The Elysian Girl

" Communication is key," they say, But you see, "speak up" is all they truly want to say. They ignore all the aspects that sum it up - Like taking a piece of something whole and leaving the rest in the dump- Leaving room for under-appreciation and laying waste to many unique parts. Now, why would something so wholesome be torn apart?  Beyond the passage of vocal sounds from person to person, Communication abounds in: The warm embrace after a long day's work and The slight nod of reassurance - a silent wish of goodluck. It is nestled in the pair of eyes that lights up in excitement at the sight of their favorite person- An appreciation for life's blessing. Communication is the restless swivels and twirls beneath the sheets after a fight - an unsettling strategy that blights sleep for the night.  It is also the silent attitude over a displeasing incident; a usual technique for avoiding belligerence. It is still, a melancholic mood for conveying hun...

There’s hardly a day you wouldn’t come across someone asking for patronage on their business page. The most popular ones are from small business owners who even try to sound funny to get attention. You have most likely seen an advert, “Please buy what I’m selling, so I can afford today’s meals.” Or something along that line. People who own businesses are steadily looking to be patronized; which is why many adverts are littered on different platforms. It simply shows that customers or consumers are important to the survival of any business. Entrepreneurs are daily seeking ways to provide amazing products and services to their customers and even reach a wider audience. For this reason, the adoption of technology and e-commerce has undoubtedly made it easier to reach out to more customers at their comfort. And with the pandemic, e-commerce has gained even more ground. It’s no news that some of the structural changes and transformations that have occurred in many companies have c...

For many, it’s a lifetime dream; finding that one person with whom you’re willing to share the rest of your life. The special feeling that comes with the conviction that you belong together with your partner cannot be overstressed. Even more special is the feeling of reciprocated love. You know, it’s one thing for you to love and be convinced about someone, and another thing to love and be unsure about a partner. But when there’s assurance and a deep sense of conviction that you have found the one, the next step is to start a family. Starting a family, how hard can it be? Pttf, especially when you’ve found the “right one.” Of course, there are probably very alternative ways to start a family considering that the world stays changing and people keep coming up with unique ideas around so many things. However, a tradition that has been found to have survived over the years is the wedding tradition. That’s right. The official union of partners by an officiant (and maybe witnesses...

Oh. Hello! I'm incredibly excited to be reconnecting with you after what would seem like a decade of silence. And no, I'm not here again to promise that I would be regular or reach out more often, as I've done in the past. You see, if I share what it's been like in the past months, you will do well to be happy for me.  But before we move on, how have you been? And I'm not asking because it's my usual conversational style of starting my blogs. I need you to be intentional about how you feel and start living in your own reality. Because for me, I am wonderful, and I haven't felt this good in a minute.  Sometimes, being intentional about the things that involve your life is an excellent place to start in the search for purpose. You know, often, people ask, "what's your purpose?" "have you found your purpose in life?" and very many times, we don't have all the answers because we stay trying to wing it- oh, let's try th...

Hello you! It's been a minute! I know I say this often, but I always mean it. I've missed you (to pieces, if I make so bold to say. Lol) and I apologize for not being here when I should. You see, 2021 has been excitingly busy for me as of now, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. However, I've missed you pretty, and I hope I've not been relegated. Haha On today's blabber of mine, lol, I'd love to share a little of what my thoughts were about the other day, and I do hope it doesn't take up a chunk of your time, really. It's related to self-care , and I'll admit, I hadn't known how to talk about it or what topic to have made it about until I read a newsletter about self-care, and it got me in my thoughts. The story is about a young girl whose lifelong dream has always been about becoming a journalist, and if possible, getting to sit side by side with Christiane Amanpour of CNN. A pretty valid dream, if you ask anyone. Anyone at all! ....

One of the things I love most about being in Nigeria is how music unites us, and sometimes, we don't even care if the occasion is right. If a song is loved, it's played everywhere, and at any event, even churches find christian lyrics to fit somewhere into the music, just to give a reason to play it in the church. It's no different with the recent jam "Highway," by one of  Nigeria's top DJs in the music industry, DJ Kaywise,  featuring one of Nigeria's famous indigenous rappers, Phyno! Highway doesn't provide depth when you're looking for lyrics, but if you're looking to use your dancing shoes, then best believe this song will make you wear them out. Phyno's style when it comes to highlife rap is unmatched. It is everything in the song for me. It is a unique sound, with a beat scattered in a coordinated form, giving room to vibe totally to it.  As I stated earlier, when Nigeria likes a song, brace yourself to hear it at every corner, and th...

"Don't let pain turn your heart into something ugly. Surviving is beautiful." When I read the quote above at first, what I thought was "easy for you to say, have you felt pain?" but then I gave it a second thought and realized the sense in it. I am not trying to be a motivational speaker; people have had enough of those speeches, and let's be honest, there are so many things left out in motivational speeches. Regardless, that's not why I'm here now. This quote reminds me of how when people speak about their struggles to finally hit the jackpot, you would truly feel the beauty in survival. I believe pain changes people, but it is left to you to choose how it changes you; it can make you dreadful, mean, bitter, or transform you into the sweetest person who values the littlest of things.  There's a famous story of twin boys whose father was an alcoholic. It is a painful experience to watch your father drink so much that he's no value for his lif...

No, you really should not wait for me, I should catch up with you soon If I get done with this foreboding; with me. I have a lot more things to do,  And if  you wait, you will lag too; Caught up in this trap weaved like a spider's web,  Tangled up, like a dense hair uncombed for days...  Like a mighty ocean wave, it roars at me with laughter;  It laughs at my attempts at getting rid of it;  Of making my way out of it...  At nights, I hear its mocking chirps like crickets chopping off the small edges of the wood.  It tightens its grip, wrapping me in,  But denies me warmth...  like a cradle, it  makes sure there are no parts of me exposed Enough to cause an escape..  Please do not wait for me,  I still have my head to deal with,  For it is filled with thoughts;  Thoughts of everything and of nothing,  Of the battles I'd fought and lost...  Prenatural thoughts I do not feel like sharing.  For ev...

Hello you! Boy, has it been a minute! I recall I promised to put something out every day, but you see, I'm not here to repudiate my failures; I'd instead pick up and make up for it. To that effect, I apologize. Regardless, I'm here again with a few words for the week, and without taking up much of your time, we would dive right into: Prenatural : I came across this word while reading Sidney Sheldon's "Mistress of The Game", a fascinating piece, I tell you. I'm not surprised as Sheldon always delivers. However, Prenatural means beyond the natural, something that seems oddly abnormal and out of place with everything else. Of course, I would use examples: 1. He runs with a Prenatural speed.  2. Her beauty has a Prenatural way of charming people.  Vantage : A point or place that affords benefit sounds like "advantage," and they mean the same thing. It can also mean a point that affords a good view. I also discovered this word reading the same nove...

Hey you! I don't think I have quite asked how you're faring before now and so, here is me reaching out... How are you doing? I hope you're surviving, sometimes, it's all that's needed. I say this because I know there are helpless and hopeless individuals at places where there are no opportunities to thrive, and so I hope you're surviving long enough to reach a place that'd help you thrive. The other day, I had an argument with an acquaintance, we'd use 'Sly' to represent him. He'd sighted this young lady's outfit at the mall and showed no pleasure towards it.. She'd worn a shawl-like blouse over a bum short. So he goes "why would someone dress like this to an open place, it's indecent and immoral", this would be the nicest of all the things he said as regards that lady's dressing.  I went on to ask "what would Jesus do or say?". I asked this because he'd come with the righteous condemnation of an absolu...

There are a few artistes you'd have to excuse my sentiments when reviewing their songs. Passenger sits comfortably on that table. I'm helplessly awed with everything he drops, from his voice to his use of instruments and boy do I love string instruments! His songs are nothing short of inspiring and takes me to places I never thought existed. Only passenger has the power of taking me to the Elysian fields and he does so, effortlessly! So, am I grateful for coming across his sound? You'd bet! I had just come across "Traveling Alone" from his 'Whispers II" album, I'm probably late to the party, as it's been out since 2015, but that's the thing about Passenger: you're never late with his songs. They speak to every age and time. Passenger in 'Traveling Alone' tells of the different people he found around him (probably during a tour, as he was lodged in a hotel room), each expressing their heartbreaks and loneliness through their differe...

You're probably in my category: we hear or read new words, look them up for the meanings, then forget to use them in sentences, write-ups, or word games, until the next time our paths cross and then we go "oh, I've seen this word before now... I don't seem to remember whatever it means". Sometimes, we get their meanings from the context in which they were used at the time. Either way, our vocabulary has improved, but in a passive manner. So I came up with  Words With TEG: a section of TEG that would solely  keep us abreast and conversant with new words and in turn, I get to sound refreshing everytime I put out something or try having conversations.  Words With TEG would be about new words that I've come across. It would be shared weekly as well as used in most of the articles that'd appear on TEG for the week, that way our brains get sort of acquainted with them and in turn help us relay our messages effectively while communicating and in word games. Lol. ...

In the last couple of days, I've made sure to keep busy, trying to put out write-ups for TEG. I decided this year would get more of that part of me, I've tried to sweep it under the carpet for so long. Now, I just feel it should be let out to take a breath.  Has it been easy? No! (ofcourse I'm no professional but I'm willing to get there!) Oh I wish I could narrate all the many ways I've been frustrated just trying to put out a write-up on here. I also don't want to imagine how things would be on days that I would be choked with work. But we move still. Lol.  If you're like me who's not written in months, weeks or days because you lack the motivation, or can't make out the time to write anything, I'm here to share a few things I would like you to hop on. I'm no expert in these things and that's why I'm inviting you to try these steps with me, it's really a journey I feel would go a long way in guiding our writing patterns effectiv...

I really envy people who have the gumption to be entrepreneurs, especially the ones who bask in it like it comes with no stress at all. I see vendors on social media platforms and I marvel.  You'd see them advertising their goods in very fun ways, not the usual conventional modelling ways. For instance, a wig vendor, could decide participate in trending challenges(like the #bussit, #bopdaddy) on social media platforms to advertise her wigs. A shoe vendor could decide to tell jokes and make short funny skits or even give an influencer for free, to get tagged. Very many creative ways and I just sit and watch in awe, because it'd take someone who's passionate about what they do to keep coming up with ways to entertain as well as advertise their goods. It is worthy of emulation. I say this because I've been privileged to be around friends and acquaintances who own businesses while they had just incurred massive losses and I really do not think my heart would be able to cont...

"If you're depressed, talk to someone". This statement, no matter how condoling or how empathic it may sound to the person who utters it or the people who think it makes sense, it really would take a great deal of energy and positivity, for someone who's depressed to come running to another person, to talk about their depression. People are fickle, it's sad, but it is what it is. Come out with your problems and watch people throw them back at you for one slip you innocently took. Then there are people who do not have the faintest idea of how depression works. It comes at them sometimes and they pass it off as "sadness". I believe the featured picture for this post is a perfect illustration for representing this class of people.  Someone's dead from suicide, after being declared missing for days and there are up to five topics on the Nigerian twitter trend table about this. Several 'hot takes' are seen littering the streets of twitter. People ...

I am cold Not the kind that goes away when you tuck yourself in between sheets, Or wrap yourself with a thick shawl,  Not even the warmth of my man's bosom, Soothes it...  It comes with frail bones, Something in your gut  That burns like hell and  A sensation in your throat, That begs you to cry,  To Let it all out! I am tired!  Not the kind that is caused by the stress from work, Or the kind that goes away when I get to sleep enough. It comes as heaved sighs, Sometimes from a heavy chest, Or an escape from choking,  As breaths are seized  From intensely stifled cries...  Trying to let it all out!  My Eyes, red and swollen, for days,  My lids: wrinkled from wiping pools of tears, Like streams, that won't stop flowing...  Deep grief, masked for days...  Days that turn to months,  Months that turn to years... I am hungry!  Not the kind that food heals,  Or water quenches,  It gazettes in my belly like an ...