BILLS (2)

BILLS//

° ILEFO

This is the 'i better pass my neighbor' bill.
For those who'll rather buy respect than earn it, this is the bill to pay.
This is the bill to be paid to get yourself into some kind of associations, knowing that you win or lose respect based on the company that you keep.

This is the bill that keep telling you to ask for more shift hours at work.
This is the bill that gets you to work more than one job.
This is why you invest (sow seeds) in the establishments of these pastorpreneurs, and/or seek financial miracles in other strange places.

This is not a bill of survival but has claimed the lives of many, and stripped others of their self-worth.

In this current dispensation, you cannot claim to be blessed without tendering the receipts of this bill as proof.

You are indebted to this bill for as long as you are in pursuit of happiness- the one you think can be bought.

TO BE CONTINUED>>> PART 3: BEKUNBEKUN

BILLS (1)

BILLS//

° ASIRI
Do you wonder why people call you 'boss', 'alayé', 'olowo' etc., despite them not knowing the state of your bank account? It's because you are able to cover this bill month in and month out.
This bill is the first determinant of the way people treat you within your community. You earn respect when you don't make a drama out of paying this bill, and you become the butt of the joke when you go cap in hand begging for money each time you need to settle this bill.

This bill is the reason why you are tolerating them at your place of work.
This is the bill that makes it hard for you to call-in sick.
This bill is the reason why you find that dream of yours impossible to achieve anytime to try to give it a go.

This bill leaves you with a bittersweet feeling each time you cover it. While you are happy that your nakedness has been covered yet again, a ting of sadness is aroused when you look at the very little you have left, which is barely sufficient to stretch across all the other areas of need.
You become despondent because there's no satisfaction in this sense of purpose. You can't make meaning out of life if this is what it's all about-- work - pay bills - die.

The reminders you have set for the repeat payment of this bill slaps you back to the reality of the race you are in - It's a never-ending race. This is the bill of survival.

TO BE CONTINUED>>> PART 2: ILEFO

AV

For i have not tested this before

...FOR I HAVE NOT TESTED THIS BEFORE.

This morning after i had dropped off the boys with their minder, i had tranquil space for a personal moment, which hitherto have become a luxury.

My mind hovered over several topics while i was getting dressed for work until it settled on one.

WHY ARE MANY LOSING THE BATTLES THEY OUGHT TO BE WINNING?

Battles are mostly won or lost on strategies, and a key of such strategies is the weapon and the use of it.

Going to battle with a weapon that you have not tested or that is too sophisticated for your handling guarantees a defeat, even if the opponent is  of a lower strength to you.

So what if your choice of weapon is 'crude' and not the experts' pick?
It's not about the experts' opinion but what you have tested before. It also does not have to be sophisticated to be effective.

You need an edge to win a duel and this edge comes in two ways: You are either  underrated, or misunderstood. These 2 things are exactly what your unconventional but effective choice of weapon gives you.
While they underrate your weapon in scorn and let down their guard, you are given the chance to go for a kill. On the other hand, they can become over cautious while trying to make sense out of your choice of weapon which also gives the opportunity to strike.

Don't go to the battle with untested weapons. The battle field is not a place for preparation. It is a place of execution.

1sam 17:38-39: Then Saul gave David his own armour--a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.

David won the battle against Goliath with just a sling. Whatever works for you is your weapon of victory. Stick to it!

DEFINITIONS:

Battle: Challenges, projects, ideas

Weapon: Approach, means of execution, plan, strength

Experts' pick: Popular opinion, Advices from those you respect.

AV

THE MAN

THE MAN//

Man is a SPIRIT that lives in a BODY and has a SOUL (MIND).

The MIND is the centre of all emotions and thoughts because it archives all experiences of Man.

The BODY, a pliant and fragile structure, is a servant of the MIND. It responds readily to whatever it is fed by the mind, and produces the corresponding effects, good or bad, from it.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of whatever the MIND can generate. The MIND therefore has to be kept in a prestine condition, above slavish indulgence in order for a man to rise, conquer and achieve.

The mind is difficult to tame. The battle of the mind is difficult to win.

Here is the goodnews! Man has the SPIRIT as the other strong force that can interfere with what goes on in the mind and reshape the body.
But the man's spirit cannot operate in vacuum. It has to be connected to a higher source. There are two of these sources: Light or darkness.

To get connected to the LIGHT is to become born again.
When this happens, only the SPIRIT gets born again. The body and the mind are not born again. That's why the old thoughts and actions are often still evident in man. It will take a consistent renewal of the mind for a complete transformation to happen. The mind has to be consistently feeding from the NEW SPIRIT, and the more it feeds from it, the more old thoughts and habits are replaced in its archive by new, Godly, clean, positive and uplifting ones.

A man whose MIND has become filled with filth, so much that it gets out of sync with the BODY, and which cannot get the harmony restored by the SPIRIT, will eventually fall off and die.

AV

VòGg FM

(Radio talk show)

OAP: Right now listeners, we are moving into the segment you have all been waiting for. The phone line will now be opened and you can call in to talk to our special guest for today. He's our guest. He's your favourite artist. You know how we do it on this programme - you ask for them, we bring them live for you. I'm still your amiable host, Akin VòGg a k a ITK: Ise to ki and it's your favourite station VòGg FM.  The number to call is 0123444555. The line is now ooooopppppeeeennnn!

1st Caller:......

2nd caller......

OAP: Yes o my people! We still dey here live on VòGg Fm, and your favourite artist is still live on the programme.  Why not call in....feel free to ask him any question....you know, sieze the moment to speak to this big star we have managed to....bring. Yes we have another caller on the line...
Hello, you are live on VòGg Fm. May I ask who is calling?

3rd caller: Hello. Una welldone o. My name is Larry.

OAP: Larry. Larry. Thanks for calling. Where are you calling from Larry?

3rd Caller: I dey call from Surulere here in Lagos.

OAP: Larry, fire on. The big man himself is here listening to you.

3rd caller: Oga musician, welldone o. Na just one question I be wan ask you and your other colleagues. This is the new year and I hope you people are going to have sense this year? I hope you people will save some of your money against when you start having all these sicknesses in the future. You drink, smoke, club, party, carry Oloso and abuse your body anyhow...then when you come sick you go dey find donation upandan. Oga, Nigerian pipu are tayad. We are very tayad of this nonsense. We buy your cds, pay to come to your show and you still want us to contribute for your hospital bills. Why are you pipu so wicked na? You pipu don't even help yourselves when you have problems. Oga you pipu should not kill us. We get enough problem of our own. We get problem for church.... We get for the economy...... Family own sef dey dere! If you bring problem on yourself this year, pulease be ready to carry it alone.

OAP: Larry...Larry....you seemed very angry. Take it easy man. These people are just catching fun....you know their job is hard, they need time to unwind....

3rd caller: Oga VòGg, I'm not angry. Angry for what? I'm just advising them because things will change from now on. Things will change. What are they even singing sef? They have corrupted all our youths finish with their useless songs. No morals.....just decay and more confusion. They cannot be fouling the air of the society and still be begging us to rescue them when the repercussions of their waywardness comes to escort them out of this life. Unless they change their ways.....we too won't care for them again. If they want to die, they can die....

OAP: Ok..OK...Larry.....We'll have to cut you off now to allow other callers in. Thank you Larry.

It's your homeboy Akin VòGg a k a ITK -Ise to ki.... and I'm still live on VòGg FM. Let's take some music to coooolllll down......

[Music plays: '...Baby I get big banana...I know you like big banana....']

AV

Don't keep quiet

Evening rant:

What you abet flourishes. What you condemn gradually rot away and die.

The way you are unable to keep quiet when you see something amazing, let it be the same when you see something unpleasant.

Ineffective leadership, condemn it!
Religious yahooism,  condemn it!
Creative mediocrity, condemn it!

We have all kept quiet so much that evil has overtaken good, lies have triumphed over truth, and mediocrity has killed excellence.

Let us promote peace over war, hardwork over dishonesty, genius over foolishness.

Abet what you want to see flourishing and condemn what you want dead.

©AV

Stay Grounded

Bi eda ba wa n'isale aye a ma gbadura wipe ki o ga. Bi o ba ga tan, aye yi kanaa ni yio tun ma gbadura wipe ko subu.

Aye ni n d'aso funfun si ni l'orun, ti won a tun sin enia lo si eti abata.

Gbogbo yin le mo itan 'a o m'erin j'oba' --
Not every hail lead to the throne.
Not every smile is genuine.
Not every kiss is affectionate.

When they sing your praise, mind how you dance. Sometimes those who congratulate you can create enemies for you.

STAY GROUNDED. STAY GROUNDED. STAY GROUNDED.

AV