Blessed Freakiness
Posted March 2, 2007 · Idiare Atimomo
When I was in university, my room mates always teased me about the way I wrapped my towel around my waist. It would be wrapped with a big in-folded knob on my left hip. Their interest in the way I tied my towel was just a big irritation to me (why do you bloody care?!). Unknown to me they were on to something.
Though born and raised in Lagos , I am an Itsekiri from Delta state. I have been to the Delta only two times in my lifetime but my roots had a grip on me I never knew. I found out much later that my ‘style’ of wrapping my towel was the same way the Itsekiris tie the native wrapper! I had not been taught this by my Dad neither do I particularly remember seeing him ever tie one.
So how do we explain such a strange coincidence? I can only conclude that by some strange freak of nature I somehow had it in me to know how to tie an Itsekiri wrapper unconsciously.
This thought has led me to the constant scanning of my environment and behavior to tease out more of such freaks of nature. To do so would require first and foremost a clear definition of what these unconscious abilities are. They are things you feel you cannot do but are already doing or have done albeit unconsciously. Coming to a consciousness of them should be liberating and empowering for they are a sign from heaven that all hope is not lost, that you are not beyond change and growth.
Consider for example the ability to swim. Many people quite rightly believe they cannot swim. They hate large bodies of water, cannot float or just haven’t been in a pool before. What would they say if I reliably informed them that they can swim and have actually won a medal for swimming?
Let me explain. For every single living human being, that person beat over a million other spermatozoa to fertilize an egg. That contest was a swimming competition and every single one of us is a Gold medalist in swimming as a result! I hope you haven’t fallen off your chair laughing! The point is that to swim and win is your birthright… come on you can do it!
I heard a funny story/joke about an ibo guy who was asked what 4 + 7 was. The guy went dumb and couldn’t answer. The more they asked, the more perplexed he became. Then his boss sauntered in and asked what the challenge was, when he was told he promptly phrased the question this way “Mike, four naira plus seven naira na wetin?’ Mike’s eyes lit up as he said with much gusto “ Na eleven naira be dat!”
Guys, it’s all about context when you come down to it. When you phrase every challenge, problem or need for change in a context you are used to or have succeeded in, it becomes obvious that there’s really nothing impossible for you to change, be, do or have.
Have these three scenarios in your mind as you face today and every other day. I will never say never to myself or to anyone else. Who knows, I just might still win a Nobel prize for solving some obscure mathematical challenge, you never know…
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Comments
Hello,
Thanks for this words of encouragement, you know you are just telling me to be the MD the way I hv always done things.
It is about the context.
have a great day
Added by Akonte Ekine on Apr 01 at 01:12 PM
You’ve always had a way of stringing seemingly unrelated issues to make one huge ball of sense. Should i say that you have move up to three? Or, “ Very impressive?”
I see that point (with you) how humans subconsciously exhibit traits they had never been directly exposed to but are synonymous with their people. Think about the enterprising capabilities of Ibos and Jews in diaspora… Do the math in your context.
Cheers
Added by Chijioke E Ezeh on Apr 04 at 04:41 AM
Good insights. I like the swimming illustration. It shows that no one is really a loser. We were all winners in the very first race we partook in. Therefore (whether we like it or not), winning is our nature - and we need to get back to it. Cheers.
Added by Tayo on Apr 01 at 01:11 PM