The Little Things

I have never been so happy to land at MMA before, not even the power high immigration guy could sober my state of happiness when I arrived. Long periods of time away from Lagos make you realise just how awesome this place is. Even in hamattan temperatures never drop below 20 degrees centigrade, Nigerians are always full of life, and there is something ridiculously calming about the chaos, something that makes you feel alive. I guess I have always been a city girl: quiet, calm, and order, have never been my thing, I need to hear noise and buzz outside my window...So call me weird but I mizzzzzed Lagos while I was away. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is most definitely here.

Yes for the first week and a half I was over the moon, to be out of this crazy country, not to think about NEPA coming or going, no need for crazy displays of my “fab” driving skills, no bad attitudes, good conversations, endless sushi (I ate sushi every day for 1 week, then realised I was in danger of mercury poisoning so I stopped), I could wear what I wanted without being quoted policies, and fresh cool breeze was blowing my face. After a while though, that became tired, it was great while it lasted but there was just a lack of life to it, it was a little ‘bland’, for lack of a better word. (This is about the States, my few days in London was great, I didn’t want to leave)

But (I know I shouldn’t start a sentence with that mum), but.... The one thing that I loved about the rest of the world was how people go out of their way to do and say little things that make a huge impact, and I think that is something that we take for granted, overlook, perhaps we even just forget with the chaos of our Lagos lives, to go out of our way for our friends, our family and all those other people we care about. I’m quite an emotional person, so people may argue that I am not the best person to be writing on this topic, because I will inevitably get too sensitive. Nevertheless, I shall press on.

I really do believe a nice kind gesture can make such a difference in someone’s life. You just never know the person you hugged, or the person you told “You look beautiful today” could have had the worst ever day, maybe even contemplated running under a molue (don’t know how that is spelt, but I mean one of those mega big yellow and black stripped busses, basically a genetically modified tagzzzzi), and your kind words may have reminded them that there is a reason to continue living.

On my last day in the Chi, I was in such a rush to just get out of that place, get to the airport, get on my flight, and go to London. Maybe that was the eager, fast paced, full of buzz Nigerian in me. After I stuffed a couple of chips in my gob (literally stuffed them in, because eating was just superfluous to my objective of getting the heck out of that place), I ran to the coaches that had been organised to ship people to the airport, I did not pass go, I did not collect $200, I just left. I didn’t stop to say goodbye to my friends / colleagues, myself and Lols just left. In all fairness I sent goodbye texts, and made goodbye calls from the coach. But the one thing I don’t think I will EVER forget in my whole life, because it was such a kind gesture, and I guess having lived in Lagos for 2 and a half years, it was something I just never expected, and if I am 100% truthful with myself, it’s not something I would have naturally done for someone else. One of my colleagues and friend, K.I. came ALLLLL the way to our terminal at the airport to say goodbye to Lols and I, since we didn’t stay to say goodbye.

That was not the most grand of gestures, It’s not like he rented a private jet and flew halfway across the world to say goodbye, but the point is that it’s always THE LITTLE THINGS in life that make the hugest impact. Like I said it is not something I would do naturally, on a normal day I probably would have said bye before I left, but if I didn’t it won’t be the first thing I think to do, but sometimes we just have to go out of our way to do nice things, say nice things to our friends and our family, because it is impossible to tell the minds construction in the face, you have to say what you think, and go out of your way to show people that you care. It will be extremely difficult because of our environment, its fast pace, but it will totally be worth it to the person you are kind to.

Xoxo.

p.s. – I know, I know I have slacked A LOT with blogging, and I won’t even try to make excuses for myself, because I write all the time, I just never really post the posts. I promise to be on better form from here on in, and if I don’t trust I will be cautioned, as I have been over the last few weeks.