My Vintage Year: Kaleidoscopic Memories

2013 is gradually rounding off! Just like that! 

Astonishing! Unbelievable!!

One minute we were in July and I blinked and voila! It is December 10^th 2013 (19 more days to my 21st birthday, for those that do not know the date and my exact age as people keep thinking I was  19 years old. Guys! Come on! I am 21years old joor. (Blushing tinzz)

Did the year soar by quickly or what? Soon it will be 2014 and another decade will begin to move swiftly and sharply. Time flies, they say, and it seems like it is spinning even faster nowadays. By this time last year, I was looking forward to the year 2013 with aspirations and expectations even though many of them were built on unrealistic fantasies. I had a long list of ambitions.  I was scared I may not be able to take that giant first stride to begin as I was not certain I could even fulfil half of it since anyone worth his/her onions with me knows I invented procrastination. Wait a second, did I just down play that? I am the word Procrastination itself ( check the oxford dictionary and the synonym of that word is my name)

Let me mention here that in as much as I believe in the omnipotent and omni-something (is it science? Can't really remember), I know I'd be exaggerating if I describe myself as being religious as I may just receive a thunderbolt slap from above for such weak attribution to something I am really not. So I am careful not to mention that I prayed fervently at the beginning of this year to accomplish some certain things because, I really did not. I simply wrote on a piece of paper which I must have thrown away the next day on what I want to get going by 2013 and they are as follows;

 1) Commence an important educational program

 2) Get my career mode into a comfortable position (being careful not to mention promotion before some person go dey ask for money wey no dey) 

3) And some other private stuff you must be really be deluded if you think I will post it here. (And nope, not what I know you are thinking)

Let's just say I achieved all before the last embers of the year I must say. 

Oh yes, I try to give to Caesar what belongs to him no doubt. I say my prayers, especially when I suspect I am already using my last straw with God. And I also try to keep the 10 commandments holy (Ask my Mum, I honour her a lot. I try not to lie (remember the arrogance of no one worth lying to?) I try not to steal (But mehn, it's really hard not fapping my sister's favourite lipstick or a shirt and pair of trousers from her wardrobe, wearing my mum's slippers out of the house without her knowledge until she wants to wear them few weeks later which by that time, I may have damaged them, take an empty cd from Hubby's revered carton and use his polo sport perfume. But I am trying, really). I have never committed adultery. Kilo fe faranu? I don't call the name of the Lord in vain, I assure you and what else again? Oh yes, I do not and have never killed and do not intend to kill anyone. (Now, cockroaches, live chickens, rats and rodents do not count, right? They had better not o. Otherwise, we know who will not be entering the pearly white gates of Heaven, don't we?)

And that's all the commandments though, yes? (Where is that my bible again sef)

So yes, I say my prayers and Hubby has even referred to me as being morally upright some while back. (Or was it uptight and sanctimonious he said? Whatever! They all mean the same). On a scale of 1-10 moral wise, I will place myself on 8. Yes, I am very particular about my morals. Not a saint and though the last person to put Christ like or religious posts lifted from internet on social media, I try to maintain a very healthy balance between what's right and what's wrong with my weight tilting towards what's right.

Simply put, I am a bad girl gone good and I intend to keep it as such.

Now it's the 10^th day of the last month of the year and 21 days before the advent of another year, and I am really grateful to God. Nope, I didn't get everything on my wish-list most def as I have not even finished writing all that ought to be on my wish list. But I have gained so many wonderful things in this past year, without needing anyone to tell me and I have received so many blessings that I cannot but be grateful.

Old friends will know that for the past five years, I have made a habit of blogging about all I am thankful for either at the end of the year or at the beginning of the year. However, I have a tingling feeling that these 3 days break may be the one and only break I will be receiving in a very long time to come and I am so going to make good use of it. (Yup, I said it. The proverbial cat is away and this proverbial mouse, oh boy, is about to give the phrase “make most of the break” a very new meaning. Don’t ask where the proverbial and revered cat went! This mouse is already mouth deep in some rich cheese.)

I am extremely thankful to God for my blessings.

I am shocked, surprised, astounded, and overtly glad that I am still alive. (You have no idea how many times I have come close to death. The memory of that truck whose brake failed and headed right for me comes readily comes to mind #shivers#)

I am thankful for the gift of a Hubby who is a friend, a companion, an annoying house mate, a domestically challenged spouse who is getting chore- worse by the day, my ever ready yab-partner, a teasing partner, one I trust and depend on for all issues (and trust me when I say all issues) and one who I married with common sense in my head and not just a fluttering heart beat and who I must say “I really chose well”.#am sure he would be wondering what I want from him as I am never this nice#

I'm thankful for my family as time & situation has revealed that nothing, absolutely nothing should come before & between families: my indescribable mum who I still psyche to cook for me and hubby and she never says no, a splendid mum in law who is so caring, attentive and supportive and I miss more than anything , Sisters who are more annoying but so tolerant of me (I assure you I am a difficult person to love and tolerate), Sis-in-laws who surprisingly I am not sure whether I love them more than I love my hubby sef (Pick your jaw from the floor Mr Alade) bro–in-laws with swag toh make sense, splendid aunts& uncles, both primary relatives and inherited by marriage, wonderful cousins whose bond have grown over the past few years, old colleagues that I miss so much that it actually hurts at times, new colleagues who gave new meaning to the term “team effort” and make me look forward to driving off to work every day(Sorry, I just had to let you know I drive really.), bosses who have challenged my mental capacity and initiative that I no longer need to go to luminousity.com to know how mentally alert I am. Neither do I need to answer the tricky Mckinsey tests to know I am extremely capable of coming up with business ideas and solutions within a very short space of breathe.

I am thankful that I am gradually learning to control my temper, be more tolerant, less snobbish (that’s not true actually. I am actually still snobbish, intellectually. I mean how can you not know how to spell, articulate fluently or write well in situations that call for it, really? Jeez!) Fine, I am thankful I will be alive to work on my intellectual tolerance of people by next year, or in 2 years’ time? 3years?

I am extremely thankful for these 3 days break, eternally grateful and ecstatic for the amount of sleep and meals that will be consumed during this much elusive but deserved break.  

I'm thankful to God that I have never had to go hungry, compromise a standard for another smaller one due to shortage of funds or sell something to get fast cash. (I am not even going to mention that Hubby has been trying to get me to sell my wedding gown because it’s occupying space in the wardrobe. Imagine! Wait a minute, I have not seen that gown in a while o. What the…….)

I'm thankful for the enormous good times I have enjoyed both at work and at home and at some very fun joints in Lagos.

I'm thankful for the excess laughter, rich sarcasm, hilarious experiences and the constant fun the wonderful people in my life have brought forth. There are just too many angry and depressed people in the world today. (When you read the comments on Linda Ikeji & Stella Dimorko’s blog, you will understand what I am talking about. Some people just don't have joy in their lives. )

I'm thankful to God that I will be adding another year to my life in 19 days’ time. I celebrated all past birthdays in perfect health, surrounded by family & good friends and a wonderful Hubby who I think is planning a surprise party for me.(He has no choice now, shey? Hehehehe)

I'm thankful to God for the many wonderful new friends I made this year, especially my fellow colleagues at my current place of work. (I am not mentioning names guys! Before I resume work and people start giving attitude for not mentioning names) and my ex team members, CET, Team 31, Team 7 & Team 14, Pacific, Optimum Exposures, Insight Grey & people who have become so close to me I cannot even remember how we met in the first place, as in seriously, how did I even meet some of you?

I'm thankful because I'm older and wiser now, (though still a damn fine wine in a fine bottle) than I was a year ago.

I'm thankful that I went through 2013 without any accidents – Remarkable! Small car bashes don’t count though because if we use that one to judge ehn, whew! (Considering Hubby has said I am a vagabond & menace to the citizens on the streets of Lagos & Nigeria as a whole)

I'm thankful for the trips around the cities of Nigeria I enjoyed during the year. (Liar! Cities my foot! Actually, I have only been to Ibadan this year. How embarrassing! I really need a vacation!)

I'm thankful for the progress I made with my work, my educational program, personal development courses & my career path this year. And I am very thankful for the opportunities I have to explore further in the coming year. (Hope my boss does not think I meant job opportunities o!)

I'm thankful to my co-Face bookers who reel out controversial topics that we agree to disagree on, friends who send me inspirational mails every morning, those BB contacts that don’t understand I hate broadcast messages!!! The very many friends I have on Facebook that keep my page active and the impressive networks I have built on Linkedin that keep me updated on several job opportunities I will not be pursuing anytime soon but great to know I am considered worthy to be offered one. (It does a lot of good to the ego and soul I tell ya!)  .

I'm thankful because I've moved closer to God this year and planning on keeping it that way till eternity. (With a religious mum and mum in law, I have no choice mehn as I am sure I will soon be liaising directly with God the Father and Jesus the son on a one on one basis sef!)

I'm also thankful for the many lessons I've learnt this year:

I have learnt to: be self-sufficient, tolerant, accept constructive criticism without imagining the person in heated oil, see the man as the head of the house and I can assure you that is not an easy feat mehn, not taking decisions when I am emotional, control my temper, and I have learnt that I really don’t have enemies but people who actually want to know me but don’t know how to approach. (Only the likes of Dangote, Adenuga, Adeleke, Otedola have enemies. So who I be that I’m deceiving myself that I have enemies? Hian!

In 2014:

I want to be completely in tune with where God wants me to be, what God wants me to do and at his own appointed & perfect timing. (It had better be a very good place o)

I want to be more like the “me” I picture in my mind’s eye everyday ;( or is it fantasy because I fantasize a lot!)Very loquacious, excellent public speaker, a good motivator, a wonderful manager of people & time, gregarious, confident, brilliant, intelligent, creative and astoundingly entrepreneurial. 

I want to achieve my potential with my writing & event management skills & commence all professional courses designed to bring out that best side of me and stop stealing tids & bits of free courses online.

I want to become a better wife, a wonderful mother, a more tolerant sister, a more concerned friend who keeps in touch with all her friends, a better team player at work, a honorable daughter so that when I look back in few years’ time and google my name online and everywhere google able, I will be one of the most recommended public speakers the world can boast of and a role model for growing women & children across the globe. (Ok, that’s too much ambition!)

So help me God.

A Merry Christmas to everyone and may 2014 be the best year ever!

 Cheers!