Skip to main content

22. The Journey Begins

This is the beginning of a new tradition, one which I hope to stay true to. Birthday celebrations have never been a thing. I’d never even had a birthday cake up until last year (Thanks to FECAites for the surprise). 

I usually wake up to text messages from my mother; she would rain blessings on me. She could never forget October 13th, actually. It was three solid days of labour for her. She was billed for delivery through C-section, but her husband’s family said “No, we don’t do that in this family. You must give birth like the Hebrew women”.  Although, she is Igbo and not Hebrew. Funny, right? 

Three days down with no approval from the family for an operation, the doctors gave up and life was slipping out of her. I miraculously came through on that 13th morning without an operation. A certain nurse who was not on the morning shift that day just decided to come in so early that morning. She saw this black woman still there after three days and decided to give one last try, and I came through. But there was a problem; I was numb – a big baby who was not crying or moving. I was pinched, beaten and all sorts, with no response still. 

As fate would have it, the doctor was a firm believer. He picked me up after the beating did not work and he could only pray. The nurses joined. Minutes down in prayer, I let out a cry, I came alive. I was named Ifeanyichukwu. Nothing is too big for God; I was proof. It was indeed a battle, but I emerged a Victor.

It’s been twenty-two years on this earth, but it feels like I’ve been around for a lot more than that. Life should not be this overwhelming. I question my age most times, and I know you will too. 

Growing up was not so fun. I was not the fun child. I was a bit too serious, and preferred to hang out with older people. Pastor Chris’ Healing School was my favorite program on TV. I liked his white suits, and it made me demand for a suit every Christmas while my brothers got Jeans and stuff like that. Although, I never really got a Pastor-Chris-kind-of suit. I would get a coat, one I needed to grow into. Sometimes I felt I should have been be the only child. I needed the scarce resources to be enough for me. But no, I had four brothers to hustle with. LOL

We have come a long way, actually. Mama has just two boys left in the University. This was a dream years ago. I look back most times and I can remember a lot of things I worried so much about. I’ve seen most of those things sorted out with time, and it informs me to be calm and watch more fall in place, a step at a time.

I am grateful to God for the influences that have come my way so far. I am grateful for FECA; I found not just a training ground, but family. These few years have set me on an all-round growth trajectory that I won’t be stepping off from. 

Fresh out of the University, this feels like the beginning of my life’s journey. Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years time? Please, don’t ask me yet. LOL. I believe so much that my steps are ordered aright and I will win at life. 

Happy birthday to me! 


Comments

  1. Unknown13 October 2020 at 11:28

    Happy birthday Sir !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wofai peace13 October 2020 at 11:34

    22? Very impressive

    I smiled at that, thank you for staying true to yourself

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown13 October 2020 at 11:40

    Awwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn, Happy birthday Sir.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown13 October 2020 at 11:53

    Happy birthday Brother ✊🏿

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown13 October 2020 at 13:01

    Just as you came out a Victor,so shall you be Victorious all the days of your life.... Cheers to a new phase of your life.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown13 October 2020 at 18:35

    Happy birthday Ifeanyi. The world is your oyster and so many amazing delights will follow this age. ✨

    You will win!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Two Years in 800 Words: A Handover Note

It is hard to describe in one word, what the past two years have been like, serving as President of FECA Nsukka. It’s been a whole lot of things: demanding, stretchy, and lesson-filled. There were high and low moments, travel experiences, friendships built, goals achieved and shortfalls also. Two years is such a long time and isn’t such a long time all the same. Depends on where you’re looking from. Leadership in FECA, especially in Enugu Zone, isn’t glamorous. There are no perks or special privileges. As President, you are called “Papae” but that is where it ends. A common aphorism one would most likely hear on a handover day is “In FECA, you will spend and be spent.” This is a true saying. FECA leadership places a demand on everything you have to give; your time, energy, money, and so on. FECA would have to be your priority for those two years. You will come to understand that you’ve been called to service, in every sense of the word. You know, when people are told that in God’s hous...
1 comment
Read more

The Political Instrument of Poverty

Mahatma Gandhi said: “Poverty is the worst form of violence”. I agree. For every election rigged in Africa, for every politician that has risen through to power, the poverty of the people was the ladder upon which he rose. This is violent. Subtle, but violent. I will explain using Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This is a theory in psychology that explains human motivation through five levels of human needs. He argues that, like behaviour and natural intelligences, what motivates you is unique to you and is a combination of your natural motivations and your current social status. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: •Physiological Needs - including Food, Water, Shelter. •Safety Needs - Security, Order, Law. •Social Needs - Love and Belonging. •Esteem Needs - Achievement, Independence, Prestige. •Self-actualization Needs - Personal Growth, Self-fulfillment and so on. The catch is that needs lower down in the hiera...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Unamalgamable; A Tale of Nigeria’s False Unity

In 1885, at the Berlin Conference, the world's colonial powers sat to divide the African continent into portions amongst themselves. They created countries out of distinct and independent ethnic nationalities without their awareness or consent. These nations had their existing and thriving traditional leadership structures, values and norms, which were undermined by the colonial powers for reasons of selfish economic gain and administrative convenience. Complex nation-states were formed and even arch enemies were brought together under one roof to exist as a country. This is exactly the case of Nigeria; an insanely diverse country, divided into north and south with over 250 ethnic groups speaking over 400 languages. This in itself is bedrock for eternal discord. The amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates to form Nigeria was an attempt by the the British to marry internecine entities. Both regions are unamalgamable and should never have been united. Northern and Sou...
1 comment
Read more