THE SPIRO’S SYNDROME

He could not fly! All the efforts directed to make him fly was excruciating and shameful, for him and for all his newly discovered friends.  It was very surprising and humiliating to other birds of its kind when they discovered that Spiro could not fly! Was it because of a faulty wing? Or was it because of his legs? No, for nothing was wrong with Spiro’s wing or his legs as they were checked by his friends to be perfect. Spiro was neither a hybrid of their type; they knew it couldn’t be, since in all aspect, Spiro’s structure was similar to their own.  What could have happened? That among birds that soar high, Spiro was unusually a disappointment! It was a case of a professor of mathematics who could not find x in a simple algebraic equation

2x=3! Rather he said, why find x when x is already given!

Why was Spiro unable to fly? How could an eagle lost its ability to soar high without any injury? Spiro condition is a new disorder which I call Spiro syndrome.

It is not just about Spiro, because what happened to Spiro was a terrible disease that could also affect human beings! Before I let the cat out of the bag on what type of disease affected Spiro, I will tell you about my encounter this year with this disease of the mind.

I enjoyed the yuletide period very well! I had fun without any emotional baggage of the penultimate year. On the 7^th of January, I decided to pick my pen and plan for the days within the year 2013.

Before I could write any great goal for the year, I decided to review what I wrote down as goals in the beginning of 2012. Alas, the result was devastating! Many of those goals never saw the light of the day. My manuscript did not turn out to a book before 2012 runs out, my………any way, goals are supposed to be personal, you know what I mean. 

After that review, my spirit was brought down, the inferno within was quenched, and my desires were watered down. In a short time, I made up my mind that I would not so much desire much or write down goals this year. I caught Spiro’s disease; I caught the disease of the mind. It was the inertia of the year 2012 about to prevent me from climbing the higher grounds of 2013!

Sorry for taking your time, Spiro though an eagle was unable to fly because he grew up as a domestic animal who never thought it wise to fly let alone discovered his ability to soar high as an eagle. He was taking from the bush as an eaglet, grew up as a pet within the house of his owner. It was sudden and new for him when he found himself in the bush where he actually belonged and realized that he was actually designed to fly.

Rather than fly, the inertias; the force of his background did not allow him to fly. His experiences has never taught him to fly, he told himself, I have never flown before, how can I fly now. His potentials to fly had never occurred to him until now.

So also are many of us. Our failures hunt us down. Our experiences about life are to make us stronger and push us forward, but sometimes, they are like weights that pull us down. Rather than climbing, we are drowning, rather than looking forward, we are looking backward. Experiences of failure in life are to be reviewed and the lessons are to be learned and the mistakes never to be repeated. Spiro syndrome is a disease of the mind. As a man thinks in his heart so is he! Don Juan in his book, the tale of power said “the basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse.”

I told myself, past failures are to ginger the swagger and not to water it down!

I will never allow the inertias of 2012 to prevent me from climbing the higher ground of 2013.

Spiro solved his problem and I learned from it. Spiro flew at last and I will fly! How?

Firstly, I will locate my position. Review of 2012 achievement is for me to know where I am presently which will determine the level I will take off from in 2013 and ipso facto determine the length of my destination. “The most terrible feature of a mad man is his inability to determine who he is and where he is at a moment.”

Secondly, though the scientist will always say the higher you go, the cooler it is, I will put in more energy even on my higher ground knowing that staying aloft is more demanding than standing on the ground. 

Thirdly, I will change my strategies if the old strategies did not work. Fighting a war in the 21^st centuries is a suicide mission with a samurai sword in the presence of this generation’s technologies.

Then, I will build my hiding place with the manufacturer! Welcome to 2013!!!

IT IS NOT FOR KINGS! O PEOPLE!

Have you noticed? That the giants are now in dwarf forms! The ugly ones are packed in beautiful costumes! Just like hidden thorns of a beautiful flower, they are appealing to the eyes, their outfits are adorable, and they are attached to good milestones in life; graduation, prosperity, success in examination, good family life, marital bliss, celebration of births and even the celebration of death.

But the fact still remains, no matter how impeccable the packaging, no matter how friendly; how serene the surrounding atmosphere, no matter how beautiful the content, the sting is ever painful!

Illustration

It was a terrible event to remember! Adeyemi was a young man with a promising future. As a medical student, he had waited patiently for this day to come so he could be free from the 6 year intense training that must be fulfilled in order to become a doctor; passing the part six medical exam was a dream come true for Adeyemi and his colleagues.

Before the examination, Ade and his colleague have discussed several times on the best way to celebrate the success in the forthcoming exam.

Have you guys noticed the bill board in front of the university gate? Asked Segun, I can’t wait to be like that guy!

What bill board? The bill board Segun was talking about is a very big bill board in front of UI gate. It holds a glamorous picture of a young guy on a graduation gown with a beautiful lady beside a beautiful car, holding a bottle of an alcoholic brand. The picture depicts a successful graduate that was associated with a particular alcoholic brand; a perfect alibi for a terrific killer.

Just like a host of other forms of making the criminal a saint, the big bill board is working for the work it was employed to do. They all were happy. They immediately left in Segun’s car after the part 6 medical examination result was pasted.

In the spirit of celebration, they drank; never knowing they were drinking their lives away! After passing much time in a club house in the art of the town, Femi tried to gather everybody so they can get back to the college teaching hospital where they resided. Already, Segun the car owner was unconscious and had been behaving funny. So, Ade volunteered to drive the car, a mistake he would never make again! After some few minutes on the road, the car had a head on collision with an on-coming 911 Man diesel trailer.

It was already late, people were unavailable to help; the doctors became victims and the helpers were unable to receive help themselves. These doctors fulfilled their dreams half way! Not only did their families invested in vain, even the country had lost valuable assets.

Thanks to the killer in a beautiful skin.

Now, as Solomon described it

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright, at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

When a man beats his wife, check very well, alcohol has hands in it, when a young man suddenly remove his cloth on the road in an abnormal way, alcohol has a hand in it, when a young lady is raped, alcohol has a hand in it, when a man kills his mother, blaming her for his unemployment state, alcohol has a hand in it.

Like a thief in the night, little by little alcohol steals the mind away! Sometimes, it invites any or several of its accomplices to complete the havoc; cigarette, kola, and other psycho active drugs.

It has been associated with cancer, road traffic accident, violence, and the likes!

It ranges from 3mls small sachet to larger bottles. It can be local like ‘burukutu’, palm wine ‘emu’, sepe, ‘ogogoro’ or modern.

It has been argued that little quantity is not bad for the body, the questions that people have raised is how little is little?

The conclusion of the matter is found in the book of proverbs:

It is not for kings, O people, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink

RECOGNISE THE VAMPIRES!

Sometimes ago, I read about the life history of Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great was the Herod that ordered the killing of infants at Bethlehem when he heard of a child (Jesus Christ) that was born to be king in the future. According to the story, Herod Antipas was legally married to the daughter of a very powerful king— Aretas the king of Arabia Petræa.

Herod Antipas later in life married a second wife named Herodias. Herodias was formally the wife of Herod Philip- Herod Antipas half-brother. In those days, Herod Philip (also known as Herod Philip I) became inconsequential because of his mother’s treachery. He was excluded from all shares in his father's possessions, and lived afterward in a private station. As a result of his condition, his wife, Herodias left him to marry his brother Herod Antipas.

Herodias was a cancer in the life history of the Herod family! She left the broke Herod for another powerful Herod; an unlawful union that began the fall of Herod Antipas.

The moment Herodias entered the life of Antipas, like a cancer, she began to have negative influences with negative results in the life of Herod Antipas!

The fall of Herod Antipas started with the murder of John the Baptist under the influence of Herodias. John was against the marriage of Herodias and Antipas and described it as illegal. Though, Herod would have had John killed before Herodias influence, but he feared the people knowing that John was regarded as a prophet. 

As a result of Herodias marriage, Aretas (father of Herod Antipas first wife) was annoyed for his daughter’s sage and invaded Herod Antipas territory. History has it that Aretas was able to defeat Herod with a great loss because of the murder of John the Baptist- an offense committed by Herod due to the influence of his new wife Herodias.

As if the damage Herodias has caused Herod was not enough, at a later time, the ambition of Herodias proved the cause of her husband's ruin. She urged him to go to Rome to gain the title of king, but he was opposed at the court of Caligula by the emissaries of Agrippa, and condemned to perpetual banishment. Herod Antipas died in exile.

What an end to the life of a king! 

The lesson

The lesson is to be careful with Herodias descendants! Be wary about Herodias sons and Daughters! They are who I prefer to call vampires that suck life out of other fellow human beings. They can be in form of friends, relatives, boss, etc.

Recognize the vampires! How?

By their attributes! Vampires

·         Are those who want to get favour from you at all cost even when it means your ruin!

·         Are those who encourage or embrace you when you do evil!

·         Are those who belittle you, telling you, you can never make something out of life!

·         Are those who deny you of help at all cost!

Practical examples of  vampires

Illustration1:

Boy friend: baby, you I need the money urgently; it is just 2million! I know you can afford it.

Baby: you know I cannot raise that kind of money; how much is my salary, beside, the ones you have collected, you never pay back!

Boy Friend: ok ok! I will pay you back soon especially after you borrow me this money! Anything you can do now for me. Why don’t you sell your car which I know will not be up to the amount I requested, and …eh, but you can do something now! You are the bank manager! You can technically take the money without record! And return it when I pay you back.

Baby: are you telling me to steal!

……

Illustration 2:

Baba Taju: (came to greet mama Bisi her immediate sister in her house): Good evening Taibat (mama Bisi), how was the market?

Mama Bisi: Fine Jare bodami (my brother). Thank God you came! I was about to visit you at home so I can pay Bisi (her eldest daughter) WAEC exam money directly to you being the principal.

Baba Taju: (with an expression of disgust): mama Bisi! Why do you like to waste money on a girl! As a girl, let her go and marry, or who will train her up to the university? Use your small money for the male children; stop wasting money on something unimportant!

…….

Solution

If you have discovered you have a vampire around you, then the following are my suggestions

·         Learn how to say I cannot

·         Learn how to do without them

·         Learn how to lean on God

Thanks for reading; you can add other solutions or comments on my facebook page: or on this page of the blog.