“Just do it”, said Gabriel Okara

Renowned Poet, Gabriel Okara .

Whenever I tell people I once had a conversation with Gabriel Okara, they act shocked. It’s almost like they think a guy like me could never have crossed paths with the legendary poet. If only they knew that legendary poet was once my neighbour. And that’s long before I even knew he was famous or cared anything for poetry. But I did meet the legendary poet and I have the trophies to prove it ( referring to my poems that is. hehe).Anyways, I’ll tell you of my meetings with him.

I’d just been introduced to the beauty of poetry after I watched two movies given to me by a friend and neighbour; Dead Poets Society featuring Robin Williams and GreenCard featuring Gérard Depardieu. The movies awakened a strong desire to write poems after that. And since I was a rookie , it seemed expedient that  I get some professional advice on writing good poems. So I went over to Dr Okara’s home and asked him for advice. He was more than helpful. He even went as far as editing a line in one of my poems ( a line which grabs  attention any time I show it to my friends).

Apathy set in not long after. I slowed down on my writing, thinking I lacked the skill and knowledge to write anything meaningful. So I thought maybe a book on writing poems was what I need to turn me into a Maestro. Dr Okara didn’t share the same view. In fact when I ran into him in the estate a few days later, he told me something that changed my paradigm about the path to excellence in poetry.

“Young man how is the writing going” he asked.  I told him I had slowed down a bit, looking for a book on writing better poems and if he had any I’d be glad if he could lend it to me. He switched to mentor-mode and said to me, “I’ll tell you a story”.  ”Many years ago when I began to write poems consistently, I had a friend who admired my writings. He thought he felt inspired to write poems and asked if he could borrow one of my books so he could read it and learn how to write good poems. So he borrowed the book and guess what?”. What, I asked.” It’s been many years since then; he is still reading that book and hasn’t written one line of poetry. So what am I saying? If you want to write poems, go ahead and write poems. The way to write better poems is to keep writing. You don’t necessarily need a book to teach you how to write poems. Just keep writing and you’ll get better at it. In other words , he was saying, Just do it. So I took the old man’s advice and truly, I got better at the craft.

Come to think of it, that rule applies to more than just poetry. It’s a universal law of progress. I’ve noticed from my network marketing experience that most people spend way too much time trying to get a PhD before deciding to pursue their craft. Truth is, you can’t learn it all in one day. Life is an on-the-job- training.  You get better as you get going. Some things can’t be learned in school because the map is not the territory.  If you want to be it, you’ve got to Just do it!

- Nigerian Philosopher

There’s a tide in the affairs of men…..

I had a conversation with my dad recently. And somewhere n the middle of the conversation, he told me of  a former collegue of  his who is now in his 60′s, and retired. He said he met the old man on his way to pick up his toddler kids from school.  ”At a time when this old man should be resting”, said my old man, “he is punishing himself with school-runs”. My dad felt so sorry for the old man.

He told me how this man had chased away his wife of over 15 years and remarried a young woman. Of course you know most women are never secure in a marriage until they have a child for their husband. It’s usually a way to guarantee a portion of the man’s inheritance in his death. So the old man pleased his wife by agreeing to have kids from her in his old age. But that came with a huge price; working extra hard to pay fees, chasing little kids around, dropping them off at school- the whole works!

My dad concluded by saying, ” there is time for everything in this life o! There are some things that are meant to be done in your youth. Once that time passes, it becomes a huge struggle”.

I thought back on that statement and realized how true it was and suddenly I  had a flashback to a scene in a supermarket years ago. LL Cool J was rapping on the radio,”it’s never too late to chase your dreams”. I said yeah , you’re right “LL”!  The guy beside me said, “wrong my brother,It can be too late to chase your dream”. I said, how do you mean? He says,” if you have a dream to build masts, I’d like to see you climb one in your old age”. That’s true, I thought.That makes sense! There is really a limit to what we can do at a certain age.

Being a “talented” latecomer in everything, that really hit me hard. I realized I had missed out on a lot of stuff I should have done 5 to 10 years ago. I keep wondering what I had done with all those years. I still can’t account for them. It’s almost like I had been in a coma for that length of time. I now find I don’t have the energy that I used to have and I am probably not as daring as I used to be. Truly, there is a time and a season for everything.

Shakespeare says in Julius Caesar,

” there is a tide in the affairs of men.Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves,or lose our ventures.” 

We must seize the moment and do what we ought to do at the right time so that life becomes less of a burden. We must never be like the man who begins to have children in his old age, or the man who starts to chase his dreams when he is too old, or the mature lady by the side of the road who tries to recapture her wasted youth by dressing up like a teenager with the hope of enticing a prospective husband. A season lost can never be regained.

A word is enough for the wise!

- Nigerian Philosopher

Is it really true that integrity doesn’t sell in Nigeria?

I am sure you’ve heard people say stuff like this. I hear it every day; people saying you can’t make it in Nigeria unless you are a crook. “Integrity doesn’t sell”, they claim.

People who say such things aren’t really thinking about what they are saying. Because if they did, they’d realize their words have no truth in it.

Why would I say such a thing when Nigeria is without a doubt, one of the most corrupt nations in the world? Well contrary to popular belief, integrity sells more in a corrupt society because it’s scarce. Even the corrupt are willing to pay a higher price for the services of trustworthy men/women.

Let me paint a couple of scenarios to prove my point:

Imagine a corrupt politician who embezzles lots of public funds. What bank do you think he’d put that money; the one that mismanages funds or the one with a reputation for honest management?

Which mechanic do people patronize the most; the one who steals engine parts or the one who is dependable?

What pharmacy do we all patronize; the one that sells fake drugs or the one that sells authentic drugs?

Who do you lend money to; the one who never repays a loan or the one whose word is his bond?

Who would you hire as a security guard: a thief or a saint?

Who would you choose as a prospective spouse; a potential cheat or faithful partner?

Which company would you rather invest in; the one that pays proper dividends or the one that is known for ripping off investors?

So you see, even though we have embraced corruption as a nation, we really can’t do without integrity. It’s an essential ingredient for survival. We crave the trust and peace of mind others bring with it even if we are not prepared to travel the high road ourselves. The scarcer it is the more people are willing to pay for it (with the exception of a few who’d always want something for nothing). Of course there is much to lose by being honest. Every good thing comes with a sacrifice. But one things for sure, you’re certain to be in high demand in and out of season.

So the next time people someone tells you “integrity doesn’t pay in Nigeria”, you’ll know you’re hearing the words of a bone-head.

- Nigerian Philosopher

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This poem always challenges me to demand more from myself!

The poem below is an extract from the Success Classic, Think & Grow Rich.

Any time I am resigned to a mediocre existence and I come across this poem, it jolts me back to life and demands that I raise the bar on my expectations and sense of deservingness ; reminding me of the possibility of living above and beyond my current, perceived limitations.

I don’t want to get to the end of my life filled with regrets, knowing that I could have had more but settled for less.

“I bargained with life for a penny
And life would pay no more
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty score.

For life is a just employer
And will give you what you ask
But once you have set the wages
You must bear the task.

I worked for a menials hire
Only to learn dismayed
That any wage I would have asked of life
Life would have willingly paid.”

- Jessie B Rittenhouse