afterall, it wasn't their business.
97% of the people in my society look on frustrated, defeated and angered as the 3% A.K.A the olowo's (wealthy people) flaunt their wealth in their faces. Surely, that's not right. They see the 'development' of their city/country but don't taste it. They are treated like garbage in their own country. Please tell me something is not right. I don't get it. I really don't. How are the 3% so completely blinded to the reality of our city and our country? Do they honestly not see the struggle or hear the cries of these innocent people? I live in a society where graduates with first class degrees are jobless and graduates with third class degrees or even no degrees (from abroad ofcourse) are PLACED in top positions simply because their father knows someone or is someone. The widows and fatherless cry out in distress daily yet, somehow their cries go unheard. Looking at the faces of the people in the public buses and all I see is pain, struggle and disappointment. How does nobody else see this?
Going to a wedding or party of the elite in Lagos or Abuja is like being transported into another world. Almost like paradise. Yes, its like escaping into some sort of heaven. A few minutes to adjust back to reality is certainly needed when the party ends. Everything is clean, shiny and expensive. There is food pouring out of every corner and there are more than enough drinks for every one in your village. The amount of food is literally sickening. Yet, thousands if not milions of people in this very same city are starving. Everyone is dressed like royalty and treated like dignitaries. Smiles, hugs and kisses abound. Music and dancing continue till the early hours of the morning. My question; what happens when the music fades? What happens when all the pandemonium, glitz, fashion and madness turns to darkness? Well, everyone carries on pretending. I guess.
I could go on and on about all the sectors we've blinded our eyes to but I'll stop here. My society is a facade. Worst part? We live like all is well. We live like we can't see the suffering of children the same ages as our children and loved ones. We live like our society is whole and booming. How do we think our society is normal? How have we deceived ourselves so much? How did we become so ridiculously selfish? So just because she/he is not your child you turn a deaf ear on their plea? My heart weeps when I see some faces in traffic or drive by certain areas. When will the eyes of our government see their plight? When will OUR own eyes see their struggle? Who will tell their story? Like I said at the begining of this post, something is not right and we HAVE to fix it. The innocent children of Nigeria DESERVE a better society.
With all my love,
Dárà Rhodes. X
Let me tell you what has happened. You see, I live in an abnormal society. 3% of the society is oppressing and suppressing the remaining 97%. I saw a little girl chase a public bus on third mainland bridge and my heart literally broke. She couldn't have been more than two years older than my 5 years old sister whom I love ever so dearly. She was chasing after that bus to collect her money from one man who had just bought water from her. Who would let their precious little girl sell water on such a busy bridge? People in cars ranging from Porshes to range rover sports, watched as this little girl ran after a moving bus barefooted. Endangering her life. Afterall, it wasn't their business.
97% of the people in my society look on frustrated, defeated and angered as the 3% A.K.A the olowo's (wealthy people) flaunt their wealth in their faces. Surely, that's not right. They see the 'development' of their city/country but don't taste it. They are treated like garbage in their own country. Please tell me something is not right. I don't get it. I really don't. How are the 3% so completely blinded to the reality of our city and our country? Do they honestly not see the struggle or hear the cries of these innocent people? I live in a society where graduates with first class degrees are jobless and graduates with third class degrees or even no degrees (from abroad ofcourse) are PLACED in top positions simply because their father knows someone or is someone. The widows and fatherless cry out in distress daily yet, somehow their cries go unheard. Looking at the faces of the people in the public buses and all I see is pain, struggle and disappointment. How does nobody else see this?
Going to a wedding or party of the elite in Lagos or Abuja is like being transported into another world. Almost like paradise. Yes, its like escaping into some sort of heaven. A few minutes to adjust back to reality is certainly needed when the party ends. Everything is clean, shiny and expensive. There is food pouring out of every corner and there are more than enough drinks for every one in your village. The amount of food is literally sickening. Yet, thousands if not milions of people in this very same city are starving. Everyone is dressed like royalty and treated like dignitaries. Smiles, hugs and kisses abound. Music and dancing continue till the early hours of the morning. My question; what happens when the music fades? What happens when all the pandemonium, glitz, fashion and madness turns to darkness? Well, everyone carries on pretending. I guess.
I could go on and on about all the sectors we've blinded our eyes to but I'll stop here. My society is a facade. Worst part? We live like all is well. We live like we can't see the suffering of children the same ages as our children and loved ones. We live like our society is whole and booming. How do we think our society is normal? How have we deceived ourselves so much? How did we become so ridiculously selfish? So just because she/he is not your child you turn a deaf ear on their plea? My heart weeps when I see some faces in traffic or drive by certain areas. When will the eyes of our government see their plight? When will OUR own eyes see their struggle? Who will tell their story? Like I said at the begining of this post, something is not right and we HAVE to fix it. The innocent children of Nigeria DESERVE a better society.
With all my love,
Dárà Rhodes. X
Monday 22 July 2013
Lagos, Nigeria.
There is something about Lagos. I knew it! I know it! I've always known it. Maybe it's the fact that it's the only real home I've known. Or, maybe it's the fact that it was a hospital in Victoria Island that welcomed me into this world. Whatever it is, I love it! The last time I was in Lagos was August 2010 (3 years ago) yet every single day I spent away from this city, my yearning to return only grew stronger. So, you cannot imagine my excitement and joy when I was given a chance to take a year out and work. Anywhere in the world. Yet, Lagos was all I saw.
Don't get me wrong. Lagos is still VERY much a developing state and there is still an incredulous amount of poverty in this city BUT it is home. My home. And nothing, absolutely nothing beats that. As I landed in Murtala Muhammed Airport that fateful morning, I couldn't help but notice that the weather wasn't as hot as I thought it'll be. Yes, its the raining season in Nigeria but I was still shocked to find it cooler than london. My mind translated that as, London/England had become too hot for me. Why or how? I'm still not sure but that coolness I felt that morning definitely stirred up something in me. The drought (heat) in Lagos is over. It is a new day in Lagos and Nigeria.
The journey home? Nothing in Lagos had quite changed. The roads, the hustle and bustle of the city at the crack of dawn and most importantly, the people. I was happy that everything was exactly the same, till I realised I was 3 years older. Then, I felt guilty. There I was being driven to my beautiful house after an immense/intense period of growth in my life had just occurred, while everything around me in my home city seemed to have remained stagnant. Still, I was grateful and overjoyed to be home. Nelson Mandela is right. "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." There is some growth, don't get me wrong. However, its been very minimal. There is something I've never quite understood. How do the Nigerians that live in diaspora do it? I can certainly not imagine living anywhere else in this world but Lagos. If you are a Nigerian in diaspora reading this, you need to at least return (if for nothing else, to experience Nelson Mandela's quote for yourself) home for a couple of days. I know Nigeria has some serious problems but if everyone runs from the country to countries they THINK have lesser problems, we are just creating bigger problems for our children.
Like I said at the very beginning of this post, there is something about Lagos. I can't explain what it is. Maybe it's even only me that feels it, but it is an amazing feeling. And I pray everyone has a city they feel this kind of passion about. So yes, here I am at the start of my 1 year in Lagos totally unaware of what this year holds for me. Nonetheless, I do know one thing. It IS a new day in Lagos. Remember, just because it doesn't feel like a new day to you, doesn't mean its not. Lagos Nigeria, I love you more than you'll ever know. Not because of the wonderful life you've given me and my family, but because of the amazing life I know you are capable of giving 99.9% of all your residents. Thank you for being my home and I can't wait to prove my love for you.
With all my love,
Dárà Rhodes x
Don't get me wrong. Lagos is still VERY much a developing state and there is still an incredulous amount of poverty in this city BUT it is home. My home. And nothing, absolutely nothing beats that. As I landed in Murtala Muhammed Airport that fateful morning, I couldn't help but notice that the weather wasn't as hot as I thought it'll be. Yes, its the raining season in Nigeria but I was still shocked to find it cooler than london. My mind translated that as, London/England had become too hot for me. Why or how? I'm still not sure but that coolness I felt that morning definitely stirred up something in me. The drought (heat) in Lagos is over. It is a new day in Lagos and Nigeria.
The journey home? Nothing in Lagos had quite changed. The roads, the hustle and bustle of the city at the crack of dawn and most importantly, the people. I was happy that everything was exactly the same, till I realised I was 3 years older. Then, I felt guilty. There I was being driven to my beautiful house after an immense/intense period of growth in my life had just occurred, while everything around me in my home city seemed to have remained stagnant. Still, I was grateful and overjoyed to be home. Nelson Mandela is right. "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." There is some growth, don't get me wrong. However, its been very minimal. There is something I've never quite understood. How do the Nigerians that live in diaspora do it? I can certainly not imagine living anywhere else in this world but Lagos. If you are a Nigerian in diaspora reading this, you need to at least return (if for nothing else, to experience Nelson Mandela's quote for yourself) home for a couple of days. I know Nigeria has some serious problems but if everyone runs from the country to countries they THINK have lesser problems, we are just creating bigger problems for our children.
Like I said at the very beginning of this post, there is something about Lagos. I can't explain what it is. Maybe it's even only me that feels it, but it is an amazing feeling. And I pray everyone has a city they feel this kind of passion about. So yes, here I am at the start of my 1 year in Lagos totally unaware of what this year holds for me. Nonetheless, I do know one thing. It IS a new day in Lagos. Remember, just because it doesn't feel like a new day to you, doesn't mean its not. Lagos Nigeria, I love you more than you'll ever know. Not because of the wonderful life you've given me and my family, but because of the amazing life I know you are capable of giving 99.9% of all your residents. Thank you for being my home and I can't wait to prove my love for you.
With all my love,
Dárà Rhodes x
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