The beauty of the New Year

Few days to `the beginning of a New Year you find people rushing; Doing things which they had every opportunity to do during the year in running, but choose to ignore. Why is a new year so special? After all it is just another day. For me I think what makes the New Year special is the opportunity to start all over again. Irrespective of how bad you feel you have behaved in the presiding year. The New Year brings with it an opportunity to start all over again. So the key to a successful New Year then is the New Year resolution. Unfortunately I think most of us already offended the gods of New Year resolution. How do you explain abiding by your own brand new resolution for only 10 hours into the New Year, and then consoling yourself with the immortal words “After all I am only human” Well for me I think every year brings with it an opportunity for change. A change that guarantees a better tomorrow. It is my hope that for the New Year the foundations for true growth which I laid this year will finally bear fruit. Life is never easy, most especially when that critical foundation that will catapult you to the heights was not laid by your parents. But that should not be an excuse; God’s grace is available to all as such your own opportunities will be given to you. It is in your hands now to follow through. The resolutions of the New Year present an opportunity for you not just as a plan to guide your actions but also as a corrective measure when you stray. Take hold of it, and 2010 might just be that beautiful year that you pray never end.

The season called Christmas

I am not a Christmas person by nature. That is the whole ‘hula halo’ about Christmas has little or no effect on me. Infact I am almost neutral in my perception of it. But the irony here is that my favourite movies during festive periods like these are those where the heroin of the movie does not believe in the festivity and is then forced to go through a life changing experience which now makes him a believer. Movies like these tend to capture my imagination but still fail to make a believer out of me. Now it is not that I am anti Christmas; Infact the opposite holds true. As a Christian I feel the need to acknowledge those special occasions in my faith. My problem, I think, springs out from the fact that I just don’t feel Christmas. But it was not always like these, there were those times growing up, when I used to wait longingly, breathe abated, for Christmas day. All because I wanted to put on that Christmas clothe bought by my parents. Back in those days there was a burning desire to celebrate Christmas. These days all Christmas means is an opportunity to be absent from work. I miss those good days when we could not afford knockouts and had to prepare our local variation. I miss those days when we snuck up our neighbors windows so we could shoot our locally made knockouts. I miss those good old days when Christmas day signified going house to house to collect money and eat free food. Back in those days in Ondo state very few people had videos. So Christmas was the day no body drove you out when you came to watch film. Christmas was the day we all looked our best and got to eat chicken meat. Oh! How I miss those days. Christmas now holds no joy for me. I don’t travel home, don’t have to, my parents are right here in the city. If I go to the village on my own my people are bound to be surprised. Since I neither know anybody nor can I speak my language. I am a modern Nigerian, a true product of the system. The child of mixed parenthood, hence I bear allegiance to no state or region. My village is where I reside at any point in time. Unfortunately it leaves you lonely as there are very few of us. The only pastime left to do therefore is to get drunk, chase girls and party all night. The unfortunate part is that I don’t need Christmas to do these as I can do it any time of the week. Christmas is a special occasion where special things are done. But for me I can’t seem to find anything special to do. So I am not a Christmas person as it always tends to be my most boring day.