Seems like just yesterday that we were
gossiping about the drama of 2016, and making “New Year, New Me” resolutions that we were planning to break.
Right??
2017 is almost a blur; it whizzed right
past with a snap of fingers, like a twirl of wind. Granted, it was not as
dramatic as 2016. But it did have its fair share of interesting events.
(Sigh)
Hold my hand, while I walk us through
the past 362 days... or as much of it as I can.
Worldwide
Irrespective of your personal opinion
(or lack of, thereof) of the United States, truth remains that the USA has
great influence on global affairs, in more ways than politics.
And so, it was with trepidation that
the whole world held its breath, as Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th
President of the United States. True to
his campaign promises, he embarked on obliterating every possible relic of the
immediate past administration; from immigration policies to health/tax overhauls.
In between the conspiracy drama with
Russia and the tantrum trade-offs with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un, POTUS never
failed to keep the world gainfully entertained in some piece of action or the
other.
Sadly, his administrative policies
sparked clashes between anti-racism campaigners (largely of the #BlackLivesMatter
movement) and white-supremacists (consisting mainly of members and affiliates
of the Klu-Klux-Klan), even as there is a visible surge in overt racism,
white-supremacy ideologies, and general racial intolerance in the USA.
Elsewhere in the world, faith in
humanity was equally shaken, with the emergence of a video footage (courtesy of
CNN), showing migrants (consisting largely of West Africans and predominantly
Nigerians) being ‘sold’ into slavery in Libya.
Even as the world turned its rays on
nabbing the immediate perpetrators of this crime, there remains the need for
accountability of the governments of the countries, whose nationals are victims
of this atrocity. This is because until such governments ensure that the
expectations of their citizens are met and their interests protected, these
citizens would continue to risk their lives in the search for a “better
tomorrow”, thereby ensuring that the ‘human market’ continues to thrive; perpetuating
the ugly cycle.
But it has not been bad news all
through;
2017 will be significant as the year in
which a large number of victims of hidden sexual abuse found their voice and received
liberation, in calling out their assailants. With the hashtag #MeToo,
revelations poured in against predators, which revelations have brought down
prominent people such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Even Judge Roy
Moore lost the Senate Election in Alabama, owing to his past victims of sexual
misconduct coming forward lifting the lid on their silence.
(It would seem that there is hope for
humanity after all)
Serena Williams gave us the most
BEAUTIFUL wedding of the year, while Queen Bey
ushered in her twins.
(She did not let us hear word with her
photoshoot 😏😏)
And we dissected the use of terms such
as ‘Cougar’ and ‘Bossy’, as labels created and/or used on women, in order to
make them feel or act smaller so as to avoid ridicule for their personal
lifestyle choices, or personality traits.
Live, and Let Live.
Nigeria
If the problem in the USA was that its
President was too ‘active’ - albeit in a rather dramatic sense - the case in
Nigeria was quite the reverse for 2017.
For the longest period in the history of
Nigeria as country, the President was absent from the country for a total
period of 155 days (almost 6 months), on rather obscure health grounds. And
while the people prayed for his good health, it did nothing to the ‘trust’
relationship between the President and his people that the real cause of his
long absence was never actually shared with the people who sponsored his
maintenance.
On the heels of his return in August was
an outright clash between agitators for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
and the Nigerian Army, in which civilians were maltreated and assaulted by the
Army. While the motive for common peace may have been valid, extra-judicial actions
of the Army (just like famed misconduct of the other security agencies, such as
the Police or SARS) belittles our fragile democracy, and the human rights of
the Nigerian citizens, which the Constitution guarantees.
In the meantime, the goodwill upon
which the present administration was voted in – the promise of change – appears
to be running out fast, even as things continue to remain the very same as they
have always been.
For example, the national refineries
are yet to be fixed, so that we have continued to import fuel at increased cost
to the people, with the festival of ‘fuel scarcity’ still being observed from
time to time.
In 2017, we were compelled as a nation
to confront the reality of Depression and the effect of Mental Health issues.
The passing of Taiwo Ariyo and other instances of depression-induced deaths
created the much-needed awareness, thus necessitating general public discourse
on depression.
While we are still a long way from
having adequate structures to effectively tackle mental health issues, our
collective recognition of the existence of mental health issues are large
strides in the dealing with the problems, while demystifying the stigma and
secrecy in which depression was hitherto shrouded.
We also kicked against the proposed affirmative
law by the Nigerian National Assembly, to ensure that 35% of Ministerial appointments
consist of women.
Why settle for 35%, when women should rightly have (at the very least) 50%?
And even though embarking on
international travel as a Nigerian is laden with various obstacles and
challenges, we all laughed at my one experience where my 'Nigerianness' saved me from paying coughing
dollars through my ears, on an international flight. 😄
Meet My Busy Mind
I promised a makeover at the end of last
year, did I not??
Well, we got made over at the beginning
of 2017 (yaaay!). Our reach increased,
we hit our 100th post milestone, and we even got our very own shiny
domain name.
But let me share a secret with you:
I almost shut it all down. Severally.
For starters, Writers’ Block is a real
female dog.
(*insert
appellation*)
When it hits you, there is NOTHING. As
in… zero. Zilch.
You are empty. Your well is dry. Your
ink is dead.
It is overwhelming.
This year, I learnt that Writers’ Block
hit the most when I was emotionally burnt-out. I came to understand that
writing as a mode of expression is tied to one’s state of mind, so that when I
struggled through emotions, my writing suffered.
The remedy was simple: take time off
from the stressors, and just chill.
Thankfully, Bima, Obinna and the rest
of the merry team were never too far away. I did not have to walk that road
alone.
But there was still the challenge of
having to juggle various activities and multitask a lot at the same time; often
tearing myself between my professional career, blogging, writing exams… and generally
enjoying my life on earth as a human being.
I discovered I was only able to
allocate time for all my activities by sheer willpower, owing to the fact that
I was genuinely passionate about all my activities. Which reiterates the
age-old principle: that if you love something/someone, you will always find the
time for it/them.
More importantly however, I was spurred
to keep writing, by personal messages I received from subscribers, sharing how
MMBM add value to them. Knowing that
there is at least one person, or two (maybe three even) whose life (or lives)
are made better by this blog was enough to keep me going.
That this platform affects lives
positively is more than adequate compensation for the late nights of
researching and writing. The privilege to share the voice of my busy mind with
the world makes my pillows fluffier at night.
The community upstairs is at peace. 😊
Me
In 2017, I learned a lot of life
lessons, and unlearnt a couple of others.
The month of May found me stuck in a
rut. I was being (literally) suffocated and boxed by circumstances I knew
felt I had no control over. Despair stared me right in the face, and life was
one, long dreary road.
And then, it hit me:
You ALWAYS have control of your
circumstances. It may require you getting out of your comfort zone, but life
will ALWAYS give you a choice.
I took the first step on a leap of
faith that month, and I snapped right back into my own.
My feet have not hit the ground yet
from that leap, but the thought that I had the courage to acknowledge that only
I was responsible for my own happiness, sanity and fulfillment keeps me flying
still.
Like the Israelites, I find myself
sometimes romanticizing Egypt, and flirting with all the “what ifs”.
But no one ever climbed Everest by
looking or going back. So, I march on.
This year, I learnt to hold on, even
when I wanted to walk away. And I learnt to walk away, even when I wanted to build a roof-hut, and hold tight.
(Confused? I was too) 😃
I mastered the art of picking my
battles, taking on only the very necessary ones.
After all, nobody was born with fire on
their head.
I learnt to relish inner peace, and desist from
avoidable conflicts, thereby reserving my energy and resources for the fights
over issues and with people that really matter.
Like the Nigerian Police.
I learnt to let my head steer my heart
a little more and how to negotiate better with the community upstairs. I learnt this year that being an adult is no
walk in the park, and the only advice I’d be getting would be more from my own
reflection in the mirror.
In 2017, I grew up.
And I am more than thankful for all the lessons
learnt, friends gained and onslaughts made.
2018 Plans... anyone??
I have outstandings from my 2017 list,
which are automatically at the top of my to-do list for the year.
Other than that, I’ll be focused on
taking one step on after the other, and taking each day as it comes.
To you, who have made MMBM your
homepage, commented on each post, followed any/all our social media channels,
shared our articles, cried and laughed with us: THANK YOU.
May the Universe be kind to you.
And to YOU, who may be going through
trying times; do not ever give up. No one has it all together. Know that you’re
not alone; we’re all in this together, whatever ‘this’ stands for.
You will be alright in the end. And if
you’re not alright, it is not the end.
For 2017, it’s a WRAP Baby!!!
 |
| Photo-Credits: www.cruisecritic.com |
Peace and Love,
Meg.
*Have you followed our blog today? Simply click on the Follow button to the right-side of the post, for your computer screen, or keeeeeep scrolling down on your hand-held device. And keeeeep scrolling further down to add us to your circles. 😊
*Have you followed our blog today? Simply click on the Follow button to the right-side of the post, for your computer screen, or keeeeeep scrolling down on your hand-held device. And keeeeep scrolling further down to add us to your circles. 😊
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