LAW OF ELASTICITY

This has nothing to do with hookes law of elasticity. Or maybe it does?
I know rubber bands although come in different shapes and sizes, they all operate on the same pricinciple…. STRETCHING

I have stretched as a child when I so wanted that mango on the tree. I knew I couldn’t reach it, but I could climb the tree and get it… STRETCHING


Everyman who has achieved something in life did so by stretching (ask my parents). Remember, great men weren’t born (4get abinibi) only babies. Those babies of yesteryears became great men of today(my father).no one was born into this world full equipped. Every man/woman who has ever made it to the top stretched.


One costly mistake we make is that we usually associate successful people as geniuses of some sort. (Ask albert Einstein )

Success is actually due to our stretching from the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from our challenges.

WHY DON’T WE STRETCH

Most people have refused to stretch for the following reasons…..

1. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN--- we don’t know what lies ahead , why bother to stretch anyway?
2. we tend to back off when we come against something bigger than us that we just refuse to expand.
3. we are satisfied with where and what we are that we just refuse to stretch further.
The moment you stretch , you are no longer ordinary u become out of SYNC with your friends.

MOTIVATED TO STRETCH
Stretching doesn’t come naturally, we have to be motivated before we stretch. We should also motivate others and help them maximize their potentials.. some factors also motivate us…
Some of us would be racing for our lives before we stretch

Some challenges , which itself stimulates US,

Others are totally dissatisfied with their current state

While the rest are spurred on by previous success..


VULNERABLE IN THE STRETCH
4 factors.

CRITICISM, MISUNDERSTANDING, FAILURE AND DISCOURAGEMENT


Most of us are actually very vulnerable when we are stretching. We begin our lives by stretching we soon discover that this position leaves us prune to attacks and criticism and then some begin to withdraw.


Then we equate stretching with pain and before long we refuse to stretch..
May I remind us that the road to success is paved with critics, and there criticisms are definitely not constructive.
Criticism comes in three stages


1. when people tell you that you are wrong and it wont work
2. they see it is working and they tell you its not important
3. after they see its important and you have made it, they tell you they knew u will make it all along.


THE BEST DEFENCE TO UR CRITICS IS THE FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR!!!!

We are vulnerable to misunderstanding. People feel threatened by us if we are stretching to be our best and then question the validity of our motives.


If we don’t have goals we wont recognise failure, but if we are stretching for success, we fail from time to time. We need to learn how to deal with that and never let failure become final.

Discouragement is failure's partner. The best way out of a discouraging situation is to surround yourselves with people that encourage you. Avoid the infectious…





Until im back wit part 2 of stretching, keep stretching….


Still crazy after all these years

Ximena

in deeper reflection

man is a spirit , he has a soul and lives in a body

Just like the flame
So also are our lives
Here today
Gone tomorrow
Dust to dust
Ashes to ashes
The world mourns and weeps at my graveside

Heart and emotional words of eulogy they pour at my funeral
Even in death , my spirit sheds a tear or two
They say the final words
”God be with you till we meet again at Jesus feet”
And the farewell song as it fades

I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weights, and tears no bitterness
Where is death’s string? Where, grave ,thy victory ?
I triumph still if thou abide with me


And I know that the only reminder of me in this sinful world
Are the memories we shared
And the engraved writings on my tomb
“here lies ----------------
A child of substance
Child of the Most High
A writer, reader, scholar
Hated by few
Loved my many
Respected by all

And then the voices fade
The footsteps becomes distant
All alone in the cold grave
All dark and eerie
And suddenly my spirit takes flight
As I begin the journey into the unknown

The unpublished works of the chronicles of a deeper reflection

From the archives of the mischievous imagination of a crazy baybay

ROBERT NESTA MARLEY -- THE LEGEND LIVES ON

The legend called bob. Not bob the builder, but Robert Nesta Marley. He was one of the prophets that walked the face of the earth. Born to a Jamaican father of English descent and an afro Jamaican mother, Marley was considered as a half-caste. He neither saw himself as either black or white, but as a creation of God.

Growing up in a reggae dominated house, it was impossible to go a day in the house without my brothers jamming one of his albums alongside Jimmy cliff, peter tosh, yellow man and the rest of the reggae sun splash crew. Now you know where my eccentricity came from.
Singing to his song as a little girl back then did not entirely have any meaning. I loved the tunes and the guitars that accompanied his songs, but as one grew older one was able to reflect and ponder on how inspiring his songs were. So it was really sad that he died before I got the chance to really know him.

His songs were and are prophetic some times I wish our rulers will sit and ponder over his songs like redemption song, buffalo soldier, get up stand up .

Sadly, cancer took him away exactly 29 years ago today

To the one legend I never had the chance to meet

The one legend that left his legacy behind
The one legend that preached world peace, oneness in brother hood
One who never judged or had any prejudice
The one legend that never saw himself as neither black, nor white but as a creation of God
The Rastafarian himself

And your final words were
“Money can’t buy life “
Indeed it cannot other wise you will still be here
But I am glad you passed this road and left your legacy
Like the falling star,
You fell when you were at your brightest.
But you still shine so bright in my heart

I leave you with these words from the track three little birds

“don’t worry about a thing for every little thing gonna be alright
Rise up this morning, smile with the rising sun
Three little birds pitched by my door steps,
Singing sweet songs of melody pure and true
Saying
This is my message to you
Don’t worry about a thing for every little thing gonna be alright “


LEGENDS ARE NOT MADE, THEY ARE BORN.
LEGENDS DON’T DIE, THEY LIVE ON

NEPPLM - NO ELECTRIC POWER , PLEASE LIGHT MOBILES

Power outage/ black out what ever you call it these days at an international airport somewhere on earth. Immigration procedure and check in was at a stand still, this just reminds me of our own version of volcanic ash... yup.

If that can happen at an international airport, I wonder what the domestic airport would be going through. One would have thought that with all the money, airport tax, car parking tax, standing up tax, offloading tax, and the fine-you-pay-if-your-car-is-parked-wrongly tax and the awon-boys tax they could not afford to put a let-there-be light generator , mbok ( deep sigh).

Who is to blame for this? The power company will direct it at the government, the government will direct it and drop it at the doorstep of minister of airport, the minister of airport will direct it at who ever is beside him when he gets the query and the circle goes on and on. Everyone takes the blame, but no one professes the situation,

Sometimes, I think aloud according to the bible God said “let there be light and there was light and God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness (Gen 1: 3-4)

If God had decided that when he created the heavens and the earth that every continent will generate their own light, trust me when I say other African countries will unanimously decide to make Nigeria a continent. For what relationship has light with the dark

LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL CONTINENT OF NIGERIA.

What could be the problem? Inability to pay the bills, which at this point is highly improbable? Or the usual excuse of either there was too much water in the dam, or the dam suddenly ran dry!!! Or yes, “blown transformer due to over loading”

Whatever the case, I feel so sorry for people with more than 3 luggages and I especially feel sorry for those guys who will manually carry the luggage. Forget the extra cash they get today, the pain will be directly proportional to the money but unfortunately, they cannot call in sick tomorrow!!

On the other hand, let’s thank God because the situation could have been worse like this

Pilot to air traffic control :
Pilot : This is cap hosama-obama flight vs222 to traffic control

Control room (c.r): This is controller awe

Pilot : Requesting permission to land

C. R : State your precise location
pilot: I am 10knots of the equator; ETA should be about approximately 5 mins, request permission to land on tarmac cows-were-seen-grazing

C.r : Permission for land---------- (nepa strikes) beep…static and suddenly an automated voice comes up saying
sorry for the break in transmission it was due to failure in --------------------
17 hours after contact with the control room

Erm, I am sure we will be singing another tune by now if that was the case.


If that can happen in an airport, I wonder what it would be like if a major operation is carried out on a “major person” and gbam major nepa strikes, and the dockitas, and d anaesthetist and d scrubs and the nurses all bring out their mobile phones?
Oh I almost forgot mobile phones are to be switched off at all TIMES. Kai, o ma se oh for the major man on that major surgery table

And you guys don’t see any future in this country?
Please light a candle and sing


I am the future of the world
I am the hope of my nation
I am 2mrw future
I am the new inspiration

And we’ve got a song to sing to you
We’ve got a message to share with you

Do i have to come up with the solution…??
Ximena dey go sleep

JASPER AND THE UN-NURTURED FLOWER 2

Elder 1 madueke
Elder 2 maurice
Okonkwo, jasper, chidera

Okonkwo’s uncle cosmos was too speechless and this was born out of the fact that he couldn’t believe it that they wanted to marry his grand-niece at any early age and to a man old enough to be her father.


He looked at Okonkwo and then turned to his guests and said “you want your gifts back? why if I may ask? In fact why do you, jasper with the little education catechist Cornelius gave you, you want to marry a very young girl”?

. “You see “muttered Maurice,” it is said that once a man sees a beautiful thing, he should quickly grab it, else someone else might take it from him that is what we are doing today. “
“Ehn, my own daughter “, interjected chidera,” bia, jasper why don’t you marry one of your daughter’s ovularia to a friend of yours and instead you have the guts to ask for your gifts back “?
.



Okonkwo silently sits contemplating whether to join the discussion or sample his machete on the useless old goon madueke blabbing away.

“Tradition only demands that if you reject our proposal that you return our gifts” replied okechukwu the third elder

Ehn, ehn, fine if your tradition demands so, I hope that same tradition also demands that you return the foods, drinks and the warm reception we accorded you? asked cosmos

“Tradition my foot”, muttered Okonkwo,#2 you men are unbelievable, jasper with your exposure of visiting the city once in a while you haven’t learned a thing or two? You hide your evil guise under tradition. What useless custom and tradition will allow you marry off your teenage daughter at an early age?”
“Our fore-fathers did and we have to continue the tradition.” Replied madueke
“Indeed, they did they formed a tradition to suit their selfish gain and you all blindly follow foolishly, you ignoramuses “responded cosmos.
“We only came to ask for the hand of your daughter in marriage, we have not come to be insulted. “

“Oh, you will be insulted and much more oh because you came into my house to insult me. Look jasper, if you are bent on destroying someone else’s life, try and marry the grand daughter of one of your foolish uncles here. Who knows your useless tradition might permit it. You will not destroy my daughter’s life. Please vacate my premises otherwise I might do something I might regret. “

“If you do not return our gifts we will assume you have accepted our proposal for the hand of your daughter.”
Cosmos at this point was irritated and excused himself while chidera looked at her guest in disdain and started laughing
“Woman, why are you laughing? What is funny “asked madueke?
“I am not laughing at what is happening but at what is going to happen if you all don’t carry your two left legs and vanish from my compound. You see as uncle went inside , ehn he is not going to bring your gifts I am very sure he has gone in to load the oka he usually uses to chase away thieves. You can still sit down there or speak to your legs and find your square root. “
.Just then cosmos barges out of the room

“Where are the idiots that want to destroy the life of my grand niece?”
On seeing the rage as displayed by cosmos, the guest hurriedly left the premises of Okonkwo
“Wait nau. Are you leaving already? How about your gifts?”

“Don’t worry, you can keep it “replied maduka

“Ehn, jasper, jasiper, jasiper look at the disgrace you have brought upon us. Did you not know that there is a curse upon Okonkwo and his family?”

Of all the beautiful girls in the village why his daughter? Have you not seen how developed and ripe mazi okezie’s last daughter is old enough after all she is 14

“Shall we try it out?” asked jasper
“ mmmh I don t think today , I have had one insult too many “
“but why are you so keep on marrying a young girl after all you have three wives at home” quizzed madueke.
“Hmm, uncle I need a young woman to make me feel young and like a man again. “Speak of the devil, is that not okezie at mama carol’s beer parlour? “I think we should go and lightly joke with him and observe his reaction “?

to be continued

JASPER AND THE UN-NURTURED FLOWER

The story so far….. well not so far

Not like there ever was one ..

Ok this is the 2nd part of specimen Y how it all began ……

Some where on earth..
Before some inhabitants of the world lost touch with reality :
Enjoy

********************************************************************
Elder 1: “we saw a beautiful flower we would like to pluck from your compound”

Okonkwo: “hmmm, beautiful flower you say?”

Elder 1: “Oh yes, we can see that the flower is well nurtured and watered and properly bred, 2 market days from now we shall be a paying an official visit to make known our intentions”

2market days later


Okonkwo: “welcome our guests, I hope you had a nice journey “

Elder 1 “ ah , yes lets get down to business and explain our intentions , like my kinsman said we saw a flower in your compound we would like to pluck “

Okonkwo: “gentle men you are speaking in parables.
I do not have flowers in my compound except shrubs, a pawpaw and orange tree in my back garden. Erm, if you may can you be more direct and factual “

Elder 3: “it is said that he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour …. “

Okonkwo’s uncle: "very true, indeed, very true...”

Elder 2: “we would like to ask for the hand of your daughter in marriage”
Okonkwo: “hmm, my daughter you say. Please excuse me a moment while I converse with my family “

They adjourn to the bedroom to discuss

Okonkwo: “did you hear that?
They have come to ask for the hand of our daughter in marriage and tradition says the first daughter should be married off before her younger ones. “

chidera is busy singing and dancing

Chidera: God am good he has done me well, oh my soul rise up and praise the Lord
“Eh finally they have come and ask for the hand of adaku in marriage? Thank you Lord I was beginning to think she would grow grey hair in this house. Your name be praised oh Jehovah. Chineke dalu nne ri oh (thank you so much Lord) “

Okonkwo: “any way, now that they have officially asked and they know what our custom demands, let us entertain our guests. biko, tell olachi to pound that a fufu very well and that bush meat kenneth ( pronounced Kennetheh ) brought last night , abeg let her include it in the bitter leaf soup . “

Okonkwo’s uncle: “now we have heard you, and have also received your gifts as tradition demands.

Okonkwo’s uncle so you want to marry adaku our daughter. That is good news oh “

Elder 1: Erm no, actually it’s your other daughter “

Okonkwo: Chioma?

Elder 1: “No the other one “

Okonkwo: “Ahh, hmmm you mean oluchi?”

He laughs out loud the idiotic elder

Elder 1” Not that one either”.

Okonkwo: “ahn, ahn that would be nneka? “

they all shake their heads in unison,

Elder 3 “Not that one either “

Okonkwo and his family looks at one another

Okonkwo’s uncle: “are you sure you have the right address? For I fear you are in the wrong house”

Elder 2: looks at the middle aged man who hasn’t said a word since the inception of the conversation.

Elder 2: “jasper, is this not the house? “

Jasper: “yes, uncle it is this house.”

Chidera: “well, my last daughter Ugochi is only twelve and she is preparing for her JSSC Exams. Surely you can’t …… “

Interrupts elder one


Elder 1: “Exactly she is the flower we seek “.

Okonkwo’s uncle: “You mean you want us to nurture her for you and when the time is right you will come and marry her?”

“Erm no, we wish to marry her now “replied the third elder

Okonkwo: Now!!! She is still young and besides I am sure your son (he looks at jasper) is too young to be married?”

Elder 2: “Actually, Jasper here is the one who wants to marry Ugochi “!



Okonkwo: “Marry gini my Ugochi spills his schnapps on the floor “tufiakwa, may the gods forbid. She is the youngest of my daughters, “

Elder 1: Oh, no we would like that young girl; you see we like to catch them young especially now that she is untainted. He married wife no 1 was she was 16, wife no 2 at 15 wife no 3 at 13 at u see if Ugochi marries him, she will be wife no 4 and his youngest wife ever. ”

Okonkwo: “my own 12 year old daughter, you wan catch young ngwanu,
“I will FAROUK you before you YERIMA my daughter “

Elder 2: “You mean you are rejecting our proposal? “

Okonkwo:” I am not only rejecting your proposal, I will also experiment on you the cutlass I just bought from the market last week. See you people should vanish before I open my eyes and castrate one of you …. Infact I will report this abomination to the elders council “

elder 1 : "What about the gifts we brought?? "


To be continued