No, not all.
But for a while.
I tell you my friend.
Now we join remote learning on snow days.
The corporate world was in offices. Suited up.
Now we work from home in our jammy pants.
Professional exams were done in centers. Fierce supervision.
Now we write from our bedrooms under online proctors.
We have moved to a world we cannot see. A different dimension.
Now I doubt the sanctity of all I see. For I am one with virtuality.
Jumoke Odepe
Ontario 2021
Our government does not listen. Our politicians have cleptomaniac gluttony.
They spray bricks of dollars at the innumerable birthday parties they conjure.
Dollars from our oil funds and treasury, meant to build us roads and hospitals.
Our roads are craters, roller coasters, turbulent high seas.
Hospitals are sharks swallowing patients without chewing.
Schools? Oh!Brink Back Our Girls!
We started fleeing home a person at a time.
We’ve been fleeing home for a long time.
Our government does not listen. Our politicians have cleptomaniac gluttony.
Our people are spread over oceans. Stuck between devils and deep blue seas.
1987, aunt Kree ran from home to Europe, searching for greener pastures.
1995, five of my doctor cousins left for Kuwait, anything but home.
2010, ten of my friends left for the States, swearing never to come back.
We started fleeing home a person at a time.
We’ve been fleeing home for a long time.
Our government does not listen. Our politicians have cleptomaniac gluttony.
They loot our treasury. Eat up our reserves. Infringe our rights. Insult our intelligence.
Open fire on our freedom fighters. Brain drain our country. Embarrass the hell out of us.
Oh-mine-they-embarrass-the-hell-out-of-us.
Home is a carcass. A shadow of a story that was. A glory of past ages.
Home is a rut. Home is a trap. We too must run. The gates are closing.
We started fleeing home a person at a time.
We’ve been fleeing home for a long time.
Jumoke Eniola Odepe
ON 2021
The dainties I've tried, countless.
From the Law to The Pen, to Event Decorating to Jewelry Making to Designing,
I've been there and done that.
Done it my way. Happy I've tried them all.
My creative expressions, it's indeed been a blessing to meet you all.
It's been a blessed life.
Thought to share a few of my eye candy creativity from my past till now.
And yes, I created them all
Enjoy.
Wedding decor by Jode |
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Beads by Jode |
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Beads by Jode |
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Beads by Jode |
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Beads by Jode |
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Beads by Jode |
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Wedding decor by Jode |
Wedding decor by Jode |
newborns and kissed them we
spent time with seniors and
sat close to one another we
physically schooled and
shook hands we
hugged and touched and
partied in droves we
shopped loud and
chrismassed with families we
danced holding hands and
hold hands
hug
shop
dance
kiss newborns
school
touch
time with seniors
visit
travel
party together
oh, what didn't we do?
Jumoke Eniola Odepe![]() |
Photo created by author using Canva |
You hardly hear this right? Yes me too.
That's the world we created. A world where everyone says they love the same things to be politically correct but to the disadvantage of some others.
We forget the beauty of diversity.
I admired how Winston Duke successfully imitated the Nigerian accent in the Black Panther movie. He brilliantly acted M'Baku bringing back fond memories of how Nigerians end each sentence with "ooo."
Oh, I love it!
How about how Chadwick imitated the South African accent bringing back fond memories of Madiba, the South-African Nelson Mandela. How I loved the way he said "I thank you" after each of his speeches.
But I stand in wonderment each time at the political correctness of gushing over the British accent even from the lips of my 5-year-old niece who is yet to meet a soul with the British accent. She must have heard us older humans say it.
The rhetoric has been well established that the British accent is the nice, queenly, sophisticated accent that we all must marvel at while in reality, our preferences over accents are as diverse as we humans are.
Who told you that some accents are less than others? How did you first learn these beliefs?
From the deepest accents in these African countries to the mild ones and then to the ones you can only hear the accents in minuscules. I love them.
Perspective.
Jumoke Eniola Odepe
Canada
It might be an abusive boss. It might be an abusive working environment. It might be an abusive girlfriend. It might be an abusive de-facto or marriage relationship.
You are tired and scared. You are confused about the next step to take.
You speak with a few confidants, they are scared too. They don't want to tell you to leave so you don't hate them for the advice later.
So you stay. You cry every day as you drive to work or you hate every day as you keep befriending your abusive bestie.
I know, sometimes in life, we just need someone to tell us "Before I open my eyes, get the hell out of there!".
Sometimes we need someone who will literally hold our hands and grab us out of a situation, tell us what to do.
But friends and family can be so careful about what they say. They want to safeguard their relationship with you so sometimes they don't tell you the way it is.
Sometimes they are scared that life might be harder for you if they tell you to leave that abusive job.
And sometimes they are as clueless as you are.
But I tell you, staying in that hurtful environment is hurting your soul.
When you look around and you don't find that person to tell you what to do. You might need to look deep within and follow your God-given guts.
Wishing you comfort and clarity at this time.
I don't love exercising.
I am one of those girls who are not gifted with the gift of the passion for exercise. I often wonder why people jog or run every morning, I say to myself, "what is chasing them?".
I am one of those girls who naturally have a tiny waistline and eat so little.
But something started happening to me!
At a certain point, my ever compliant waist line started bulging of her own volition! It felt as if I had undigested food permanently sitting at certain corners of my waist and won't just break down as fast as they used to.
Suddenly, my flat tummy and flattering waistlines were giving way! My tops were not fitting anymore at mid body area.
That's when I woke up! Well not wake up wake up as in wake up. I still drag myself off my bed to exercise daily.
I found Amy's cardio video quite easy for a dragger like me who has to do it but just wants to get it over with and still get results!
Gradually, my waistline started behaving. I also started getting more conscious of my diet.
So, there you go.
I hope you find some fun as you drag yourself to exercise with the above video... Like I do.
Ola
Toronto, Canada
#End Sars
#End all forms of oppression of the people of Nigeria
#End bad governance
#Promote technology
#Promote security and sanctity of the human life
#Welcome new era
Ola,
Toronto, ON
PC: Colin Behrens, Pixabay
Rest on Chadwick Omotunleshe Boseman.
Thanks for the movies that represented us in the superheroes sphere, for the African accent that you used, for fighting for equality while fighting for your life.
It meant a lot to us to see our black boys and girls sit proudly at the cinemas when Black Panthers’ movie premiered. They saw their superheroes, for the first time, in you.
Stories matter, you improved our stories. You represented us well. You reduced the negative stereotypes. You did well.
We won’t forget you, Omotunleshe, meaning, our child has improved our status.
Wakanda forever.
J.M.
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Photo credit: Ryan Spencer -Unsplash |
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Photo credit: Silvrwood from Unsplash |
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Photo credit: Richard Cordones |
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Photo credit:Jed Villejo - Unsplash |