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Showing posts from September, 2007

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort At easy answers, half-truths, and superfical relationships So that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger At injustice,oppression and exploitation of people So that you may work for justice,freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to Turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness To believe that you can make enough difference in the world, So that you can do what other claim cannot be done To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. AMEN.

Driving with one hand!

As a sequel to spitting, I think Im beginning to become a social activist. Just for the record it seems like since I wrote the article I have seen many more people spitting than ever before and I have narrowly dodged smothereed by the humongous gobbles of someones salivary juices! Enough of spitting and back to my topic for the day, driving with one hand. I am not an accomplished driver, not in the least, I drive like a proffesional only in my dreams. My first attempt behind the wheel took place over ten years ago and I have made no serious attempts to try and show off my skills or a lack of them! Each time I try to drive the streets of Lagos my pulse begins to gallop, my sweat pores open up as in a deluge, my mind begins to visualise the wheels and the rider of an okada beneath my own.......as you can imagine driving in Lagos is not on my list of hobbies. That is why it amazes me to see drivers on the streets of Lagos driving with one hand and the other hand stuck to their ear with a

Spitting!

Yes my topic is right spitting. I have noticed that on the streets of Lagos spitting is as common as the number of people walking down the streets. It doesn't matter if the individual is dressed in rags or in an executive suit, you can be rest assured that the release of a gobble of sputum as a missile in your direction is certain.kai! My dad said that when they were young, it was a crime to release the contents of your mouth on the streets as you walked. Repeated messages on the radio or was it rediffusion box ensured that people knew the importance of using the God given reflex of swallowing. It prevented the spread of droplet borne infections like tuberculosis, common colds etc. Nowadays people don't care about such things, in primary school it was a crime to spit, you just didn't dare.Now if you are not careful or extra vigilant you might discover when you get home that your clothes are stained with spittle not just plain spittle but bloody spittle like my dad discovere

My heart is gone.............

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My heart has been stolen utterly and forever, while i wasnt watching my heart was swiped and i doubt i can recover it, i dont think i ever will. Don't get all excited o, its my litttle niece who has done the trick. Its amazing how a new entrant into the family can get everyone on their knees oohing an aahing over her little expressions, the way she looks just above your face to something only her lovely eyes can behold. The way she carries her fingers in oh",such a delicate manner like a little lady, her bicycling act which we sometimes liken to her driving an imaginary jeep. Her clamours for your undivided attention though not earth shattering leave you no option but to attend to her. She is such a delight. Babies do such wonderful things to adults, they make us like them and isnt that the essence of life, Jesus said that to inherit the kingdom of God we should become more childlike!

The Doctor as a waiter!

I just thought the other day that doctors must be seen as waiters by some patients, they walk into a hospital as they would a restaurant, with the doctor as a waiter they proceed to make their orders....... Doctor please can I have some sleeping medications?, the type that will make me sleep throughout the night. Could you give me all the drugs the other doctor gave me two months ago when I had the pain in my back? Please add a few multivitamins and cough syrup for my children................the list can go on and on and on. When i have such patients in my consulting room,I have an overwhelming urge to scream. But you can tell that i hold back the scream and politely ask 'Could you please tell me why you have come to see me'? During youth service at the Camp clinic, I became notoriously popular for informing my fellow non medical corpers that we did not run a chemist shop but a clinic. If they wanted any drugs, they were not to say so but they were to describe whatever ailment