Sinners' neighbourhood

Happy Wednesday to the folks in my neighbourhood. Did you miss me?
Last week I was MIA, not because I wanted to (taking a break was not in my plans,) but because I wasn't feeling too well. I wrote something about death, what it means to we – the living, but decided against posting it (maybe later I'll post it.)

Well, last week is gone, this week is here and it's mid week, really time flies. As time flies, it brings us closer to our future, our destiny or deeper into our destiny because from the day we are born, every second we live is our destiny, and as man is a being that lives towards his projected self, whatever we do is just us trying to get closer to who we already are. We will never reach our full potential as humans, we will only live to a satisfied point, a point of self appeasement or we will fall short drastically if we try to reach our apogee. How we get to that point, is a topic for another day because today, I want to talk about TEAM WORK.

TEAM WORK (A GREATER PURPOSE)

When it comes to team work, two phrase should always guide us, they are : A GREATER PURPOSE and MORE THAN ME. I'll explain but before I do, let me tell you something about my life.

I'm a Baptist, a devout Baptist, I'm in no way a zealot but I'm devoted in my own way. In the Baptist Church, for all age grade there is a place for you to learn not just about the Christian beliefs but also leadership, being good with people, developing good leardership e.t.c. true Baptist are well trained leaders. The SunBeam Organization for little Children within the age bracket of 0 - 9, the Girls Auxiliary for young girls within the age bracket of 10 - 17, the Lydia Auxiliary for young adult and adult girls within the bracket of 18 years old till you get married, the Royal Ambassadors (R.A) Organization for young boys and adult male age 10 - 35, the Men's missionary Union for Married men and Women's Missionary Union for married women. There is a place for everyone. Amongst these the Royal Ambassador is the most interesting ( not because I'm a boy, ) and it's a voluntary Para-Military organization, and like most Para-Military organization, drill (parade) is an important part of its activity. And it is from drill I learnt this important lesson I'm sharing.

See, I love drill a lot, I'm a natural when it comes to drill, plus, I'm blessed to be among people that learn real quick. I've been a parade commander too. Parade teaches team work, in fact, parade is one place to easily learn the importance of team work. In parade, there is a beautiful lesson to be learnt. You see, in Parade, in a squad of 21 officers (21 officers make the minimum standard squad) if 20 officers are moving left right in a perfect order and 1 is moving right left, the squad has failed. It doesn't matter whether 99% are getting it right. The 1% getting it wrong makes the good work of the 99% invalid. If as a Parade commander or the leader of your squad, or platoon (as the case may be) and you are very good, and during the drill the rest of your squad is performing poorly, the entire squad is failing. Nobody gives a damn about your individual ability if your collective effort is not good. You are nothing without your squad, as there is not "I" in Parade.

This mentality is what most people don't have when it comes to group work. Sometimes, some people will try so hard to outsmart or outshine others just to get noticed. This shouldn't be so, no one is saying "don't give your all" or "don't give it your best shot", what I'm saying is, give in your all FOR THE TEAM, not because you want to get noticed. Other times, we see the reverse case, people in teams who act nonchalantly towards team work, maybe because a very hardworking or intelligent person is in their team or for some others reason, that can never be a good enough reason not to show interest. These set are in a way worse than the former.

If we believe that team work is for A GREATER PURPOSE and it's MORE THAN US, if we let this knowledge guide us at all times, it will make us produce better result. With that mentality, it wouldn't matter if we are the star in the group or we are not interested in the purpose of the group. With that mentality comes: HUMILITY, COOPERATING SPIRIT, it brings HARMONY to a group and makes the group sync properly.

When it comes to team work or group work, the end goal should be the most important. And we should always remember that the end goal is bigger than us.

Happy Wednessday. Take care. Till we meet again, this is

SINNER MAN, REPORTING FOR
SINNERS' NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Dark Friday
Sinners' neighbourhood.

Posting late because I've been really busy, too busy to write. This week has not been totally good, but it has not been very worse either. Burna Boy's album release, a friend's birthday (i love you Okotie Favour) and hopefully Barcelona losing today are some things to make me smile at this week. Some crazy things from the past also cost me something really dear to me, and when I think about it, mehn, I want to scream "f**k! I hate this week". It's all good tho, it's part of life's experience and I pray I grow to become a better man, all I ever want to do is make my mother proud and smile and to be a better person.

We've all done things we regret, things from the past that torments us, even in our future, and maybe will torment us for the rest of our lives on earth. Some have done worse than others, some are lucky to have a clean slate on that regard. So this is for those that have done lots of s**tty things in the past that they regret, and for future purpose too (when you eventually do something you'll regret) hahahaha.


LIVING WITH REGRET

"This is the number one rule for your set
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets"
( Jay Z "Regrets" 1996)

As life goes on, we will grow and in our journey through life we will come in contact with people. See, that contact with people is something we cannot avoid, something we cannot skip, it is part of life and deeply twined with existence, man is not a being that exist alone, for man to exist, he must exist in relation with other being. I have some friends, I know some people, they love their space, they like to be on their own. Personally, I prefer the lone life (ironically, people see me as a people's person, hahaha.) As much as I try to lead the lone life, I fail because that's not how life works. If you don't have much friends in the outside world, you have a family. If you are the indoor type, you live with people. If you live alone you go out to get provision. If you don't go out to get provision, someone brings it to you. One way or the other, people get involved in our life and there is nothing we can do about it.

Often, we hear people talk about how you should or how they want or need a close circle, how they don't want friends, how they want to be alone, how they ( think they ) can survive alone. These words are said from a point of defense, from a point of fear: they fear that somehow, people will hurt them. The feeling is f**ked up and they have every right to be on their guard.

As we come in contact with people, as we interact, and we make friends and acquaintances. As we engage with people: family, friends, strangers, some will be unlucky to hurt people close to them, and sometimes (or most times) people not close to them. I say unlucky because hurting someone is never nice. Granted, some times, we do this unintentionally, other times we hurt people with intention, as we regret after, maybe in few days time, to a week, months and even years later. Things just circle back and we regret our actions. Other times, this feeling of regret doesn’t come from hurting others, it comes from hurting ourself. Missing out on a job because of nonchalance on our path, (for students some times) not preparing enough for a test or missing an instruction during exam, for some older people, missing out on opportunities while young, not planning your life properly, not living your life to the fullest, for some sick people; not appreciating the good health you had, etc . Regrets for our actions involving others or ourself, which ever one it is, this feeling has the ability to destroy our day, and even our life (matter of fact).

In life, once these things happen we can't go back, we just have to live with it and learning how to live with regret is very vital to your survival as human. Some steps you can take to learn how to live with regret are:

****OWN YOUR MISTAKE.

This is very important to the process, you must admit and take responsibility for your actions, whatever it is (maybe not even forgiving someone that pleaded for your forgiveness and suddenly you hear the person is dead) it could be anything. Just take responsibility and acknowledge your error.

****FORGIVE(NESS)

It's important to ask for forgiveness from the person you hurt, and if that person is yourself, try to forgive yourself. Don't expect the person to forgive you, it doesn't work like that, pain doesn’t go away like that, it's not magic and some pains can be so deep, it can last a life time. The ultimate purpose of asking for forgiveness is not to be forgiven, but for you to show the offended person that you are truly sorry. If they forgive; congratulations, if they don't; I'm sorry. Which ever way, sincerely ask for forgiveness or forgive yourself if you hurt yourself.


****LOOK BEYOND YOUR PAST

The B part of asking for forgiveness is looking beyond your past. After a honest apology, what's next? You have to forgive yourself also and look to your future. I'm not saying it will be easy, sometimes forgiving yourself can be hard too but you just have to for the sake of your sanity and look forward to your future, that's what's next, your future.
"Look to my future 'cause my past is all behind me"
(2Pac "Only God Can Judge Me" 1996)


****TEACH OTHERS HOW TO AVOID YOUR MISTAKE

This is probably your strongest step towards mental and emotional sanctification, this is the action that will make you feel sane. Probably the most important step. Make sure others learn from your mistake, it is an honourable act to let your darkness be a light to others.

After all these, you may not automatically feel better, but with time you will move on.

Remember...

In order to survive you have to learn to live with regret.
Bye. Till we meet again.

This is sinner man reporting for 'Sinners' neighbourhood'

“Sinners' Neighbourhood"

Welcome to Wednesday. On this day, last week, I made my first post and I've been kind of consistent since then. I have high hopes for this s**t, but I'm not unaware of the fact that things don't go as planned sometimes, well sometimes that looks like most times if you are really unlucky, life can be full of s**t you know (check my previous dark friday post.) I try to make my style conversational, make you feel like I'm having a conversation with you. I feel it's better that way, I feel you'll ride with me easier that way. Too much talk, let me move to the issue of today. And of course, I'll begin with a rap lyric.

"When I speak it's with the richest accent"
(Scrilla, "Triple Platinum" 2019. Rick Ross ft Scrilla)

So I title today's issue

MY ACCENT, THE LAST OF A DYING BREED

Africans suffer from cultural hybridity, most times, we are conflicted within ourselves, and this has been a major issue to me. I want to maintain my identity as an African first and foremost but I constantly find myself surrounded by factors that put me under duress to negate my Africanity unconsciously. For most of us, being African is a conscious act – when it's supposed to be an involuntary act ideally. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we are Africans, and we are Africans that live in a world that more often than not is only African by name. Our culture, religion and beliefs constantly threatened, our philosophy of society, work, education, constantly put to the test, our values, morals, ethics and codes of who we are as original African is continually endangered. The African culture is not even an endangered specie because, in the words of Chris Rock "endangered species are protected" and nothing worthy of calling a rescue mission is being carried out by the government of African countries and African populace (me included.) Hahahaha, who am I even kidding, how can the government do that when... Abeg let me leave our stupid African government.

Like I said, the African identity is being westernized, majorly because of the effect of colonialism. Naturally when two cultures meet, one will influence the other, and according to the acculturation model theory of language acquisition, as first proposed by John Shuman in 1978, language learning means acculturation, but not just that, and for this case that acculturation is not what I want to drag our attention to but that according to that theory, we have the higher status and the lower status group when two or more culture meets and those of the lower status are the ones that are usually eager learn about the language and culture of that of the higher status.

MY ACCENT A MEANS TO MY IDENTITY

I often watch and listen to some Africans as they speak. I'm talking about Africans born and breed in Africa. Sometimes when they speak you see how they try to master a foreign accent (American and British, those with British accent feel fly more, hahaha) some have mastered these accent, that when they speak you be like, "did you grow up in Nigeria?" It's thrilling and amusing to hear them talk, like mehn, "you really speak well" (although I never say that)

I'm an undergraduate Student studying English and Literary Studies, and so people expect me to speak in a certain way. Something they consider posh, something British or at least American. Not like I have beef with those that love to talk that way, it's what they like and what, "nor be person them kill, na accent them learn" and it's not an infringement on anyone's human right and one strong principle I live by is that, PEOPLE SHOULD BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER THEY PLEASE AND BE WHATEVER THEY WANT, SO FAR IT DOESN'T INFRINGE ON ANYONE'S HUMAN RIGHT AND DOES NOT BREAK A CODE OF CONDUCT YOU ARE PARTY TO. let me digress a little and speak on the last part of the belief, you see, in a School setting, a Lecturer has the right to walk you out of the class when he feels you are not properly dressed, not because you don't have the right to dress that way but because you are a student of the School and the school has a rule against what they see as indecent dressing and by paying school fees you by default agree to the terms and condition of the school rules. Now back to the bone of contention.

Like I said, I don't have beef with people trying or speaking in a foriegn accent (American and British) I just don't like it and would not try to learn it because I feel my accent is my last original connection to who I am as African. I can barely speak my Urhobo language, I don't associate with my African religion even tho I'm sympathetic to it, I know little of my African Culture, and for that, I hold my accent dearly, when I speak a foriegn language (only English for now) I don't want people to find it difficult to know that I am Nigerian, and by extention AFRICAN. Maybe if I'm an actor and my role requires me to speak that way I'll learn it but it will end on set. My accent is the last of a dying breed, a dying culture, a dying people... I can't lose it, it opens a gateway to who I am.

This is my opinion on accent. You may agree, you may not.

Till we meet again on Friday, take care.

This is sinner man reporting for sinners' neighbourhood.

It's Sleek Monday...Happy Monday, welcome to Sinners' neighbourhood'

For those that will be going to work or working from home, have a nice working hour.

For the Students tired of home, sorry guys, and for those (me included) that doesn't want School to resume yet, let's enjoy our day.

Today's post was written by my friend ifeanyi. He writes in a bombastic style so you have to have some patience while reading abeg😂 and forgive his grandiloquence.

You'll enjoy the post but for those that may find it difficult to understand, what my Gee is basically talking about ( at least what I think ) is morality, morality as in "Who has the right to pass judgement on Who", we all have sinned right? He also talks about people being one sided when we pass judgement. Like Naira Marley said and I paraphrase "before you say I'm a bad influence, why not address what influenced me".

Too much talk. Enjoy the post.

Thinking bigger than I live has made me clamour for some things which are best known to me, some perhaps within my reach and some dilusional, which are heavily hinged on my perception of the world. Some times I feel like I'm on a journey to a realm where perfectibilism is revered and not repudiated. I tend to procreate some facets of mutatis mutandis in my subtle mind (coupled with the premise that I have many 'Whys' as to why some whys are left unanswered.)

Some individuals,personages, or some school of thoughts have kept the lid on some issues, which I feel being shut in a crypt would prove to be a nub, which would no doubt metamorphose to a pernicious proliferation of intellect.
Lets say I was a Taoist, and I felt withdrawn, in communicado, wanting no form of connection with the outside world, proving every form of Confuscian doctrine wrong and giving myself a neuro-subterfugean' inclination that we are all humans who should live simple (since the highest form of sophistication is simplicity),I would in a way alter a mind, not of my own but a purlieus where unlike minds would have a different view. This simple paradigm, illustrates how I feel at almost every inconsequential span of my life. Yet, just yet, the why? effaces, not because it chooses to, but because they prove unanswerable. Let me reveal some of them to you.
I don't think we humans have reached the apogee to proffer judgement on a fellow human, not just any judgement but a sentence. Fine! he killed, so what!?, fine she stole, of what business does that warrant you arraigning him or her in a court (a contraption we assume modifies justice effectively), it doesn't appeal right to me (although my version of 'right' is distinct from yours) I still think we don't have the ability to do that, reason being that, we humans are tools of sentimentalism and paroxysms and when at their peak, they tend to act irrationally,giving way to feelings behest by passion. We should stop keeping a primal focus on the crime committed, but Why the person committed the crime faut de mieux than knowing an intent for an action which would serve as a prophylactic measure to curb other impending inconsistencies. I call them inconsistencies because by default, we humans fall short and have porosity to shortcomings. While I tried finding answers to this, I figured it could only work in another world, a world which understands the machinations and technicalities of these things. That world would be betwixt an Utopian and Dystopian society.

Another which I find disconcerting is trying to figure out the "Charons" in this world. Able to identify them, able to liaise with them and come to terms with certain issues. Charon as we know him is the son of Erebus (darkness) and Nx (night) in the
classical Greek mythology, he ferried souls of the dead across the river of Styx or Acheron river to Hades (Hell or grave). One intriguing contraption about Charon is his Obolus :a bronze coin he demanded as payment for a trip. He forced a soul without this coin to wander for many years on the shore of the shore of the river before he crossed them!. We should know that when not able to pay the Obolus you are left in betwixt the land of the living and the dead. The same way some humans are meant to be crossed path with, at least once in a life time not because our existence depends solely on them taking us to our final destination of recumbent but because of the domino effect which guides our living, one chain of action leads to another, the same way one event leads us to a person, which is inevitable once we skip certain people of such potentials , we tend to miss out in life's biggest offer and no amount of propitiatory modification can rebuild that. But my question is, when we meet those Charons, what Obolus do we give in exchange for salvation, does it have to be pecuniary, or made at the altar of excruciating sacrifices which could be tantamount to one loosing his place in purpose and sense of existence.

I get the deadliest of thoughts in microcosms and once they attain plenitude they tend to protrude from their initial abode into things that shouldn't even exist or surface. Now that, is what I call the quintessence of being in the ZONE.

What do you think 🤔?
You can leave a comment.

Sinners' neighbourhood.

This is the book I'm currently reading... Ask for a copy and I'll send it to you.

Welcome to 'Dark Friday' the first in many to come. Today I'll talk about

SOME THINGS THEY NEVER TOLD US GROWING UP, OR LESSONS WE IGNORED GROWING UP

and I'll begin with the lyrics of a song by Rick Ross.

I pray somebody tell you 'bout these bumpy roads
(Rick Ross, "Big Tyme")

As a young boy growing up (still growing) I was heavily cheated, and this story of being cheated is not unique to me. Almost every young person was robbed of this knowledge, a very vital knowledge they keep away from us. What could be the reason, I don't know, maybe it is unconscious, maybe it isn't. Maybe it was done to protect us, leaving us to find out for ourselves, which is not cool because there are some things in life, you need to be forewarned. What is this knowlegde I'm talking about? "LIFE IS HARD" and for a boy Child, "LIFE IS THREE TIMES HARDER". For some of us, life's reality descend on us real hard and take us unaware, and when this happens, it throws us off guard. Some times some are lucky to find our way back, other times some don't get lucky. "LIFE WILL HAPPEN TO YOU", those are words from my lecturer, words I'll never forget.

Some times, these older ones say it, but when they say it, they mostly say it as a joke or as a threat when we do some things wrong, " how the f**k do you expect a young child to take a joke or threat serious? "
You see I've always heard those words, almost throughout my chidhood till now but the truth is, I never really understood till now. I only fully started getting a clear picture of what that word truly meant this year, that's why I call this year my "coming of age".

We, children and young people are often filled with lies: that our future is bright, that we will be everything we set our mind to (why these are very much possible, the problem is they emphasize is it too much at the expense of the true words we need to hear, words of how reality and shred the picture perfect life you imagined, how you'll make certain choices that will destroy your life, how you'll do everything right and nature will still f**k you up, how you should be careful and not let people hurt you becuase karma is a thing of the past these days, how people will hurt you and you will hurt people. Mehn, the real life is f**ked...

Now, I'm not trying to be a messanger of doom, look around, you see successful people, legit successful people (at least, legit by society's standard) and you can be just as successful too, even more successful, but to not confront the reality that it's possible for you not to be among the successful is a grave injustice to yourself. Look around, you see unsuccessful people, even more than the successful ones. Just do your best and like the Boy Scout motto " BE PREPARED" for whatever this s**t hole throws at you. You can overcome it. Only go into it knowing the way you dreamt it, it may come but not on a platter of rubbies, (some are lucky to get real easily tho)


No one makes it in lfe independently, if anyone tells you they did then they are worse than the devil, you need someone, and a bit of luck. But don't get it twisted, you don't have to go around looking for that someone or sit down and wait for that someone, keep putting work and when the time is right, the someone MAY come.

Keep friends close too if you can, because you can't go through this hard life alone and that's fact. Humans are life Wolfs and a Wolf needs its pack. Luckily for me, I have friends, I have a lot of close ones too, but I have this particular very circle,close circle of friends that will go out of their way for me: Belvic, Benita, Jennifer, Tejiri, Evans, Nelson, Jackson, Prayer. All are DELSU's gift to me except Prayer (that's my gee from RA.) What's my point? You need friends in this hard life, because life can be real hard knock and they, your friends will be the ones you fall back on.

Lastly, know in life you are responsible for yourself and no one owes you anything: your parents, siblings, friends, strangers, no one owes you anything whatsoever.
Dream big, be optimistic, work to achieve your goals but always live with the consciousness that life is not as it seems and it can really be a bed of torns.

I pray we make it. LIFE IS HARD guys.

Happy 'Dark Friday'
Till we meet again next friday,
This is sinner man reporting for 'Sinners' Neighbourhood'

First real post, so welcome to 'Sinners' neigbourhood'

The name of this page as you will find out as time goes on is an irony, I won't explain, time will tell.

Been finding it hard to write a post. When I created this page I was filled with energy but all the energy soon went away as quickly as it came, keeping the energy bottled was futile, it was like holding water with a sponge. Was it my character flaw of losing momentum quickly or was it because I didn't have a clear picture what the page will be about from the onset I wondered. Well, I'll still wonder because even tho I wrote today, I don't trust myself. I keep looking for a perfect time, space and environment but they never came (I guess most time in life, the RIGHT oppurtunity will never come, we just have to take it or make it.) Often I stroll inside the site iii DELSU campus in the cool of the evening, God! That place has the perfect environment, still I could not write, again, what is the problem?

Again, the battle of being sure what the page is all about, was it a page to chronicle my life as a sinner: the good, the bad, and the grey area? The holy side and the profane? But then how interesting is my life I pondered. Or was it to create and post whatever interest me and hope it interest others too, those were part of the battle. This morning I thought, why not make it a blend of both and see how it goes, just do what you feel like doing then PRAY (yeah you heard me right, I said pray.) I still pray and even THUGS CRY.

If you follow me, you'll know I idolise Jay Z, laying on my bed this morning, the first thing I did as I woke up was to reach for my phone, it was 23%, f**k I said, I opened Opera mini and went to the download, I needed to play Post Malone's "Goodbye" ft Young Thug, mostly because of Thug's voice, (his voice have been haunting me.) I played the song till I filled my soul's craving then the opening lines of "Lucifer" by Jay Z started ringing in my head, it was those words in the first few lines that gave me the push to write on the main issue I'll talk about (something I've been wanting to talk about.) Here goes the words:

Lord forgive him, he got them dark forces in him
But he also got a righteous cause for sinning

INNER DEMONS

I know we probably heard this a thousand time, sometimes we take it serious, sometimes we don't, sometimes we believe sometimes we don't, and sometimes we are indifferent to it. However we feel towards the phrase "WE ALL HAVE DEMON" doesn't change the fact that it's true. Humans are spectrums and at the other end of the spectrum, "WE ALL HAVE ANGELS" in us, we all have saints. Something similar to what the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called "apollonian and dionysian" in his 'The Birth of Tragedy' but I don't want to explain that bipolar nature of Man, I just want to say "WE ALL HAVE DEMON"

This demon can manifest in: certain addiction we have, obsession, urges we can't control, weaknessess, the list goes on. One thing is certain tho, we all cry when we are alone and try to fight this demon. Others can't imagine the horror we go through, especially when we do some things and they say "what kind of monster are you", often, they don't know we try to fight the demon in the closet and they forget they have demons too. I'm not a saint, I'm more of a sinner.

In all, I've come to realise (as so as a million other people) that this demon(s) may never be overcome fully, sometimes they can be, other times they can only be endured or managed. Everyone has a weakness, some are overcomed some are not, we live with some forever, we outlive some.

If you can't overcome your demon, the best thing is to not be in places where your demon will activate. These demons have a particular mood and environment that activate them, and we know, because they – the demons – are part of us. I call this mood and environment " the activation frequency". As much as possible try to stay clear of it, and AGAIN PRAY to whichever God you believe in to cleanse you of your demon. Your God can be you. Just pray... I hope we all overcome our demon.

This is SINNER MAN reporting for sinners' neighbourhood.

P.S: Fridays are dark fridays, expect a post at least every dark Friday.

We begin...