Scrambled Post Numero Dos: The Pressure To Perform
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We were driving out of our compound, the hubby and I, on our way to a hangout one fateful day. That day wasn’t the first time we noticed it but it was the first time the hubby commented on/about it, “This couple live a really weird life!” and I totally concurred with that assessment. Why? If you said some ghosts reside in that flat, you might not be totally wrong…the flat is always as quiet as a tomb, the only sign of “life” being the cars parked in the car lot and the occasional swish of their living room blinds! And they are not old folks oo….those two would be in their mid-thirties max! I do remember saying, “If only they have kids!!”
Days later, I heard a bit of their story….and another story totally unrelated to theirs:
Story 1: In his former flat when he was still a struggling bachelor, things went from rosy {ok, maybe not rosy but life was great} to unbelievable hard luck. When he got married, everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief….believe it or not, there’s always the inexplicable showers of blessings that settle on couples after they are legally hooked up, from their wedding day sef…I kid you not. Even the Bible said, “He that finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor in the sight of God”.
And so after marriage, jobs knocked on their doors; contracts came from far and wide; life was good again. Then the Mrs became pregnant and their joy was complete. Notice I didn’t say the Mrs had a baby because that joy was truncated…she miscarried! With that unfortunate incidence, badluck finally located their address, took up residence with them and refused to leave them be. It came down to either they moved out or badluck takes a hike. Badluck refused to bulge...they moved!!!
Story 2: Chuks* hustled really early in life….at age 27, he was already a manager of some sort in his place of employment and he never forgets to mention that fact every opportunity he gets. Nice crib, tear-rubber Kia moto {with that igbo accent}, and then the girls….dude was living largesse.
Then....came the suspension, the demotion and finally the sack letter from work!!!
Two stories so unrelated and yet so similar. These lives however had some factor in common: they were both tenants in the same apartment complex at that time...they had the same landlady and rumor has it that she is as diabolical as they come!
This brings me to the issue I wanted to discuss today: Some evil that {wo}men do!
Why would a landlady settle for mortgaging her tenants' good fortunes for her own selfish gains? You already OWN a house...several i reckon, the tenants still pay for the accomodation and its still okay with you to take away their unborn child, their jobs, their happiness??? *Sidebar: I'm not inclined to believe all these jazz stories i hear but hey, i didnt live the experiences....my neighbours did. As at today, that compound is uninhabited cos their gist have made the rounds and nobody wants to be Madam Landlord's next victim. My neighbour and his wife are still trying to pick up pieces of their lives; Chuks got gainfully employed 2 months after he moved out....
Growing up, i had this classmate with moneybags as parents. Their house was huuuuuuuge, especially so to my young eyes and they were always always chaffeur-driven to and from school. They had the best of everything. Somehow, this story filtered into school that their father sacrificed the mental health of their eldest sibling for the riches, reducing the poor boy to an imbecile. Whether there were any truth in that, yours truly cannot say but i've heard similar stories over time...too many i dare say...that it makes one wonder. I do know i kept a very safe distance from them after that story!
Stories of wealthy men without neither wives nor children abound, something to do with the dubious ways those monies were made. Tales of varying misfortunes that follow women that "know" such men in the biblical sense equally abound! All for what? Recognition, the i-have-arrived type? Greed?
Somehow, I Am Content With What I Have has become my mantra. It has to be. Rome was not built in a day...it took years of planning, years of careful execution of laid-down plans...no corners cut, years of hardwork and committment. If it were quickfixed, im sure it woulda come apart like a pack of cards eons ago!
The society should not pressure us into having what we obviously cannot afford, by any means necessary. I mean, do you have any idea how many kids have been pressured into stealing from their parents by an innocent enough tweet or status message that says, "Chilling in KFC...amazeballs"? If you reside in Lagos, the sightings of young unemployed girls mostly in their teens {some of them students, some of them from relatively humble backgrounds} with 24inch original brazilian/malaysian/peruvian weaves are pretty much common occurences. However, if you know how expensive those weaves are, you'll begin to understand the point im trying to communicate. Heck, some of us pay in three instalments for those weaves and we are gainfully employed! The pressure....
Let me not even dabble into the subject of the Blackberry. If you live in this country, Lagos to be precise and you do not owe a BB, i have just one message for you,"Welcome to 2011. To be able to live in today's world, kindly make your way to Computer Village and purchase yourself one, new, used or otherwise. Its in your best interest! PING!" I say this because i seriously believe you've just been released from that cryogenic prison that held you hostage for so long! Otherwise, how come you do not have a BB? The pressure....
The iPad came out last year....the hype and the raves that followed after its launch were so freaking unbelieavable, i actually convinced myself there was need for one and so, i bought one. I will admit to feeling really good with myself after that purchase...levels. I was still trying to learn how to blog from that contraption when iPad2 hit the market! WTF?? Seriously, in less that four months, my purchase was outdated? The nerve of Apple. Somehow, i have convinced myself that there is absolutely no difference between both iPads and that is what i believe. If you have any contradicting opinions, i'll beg you to keep it to yourself....i am happy where i am right now.
But alas, the Blackberry Playbook is out. The truth, guys, is that i am still happy where i am. Unless that tablet or any other of its kind that might make an appearance in the nearest future can wake me up in the mornings with a cup of tea, take me through my exercise routines, feed the kids breakfast, bathe them and prep them for school, unless that tablet will cook my meals and do the kids homework, attend open days and take notes all by itself, unless that tablet is simply put MINI-ME, i am not shelling my hard earned money to buy nada...pressure be damned! Kilode?!
But hey, this is just my opinion....you are entitled to yours.
Been a while. Missed y'all!
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2 comments:
Im the first! Yay! Okay...im feeling quite smug that i waited before getting the Ipad, cos i just knew Apple would try to outdo themselves just like they did with the iphone...once bitten twice shy. And ahem! I have TRIED to be content.It is a process. I will get there oneday.lol. II cannot afford to be upgrading to the latest things everytime so i find wat works for me. If i like BB9700, naim i go use and NOBODY will convince me otherwise...my friends know this. Our generation or would I say the younger generation have got it all twisted. Where do they get the MONEY from????where???I get so upset when I see how we have misplaced priorities. We all need to learn to be content! Period!Love your Ipad 1, love you BBCurve, love your 3310 IF THATS ALL YOU CAN AFFORD! I can make you convince yourself that sachet water is better than bottled water and buka food is sweeter than tantalizers....lol....if i so wish!
Thank you, Yemzay..thank you! If 3310 is all you can afford, love it like its iphone 4! Do not covet Ogbanje's BBTorch cos, honestly, you have no idea how she came by it or what she had to do for it!
Contentment will come...in time, it'll come! Until then, try hold body! E go better!!!
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