Search Me

Showing posts with label Stereotypes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stereotypes. Show all posts

Thursday 29 September 2016

The Myth of Happiness

When did being happy become an obsession?

From another's POV:

Happiness comes at a price.
Happiness is overrated.  
Happiness isn't meant for everyone.
It's impossible to always be happy.
Should I go on?

Well, I'll leave you to that.
For some, being happy does not come easy. They have to work at it and plan for it and try to pull it off in a flawless execution. Why because the happiness gurus say happiness is a way of life. You have to have a zing at all times and constantly walk on cloud nine at all times. You don't want to be seen amoody or acrying or asniffling for even a nano of a second. 

No, no, no, that won't do for the perfect little box they wanna place you in. Ridiculous if you ask me (but you aren't) and so you actively do and practice all that the gurus preach; happiness is in you; happiness is you; happiness is your neighbour; look inside of you; and if that doesn't succeed, you hear;
-Happiness is a purchase away;
-Get this new product and you'll be happy for life.
-Change your wardrobe and your whole life would change for the better.
-Upgrade your phone and you're on your way to been happy.
-Secure this contract and you're set for a happy life.
-Get this bigger house.
-Drive that bigger car.

Get more and more and more and do they succeed? A resounding no, rather, it takes you farther than you've ever gotten to in the doldrumming of life and lower than your lowest of lows because it took so much effort  to try to attain that zen. Or you did attain it but at a steep price or you didn’t because you just don’t know how to be happy.

It’s OK, no judgment here, but the desperate in heart would do anything.

Some have lost quite a lot in the pursuit of happiness. They were probably OK just trudging along living fine and dandy and then someone comes along and slaps a tag on some obscure word and before you know it, it has become some chic trendy go lucky slogan, tada!-be happy. 
Yeah, right.

If that's the kind of happy you're tryna sell to me; I shall be wanting no part of it.

Dear someone, rather than just come up with a gimmicky kinda word it’s better to allow your people to be their real selves, happy or not. I know of naturally moody people.

As an aside, can someone be so kind as to define happiness?

I know it’s strange, but try to understand that sometimes it's OK to be sad. It's OK to actually be down in the dumps. To whine and to groan and to snivel in the pity party you organised for yourself in your sad sorry state.

For a set of some, they don't bother as happiness has simply eluded them. Mayhaps, they did something in their past lives?

For yet another set of others, they've mastered the art of been happy come rain or sunshine. Don't you just envy them and won't you just like to know how they do it?

No? Ah, I see that hubris won't let you see, won't let you perceive, won't...oh well, those of you who have captured the quintessence of happiness and have perfected its art right down to a T, kudos to you. I'm highfiving myself on your behalf. Good for you. Now can you please come show the other others the kumbaya of your happy world?

Not that I envy you, nah, I don't envy Earthlings.
***
Uhm, while it was kinda funny writing this, in actuality, it isn't. There's a lot of sadness and bitterness out there and while it's quite understandable to say "don't worry, be happy" after all, a cheerful heart doeth good like medicine right? Lets also try to be realistic with our expectations. It's kinda sad to see what that beautiful word has been reduced to. It has been made out to be some happy go lucky charm (and I use that loosely). 

Oh well, what's my own? BTW, I dunno what literary style I adopted for this write up. It's all sort of weird to me. It is isn't it? Please do lemme know. I'm sorta experimenting with different writing styles. Lemme know what you think of this particular style and probably we'll come up with a name for it yeah? Would experimental project suffice? lol. I love to experiment and no, I'm no scientist. Go figure.  

Wednesday 16 March 2016

My Dream


This is the Nigeria of my dream.

A Nigeria where a pretty young lady can afford a comfortable lifestyle without being labeled an aristo/call girl/runs girl.

A Nigeria where one's lifestyle's choice isn't questioned, where one can stay single for as long as desired without society calling names and making up stories about the reason for that and intimating that something must be wrong with you else you should be hitched by now.

A Nigeria where I can walk to the park without being harassed/tackled by touts and nearly brought down.

A Nigeria where I am free to be me in all my weird glory; a deviant, an anomaly, strange and different and be relatively safe.

A Nigeria where I can freely talk about my faith/beliefs without being labelled a religious bigot/fanatic.

A Nigeria where I can speak grammatically correct and sound English without being labellled an efico/show off/forming.

A Nigeria where I can trust my neighbor to watch my back. 

A Nigeria where the dissenting voices are patiently given listening ears in view of resolving issues

A Nigeria where every naturally endowed fair skinned lady isn’t attributed to skin bleaching toning. Where I make healthy lifestyle choices without being labeled a health fad junkie.

A Nigeria where I prefer my own company without being considered haughty and proud; a snob.

A Nigeria where I am recognized by merit.
Where I can be gainfully employed based on my skills and not by who I know ('connections').

A Nigeria where a young man’s wealth acquisition is attributed to the dividends of hard work and not 'yahoo'/nefarious activities.

A Nigeria where I chose to be my own woman and not called a failure because I have neither husband nor child.

A Nigeria where I can walk down the street poker faced without random strangers asking me to smile because pretty girls ought to smile more.

A Nigeria where friendship(s) with opposite sexes exist without speculations running rife.

A Nigeria where I am not shouted down because my opinions differ from my neighbor’s.        

A Nigeria where I write this down and not have hastily drawn conclusions about my person.

This, is the Nigeria of my dream. 
And then some more.

Photo Credit: Google