CHINA TORI

Earlier this week, a friend from film school posted an ad on a WhatsApp group we created while we were in school. It was for a 2-day crash training (seminar) on Production Management and Script Breakdown.

I could not make it to the first day of training because of the rehearsals I had to attend in preparation for the Lagos Theatre Festival, but I made sure I did not miss the second day. You know what they say about striving to improve and learn new skills at every given opportunity? Yeah, I didn’t want to miss this one. Besides, this is Lagos and free things never go to waste.

Second day came and I enjoyed every bit of the seminar. Usually you think you know something until someone else opens your eyes to other possibilities. The training was enlightening.

At the end of the training, I realized that some friends from film school were in attendance and I went over to meet them. It was a beautiful reunion, and we had a lot to talk about and laugh over.

Soon it was time to depart and a very funny thing happened; we could not bring ourselves to go our separate ways. We tried as much as we could to stall movement, and when that did not work, we followed the same route to our different destinations for as long as we could. We could only get as far as Ojuelegba, and at that point, everyone had to continue on their own.

At the “junction of separation”, nobody moved. We just stood there taking in the sight; four young people standing at a very busy junction in Lagos just looking on.

After a while, Pelumi looked at his wristwatch and muttered, “The day is still young”. His watch read 5:35pm and he called that young. When no one responded, he turned to Vicki and asked, “What will you be doing when you get home?”

Surprised Vicki was about to lash at him when their eyes met. She looked at him closely and saw the disappointment in his eyes. She smiled. She knew he didn’t want to go just yet and that made her shake her head in what may pass as pity. The look on his face may have stopped her short but she couldn’t stop thinking of the severe pain in her lower back. She just wanted get home, undress, bathe and lie still; for that’s her own way of treating menstrual cramps. She just wanted to go home.

Long story cut short, they were forced to board separate transportation vehicles after about fifteen minutes of indecision and be on their way home.

Pelumi took a bus going to Lawanson, Dija took another bus going to Kilo, and Denre and Vicki boarded the same Marwa* going to Shitta and Masha. But the driver soon evicted Denre from the vehicle with his announcement of a different route. Frustrated Denre jumped down and he and Vicki said their goodbyes.

Here’s the gist. Life will present us with relationships and circumstances; some beautiful ones, some parasitic ones and some ugly ones.

At different points, we will meet people who will help shape how we perceive the whole of existence. Some will make us better persons and some will reduce us to degenerates. But the truth remains that we bear within us the power to choose whether or not to be influenced by these persons or situations.

The choices we make will go on to emphasize the fact that life’s race is highly personal and that individual development is important. We live in a world that thrives on collective efforts, but we must not forget that no one can give out what he or she does not have.

As you make the upward and downward movement through the earth plane, you will meet people that will make living so sweet, and for a while, you might be distracted. But you must never forget that everyone has to work independently to ensure the collective growth of whatever society they find themselves in.

The truth is, no one wants to associate themselves with someone who has nothing to bring to the table in terms of value exchange. You follow?

Individuals must work hard to become and stay relevant, for that is the only way these beautiful relationships we want to keep can survive and mean something.

Like the four young people in our story, there is only how far a group can go together. At different points, everyone will have to make conscious efforts to branch out or be forced to take separate paths to search for ways to become better and find true fulfillment.

In the end, only you can run your race. You hear that? No one can run for the other.

Life decisions are made within and how we go about them will determine how well we come out. Most parents are known to have failed in their bid to help run life’s race for their children; bosses and partners alike. You don’t want to cling to a system or a relationship that will reject you based on your irrelevance.

Go all out and work and you will appreciate the distance you put between yourselves in your pursuit of self-development.

Thank you for your time and continued support. Please follow, like, leave comments and share this post.