GIFT FROM GOD, REFLECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS

Wale, I know! LOL. It's been hectic lately. I haven't really said anything much about it but I AM GOING TO NAIJA TOMORROW! Yay! I get to spend Xmas with the family and getting prepared for it has been crazy. I have seen the inside of every single mall in ATL, and I never in my life thought I'd ever say these words.......ladies, forgive me but, I HATE SHOPPING! I'm sure it will pass, LOL but for now, I don't want to see the inside of another mall for a while. So I head home till January 8th. Now, don't ask me how I got so much time off from a job I just started in August. Let's just say God blessed me with a cool boss.

So, I realized that I have posted about every member of my immediate family except for my little brother, Oreoluwa. So some of this will be about him. He very much deserves his own post but since I'm trying to cram as much as possible into this one, this will have to do. Bobo, please forgive me...I know you deserve more.

Oreoluwa Toluwalase was born on Feb 27th 1990 and from the go he was a special baby. He has the distinction of being the only boy and the youngest child of our family. We call him Bobo. I had such a bond with him from the moment he was born and it has only grown stronger. At 7 months old, he was dropped in the bathtub by our housekeeper who failed to convey to us the gravity of the fall. By the time we figured it out and took him to the doctor about a week later, it was too late.....it was suggested that his right arm be amputated because the tissues holding everything together had broken up and the arm would be useless. My parents refused and looked into surgery as an option. This little boy went through at least 4 surgeries, a metal rod in his arm, and lots of pain and suffering between the ages of 1 and 3. I will never forget being in the hospital room with my mom and brother and nurses sneaking in in the dark of night, shaking my baby brother awake, and squeezing tons of blood and pus from his arm as he lay there screaming from the agony of it all. I remember a time that Bobo was silent...not a peep would come out of him. He would just watch what was going on around him. I like to think it was because he had cried all the pain out. He finally began to speak and play and do everything he should have been and more. We always read to him at home, talked to him, taught him to write with his left hand since his right was bound. He never ceased to amaze us at how intelligent he was. He picked things up quickly, and was just an impressive little boy. Even though he started school late by Nigerian standards, he quickly caught up and went above and beyond. His right arm is deeply scarred and slightly larger than the left and he can have corrective surgery but he has chosen not to. His right arm is a testimony to how much he has overcome and how strong he is.

I had always suspected that Bobo was a special child and had been sent to us as some kind of teacher but it was during this time that I knew WITHOUT A DOUBT that this special boy was sent here for a specific purpose. He will be able to deal with absolutely anything that comes his way and he will be a great man. My brother is now 16 and wise beyond his years. I often tell people that I want to get his IQ tested cos I'm sure it's off the charts...LOL. I missed really seeing him grow up because I moved to London when I was 12 and he was 3 but we have remained close. He has an amazing relationship with God that is beyond me. This relationship has protected him at times when we (my family) couldn't. One of my uncles calls him Pastor because he can stand up and preach a passionate and convicted sermon with no preparation whatsoever. He knows the Bible inside and out, knows what he believes and truly loves God. We always have adult conversations because I don't want to insult his intelligence by treating him like a child. He has often shared nuggets of wisdom with me that are beyond his years. He has a way of looking at the world and at people without judgement and with love. He listens to criticisms, and works hard to change. He is an example to me, and has never been afraid to gently chastise me when I am being plain wrong and I love him for that. He is a talented singer and lyricist. He is an incredible writer, a deep thinker and a good, kind, understanding human being. Below is something he recently wrote. I read it and was just so impressed. My little brother will change the world, I have no doubt, and I am excited about that. I pray that I will be along for the ride as he does it. Except that he's not really little anymore.......he's 6ft 3 and still growing...LOL!

Love your country as yourself - Dec. 19, 2006 at 03:15 PM
"No matter where you go, make you no forget your area". - Sound Sultan
I'm a Nigerian. And I love being one. Even though some people don't. Even though there are quite a few rotten eggs and bad garri in all the wrong places, I still love Naija. It's not her fault that she's not well taken care of. A good number of her kids don't spend time with her, even when the time is there, and some of the children that have always been with her were and are always screwing her up. Most of us will say that it's a few of the 'foreign characters' (and I mean no offence by this, I mean, PEOPLE say it, not me), but even if this were so, we are not supposed to be doing nothing about it. We have spent about 46 years blaming 'foreign characters' and I don't think we should whine any longer. What I'm sayin is, if you love your country, and want to be part of its future, do something about its present! And even though you think she doesn't deserve your love, what's the harm in loving anyway?

And I thought I'd add another of his pieces too just because...LOL
Hi.... ummm... sorry my last entry was too long for you guys( I'm sure you couldn't read it all; a shout-out to my guys in the cyber-cafes). Soooo.... here I am at home..... returning from the university for my christmas break. Redeemer's University, to be exact(heard there's a group here; where do I join?),so you'll know that I'm not tryin a give you fake stuff to think about. I'm now an undergraduate. I have been intro'd to some of the pride and prestige that comes with being a big fish in a small pond(please note: I am not being cocky,just confident). ANd I have also been introduced to the big rush-rush-and-put-in-extra-work-while-you're-at-it life there too. It was not easy the first few weeks. I was two months late to the 'university of my dreams', so you can tell I had a lot of work to do. 'How hard can this registration thing be?' I thought. This was before I saw the 10-plus forms to fill, the nine courses I had to register for, and the notes I had to put down. Redeemer's University is not one of the ultra-ultra-modern uni's where everything is all down on electronic books,PDAs and laptops. We are okay with the paper,notes,pens,and photocopying machine, thank you very much. So it was that afternoon after morning after night, for about two weeks, I was running from the office block to the photocopying office to the lecture room and back to the office block again. Not funny. I was copying my banking and finance notes(with pen, not machine) one night, and about an hour later, I was like 'dude, don't play with yourself'. Even the registration was not a joke. I had more 'come-back-tomorrows' than I could take, and when you're still struggling to get the first signature on your course form before the deadline in two days' time, you can only wonder when you'll finish this. But here I am, a bona-fide student of Redeemer's, and I finished it all before the deadline. But I had to hustle. You'd think Rick Ross was just rappin' for money until you take a look at my life between 8th November and 8th December, 2006. I hustled to get the form; I hustled to get through the exams and interview; I hustled to get registered; yes..... ME! So I'm the only one who understands what is at stake here. This experience opened a whole new chapter in the Beautiful Book of the Beautiful(and real) Life of Ore Akintobi, Future B.Sc. & Ph.D. Economics, and World leader( By the Grace of God). At this point, I realised that secondary school was not all that; university is much more. The stakes are higher, and you have more to gain or lose each day. And don't forget that some tight-a** bull***t happens(forget the language),and there's nothing you can do about it! So, welcome to The Real World, Kid!

If you wanna see more, you can find his writings at http://ak4sho.hi5.com

On to Reflections 2006, and Projections 2007

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE

I have learned a lot this year...about myself, about others, about the true meaning of friendship, about what I want from life and love, about the importance of strength of character, about the importance of giving and sharing, and about my relationship with God. So I'm starting my "WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE" list, which will be a constant work in progress as I will be adding to it as time passes.

- A good woman has strength and a sense of humor.
- "If God wanted to punish us, He would answer all our prayers." - Uncle Enyi
- Love is an important part of the package but it is NOT enough.
- Good friends are hard to find, I think I'll keep mine. (Thank you Kesingsheen...LOL)
- A man who TRULY wants you, will do what it takes to get you AND keep you. Including wait, or hurry up and buy that ring...LOL.
- Patience is not just a virtue, it is a necessity for success.

More to come.

As 2007 approaches, I plan not to make any resolutions. I have goals I would like to attain and have no choice but to attain so calling it a resolution won't work for me. The big ones for me are to pay down my debt and spend less, to take the GMAT and do well on it, and to grow in my relationship with my God. Everything else will happen as it should. I would like to read more intellectual things, meet more cool people, travel a lot, learn more languages, -Italian and Portuguese specifically, make more money, and I could go on......I will try to do as many of these things as I can but won't kick myself if they don't happen. Maybe except for the 'make more money' one...LOL. And of course, there are the subjective things; like to be a better friend and human being, to do a better job of keeping in touch with people, to be more open to new experiences...you get the point. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway people, this is getting way too long. I was planning on finally doing the tags I've failed to do, and copy Icy by answering the questionnaire she has on her page but not today! LOL. Thank you for welcoming me into Blogsville so warmly. I look forward to next year and am excited that we will all start it together. You all stay blessed, stay strong, yesterday is gone, tomorrow is another opportunity for a new start. I will be back in the New Year to regale you with Naija gist. Anyone who also happens to be going to Naija, if you see me in the street, please stop me and say you know me..LOL. Have a joyous holiday season and I'll holla in the New Year.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS....

If money was no object, here's my fantasy christmas wish list:

THE LOUIS VUITTON MONOGRAM CANVAS SPEEDY 30 BAG

$5000 VISA GIFT CARD TO SPEND ON A WHOLE NEW WARDROBE

THE TIFFANY CLASSIC ID BRACELET - MATCHING NECKLACE WOULDN'T HURT EITHER

THE VIDEO IPOD

THE BLACK MACBOOK

MY BABY DADDY - IDRIS ELBA.....LOL.

Now.......GET TO SHOPPING. LOL

THE POWER OF THE BOOK IS MIGHTY

I love to read. Now, I prefer to read certain things more than others but I'll read anything. I always have a book and a magazine or two with me everywhere I go. Should I get stuck, say in the doctor's office with all those baby magazines and nothing else to read, you better believe I'll pick one of those puppies up. Or God forbid, at the local Tires Plus waiting for my car to be tuned up, I will, with no other choice, pick up the Car and Tire magazine and read that ish! LOL. You can never read too much.

One of the reasons I loved school so much was because I was exposed to so many different authors, and to new genres. I was never a big fan of any kind of non-fiction until I took some political science and history courses in my college years and saw the true merit of books like "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Loewen, "Malcolm and Martin" by James Cone and a People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Other writers I now pay attention to include; Thomas Friedman, Cornell West and Henry Louis Gates Jr. I remember reading the Color Purple and I know Why The Caged Bird Sings as an adult and really getting it. And reading Animal Farm and Charlotte's Web as an adult and finally understanding that they weren't just fictional stories I had enjoyed in my childhood but that they had significant messages and historical undertones. There are so many books I read as a child beause I was so curious and hungry that I enjoyed but never truly understood until I read them again later in my life. These include the classics by Dickens, Jane Eyre and the Bronte Sisters. Their books were not just stories, they were a commentary on life in those times. They were fun history lessons.

I am so grateful to my parents for encouraging me to read so much as a child. My mom especially, was always reading something and I always liked to copy my mom so when she'd sit down after work reading her newspaper, I wanted to be reading too. It got so bad at one point that when we visited people's homes, I would bury myself in a corner and read instead of playing with other kids. Thankfully, I grew out of that. Eventually, the Enid Blyton, Sweet Valley and Nancy Drew books weren't doing it for me at age 8 anymore so I probably read a lot of things I shouldn't have at an early age. I was just hungry for more. Never mind that reading voraciously is an asset in life. Anyone who can read very well will have less of a hard time with academics and beyond. We all know that's a fact. But reading for me is an escape. I don't always need to take an exotic vacation somewhere to relieve stress. Just give me a damn good book. When I need to destress and not think, I'll pick up a trashy novel. When I need to think and learn, I'll pick up something more inclined to help me do that. Reading is also a saviour of sorts. When I think about how much I've gotten away with sounding intelligent in discussions with intellectuals just because I've read up on something, I chuckle. I've heard my girl Oprah talk about how reading books helped her temporarily escape from the nightmare that was her life. Reading saved her in many ways hence her bookclub which has jumpstarted the career of many, and opened my mind to more knowledge - thanks Oprah girl!

Even the trashy novels I read frequently teach me something, be it about the place it is set in that I never knew about, or the use of some big word I didn't previously know. The Power of The Book is mighty for many reasons but mostly because it gives us knowledge, and we all know what they say about knowledge being power. Needless to say, my kids will love to read......they'll have no other choice, LOL.

I am supposed to be updating LondonBuki's bookclub blog with all my reads but I haven't done that lately. I'll have to get to that soon. I am currently reading "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. It's coming along slowly but surely. I am also reading Suze Orman's "Young, Fabulous and Broke" for the 50th time. LOL. That should tell you something, huh? What are you guys reading?

Now, to quote a great author whom I didn't discover sadly until my late teens;

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr. Seuss

Have a great weekend guys!!!!!!!!!!