Month: August 2013

Who Do You Tell Your Real Age?

Last Updated on 26/08/2013 by Vivien Ayinotu

We were all sitting and waiting for our turn in the clinic. As usual, everyone do mind their business while my eyes were glued to a little girl who was very active and could not sit at a place. She played with everything that was within her reach and later settled for drawing.

Funny enough, whenever our eyes met I smiled at her and she smiled back. Smart kid. She got me going till she eventually could do nothing else. She then said to her mother that she was tired and she was told to go to her pram and sit. She quietly went over to her pram and slept off within seconds. Kids are so lovely.

She was not the only one tired, I was too. The waiting time was damn too long. We were told they had only two doctors and lots of emergency in addition to the routine appointments.

A woman sitting about two seats away from me was called and moments later she came back. One of the receptionists went to her with some forms.

Which one is your real age? They bear different ages, the receptionist asked her. I was surprised to hear that. I was like –  how can someone have such age issues in their health documents?

As she left with the forms the woman called her back and said to her ‘no, it’s the other form.’ It was this time that I turned towards her direction and gave her a kind of woman-what -are-you-playing-at look.

Seriously, what happened to the saying about not having to lie to priests, doctors and lawyers. I am not going to go down the road about ‘women and age thing’. This is because lots of people(men and woman alike) do hide their real age for some reasons but please at certain times and to certain individuals, it is very important that we simply tell the truth for our own welfare.

Wait a minute, that saying should have been health personnel or doctors/nurses and not just doctors, you know? Anyway, that’s my honest opinion.

Ladies And Gents: What Do You Have To Say?

Last Updated on 22/08/2013 by Vivien Ayinotu

The other I had a conversation which I found surprising very interesting with an elderly in his late sixties or thereabouts. Never mind, I am not so good in guessing age right but at least you can imagine what he looks like.

Anyway, he is a relative as well but that type that the family tie seems to be so elongated. Yes that type. We discussed varied ranges of topics and I was overwhelmed by how he seem to have a more intense view of almost everything. Old age indeed comes with wisdom. There were certain topics we seem to have strong different views on and on my own little part I would want to let him know my opinions and justify them as well while in some I simply suck in to his ideas.
However, when we got to marriage and polygamy in our modern society, it became a-no-win-no-loss game. I was of the opinion should be between a man and a wife no matter what the circumstances are. My biblical backups and the rest of them were not far fetched. And being something I so much believe in I was saying as much as I could to solidify my views.
He said he knows all those things am rattling and many more I was going to say. Hehehe! 
Listen attentively to what I am going to tell you, he said. 
I adjusted my sitting position and leaned forward. It was obvious that its going to be a long talk. He started by telling me a story about how their grandparents lived and how things happened those olden days. In his terms ” good olden days”.  He said marriage was highly rated and very scared especially amongst women, that they all try as much as they could to make their marriages the best.
He mentioned that polygamy made women to be very competitive in their marital homes as they always thrive to furnish their husbands with the best dishes. He actually made me understand that these women do have a particular day to feed and sleep with their husbands and usually makes the best of it. 
All these make the family to be in harmony and the man feels loved by all his wives and treats them according.he discussed this bit very well explaining how those women seek the attention of their husband. There was so much passion in his voice like he was actually there or would have preferred to live in that generation.
 
To him, marriages between man and one woman cause more problems and high rates of divorce which was not the case in the days of our forefathers. It only makes women feel empowered which they usually abuse and consequently treat their husband with a much less respect and it is not meant to be so. Children were taught how to respect their  elders, house chores and how to become good members of the society right from home. He made it sound like polygamous family are the best for acquisition of all kinds of informal education. 
He equally added that most couples in nowadays marriages are unhappy. 
Haven’t I heard enough? In as much as I know what I believe in and would stand by it, there were certain things that he said that really caught my attention and also made sense. Interesting how an idea  can be perceived in absolute contrasting ways. 
Well, am glad to have come in this present time. Can I know your views please?

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Close Your Windows While Out

Last Updated on 09/08/2013 by Vivien Ayinotu

Last week, as I arrived at the Church about 15minutes before 12noon mass time, I met a group of people discussing what has happened few hours ago. A friend said to me, ‘Vivien can imagine that Fr was robbed during the 10am mass?’

I was surprised to hear that. To think of it,  I do hear of such acts in distant countries or other places but for it to happen in my own church sent me chills.  They said that the burglar made away with his laptop, phone, money and other things.

 A volunteer who usually sits close to the entrance door to help people out said that during communion time she saw a very strange face coming out from the other side of the building ( the section that leads to the basement and to the Priests flat ) with black bags in his two hands and made his way to the exit. She regretted not stopping or at least querying him. Other people were equally drawn into the discussion as they all were much concerned for the poor Priest.

Nevertheless, we all had to stop to attend to what we came for. The sermon was so lovely. One of his stories was about Doves. He told us about the absolute fidelity of Doves and how they end-up mating a single male partner throughout their lifetime. I found that really interesting. In fact, doves are my favorite birds for other genuine reasons and now I have a beautiful addition to that.

During announcement, he then told us how his apartment was ransacked by a burglar whom he said must have gained entrance through his open window. At this point, he stopped and advised against leaving our windows open when we are out. He mentioned some items that were stolen but what seem to trouble him so much was his laptop and backup. According to him, he has lost his 35years work. Amongst them were lots of vital information; in regards to his school years, Priest works, personal reflections, all his pictures and so on.

As usual, he had to stand for a while to say hello to parishioners after church, it was then that he said that while he was exchanging greetings with people after the 10am mass he saw someone standing in the front of his door with bags but it did not occur to him that he could do anything at that time. He could simply tell that there was something fishy about that person whom he said was not any of his parishioners.

To think that someone would deem invading a Priest’s apartment while he is in the Church preaching and within the same building is highly unbelievable.

Where is our conscience?