Ouch! 2: On Life, Death and Pain

I am about eight hours removed from my last dental visit. This time around I had to face my devil and remove the molars that had been degenerating faster than was expected. In fact, one of them had chipped two weeks ago causing me incredible pain that can be better described than imagined. Ultimately, I had to give in to the dockies advice to get them all removed at once. I had been managing the pain for over a week and was going to get it removed last week Wednesday only to be moved to yesterday because the surgeon found I had an extra molar. Which kain blessing be this? Na so I wise. Thank goodness, the extra one is not awkwardly located so it will be left alone. Doing so without upsetting the remaining set up is the deal that made me bear the pain of a chipped molar for an extra week. Trust me, I would have paid someone to pull the whole 36 out this last week- the eventual pain of extraction is not comparable: at least so I thought.

I had been advised to bring company since I was supposed to be on anesthetics. Na one of my paddy guys drive me go Clinic yesterday. Between man and God the last I remembered was entering my car in my house. How I got to the Clinic, checked in, did the procedure or got back is beyond my reasoning. Which brings me to the issue of death. I have no memory of what happened in that three hour window of my life. I remember slipping slowly into partial oblivion and that was it. Some others said it was an out of body experience for them..mine was a total switch off. For where? If man go, na so im for just go. No memories, no pain. That brings me to issue of death. When people die, we cry. Obviously, we cry for the pain of loss not for the dead. Because on crossing that thin line that separates life and death these consciousness are eternally lost. It does not matter those whom you leave behind, you are gone and gone to face your creator. My three hour window beyond the earthly yearnings of this world, is my triple play on Life, death and pain.

P.S: As I sit down here thoroughly drugged with pain killers from the procedure, I am in good shape- thanks for the thought. I am still bleeding slightly- but men, na the hunger my people. My stomach no fit handle am. I never chop since 7am Wednesday to avoid throwing up during the procedure. Since I have lost the use of my mandibles for the next 24 hrs, na suffer head be dat. I was able to manage Ice Cream before going to bed yesterday. Pls don't suggest custard. Wetin dat thing go do for a six footer plus? I miss my Eba, Efo eguro and egusi soup I beg. Anyway God dey! Peace out, till we meet again.

Combating World Hunger

If poverty, hunger and diseases are mentioned chances are that we think people speak of developing Nations or some war stricken, poverty ridden third world country somewhere on Africa or Latin America. The truth however, is that a lot of people down your street in North America, Europe and indeed the developed world cannot afford a single meal a day. World Hunger is a reality and unlike competing interests like healthcare, education, and terrorism- it is hardly a mantra of the brain dead politicians. Everyone has enough to eat appears to be the assumption underlining the bogus discussions that political undertake everyday and the egg head journalists co-opt them to go on about. Neither in the Presidential Candidate debate in USA, is UK or France the need of the poorest of the poor ever raised. They are invisible- whose needs are the least of their concerns. Along with the "homeless", whom society have impugned some kind of horrendous label, the hungry is unseen, unheard and not catered for. All we hear about is the spoilt brat, entitlement flushed middle-class. It is very common to hear the left wingers go on preaching about the middle class squeeze, and the right-wingers sermonize on middle class tax cuts. The question is- what about the under/lower/poorest class?

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to be asked to devote a tiny piece of my time to the cause of feeding the hungry through the meals on wheels program- a crucial feed the hungry dive in Houston inner cities. The stark reality of poverty will not hit you until you see two loaves of bread, peanut jelly butter and a 30 oz pop(Kool-Aid), becoming the miracle of pre-K children who hitherto would have gone hungry without the innovative program of Meals on Wheel program. The sad part is that hunger is combatable and in a rich country like the USA and even the poorest ones, it is simply inhumane that we look the other way while it over takes the youngest and most susceptible amongst us. More often than not, it takes our time to feed poor more than our money. In Brazil, President Lula have made it a core thrust of his administration to combat hunger in his country and it is working. If poor Brazil can do it, why not the great US of A. Well, you and I know what the priorities are. Only those who make big campaign contributions or who vote get taken care of; that is exactly why dumping 1 billion dollar daily in the watering hole called Iraq is a greater priority than fixing the broken healthcare and education system here at home. We also know very well those corporations and smooth talking execs that are making good off the war anyway.

All these aside, you can be of help in combating world hunger in a number of ways. Visiting a local soup kitchen or shelter to volunteer your time in packing lunch will be a good start. Donating to UNICEF, who I believe is doing an honorable job in many developing nations where help for the middle class not to talk of the poor is non-existent, will also be a step in the right direction. You can be sure that for every minute you spent packing the lunch, you touched a child; for every child you touch you might have touched a soul; and every soul you touched could be the next driver for change in the world: A child that will find a cure to cancer, another that will take man to the moon once again and others that will sit in the oval office just like Bill Clinton- whose family once lived on those food stamps. No one knows the future, and it is immoral to starve the future. Feed the children of the world, and fight world hunger to a stand still.

Headed to Vegas
I think am ready to hit the road this month. I should be in the Sin City for Memorial Day. I intend to fly there and drive all the way back to Houston- a twenty two hours drive. I am actually more excited about the road trip that will crisscross five states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and of course Texas. Texas is a 12 hours stretch- a big state indeed. But the rustic country sides and beautiful view of the mountain, desert and grassland over a 22 hours lap is definitely worth the trouble. While everything that happens in Vegas should stay there, I promise to share pictures of the road trip.

I saw the Last King of Scotland and Blood Diamond finally. They were both masterpieces. After these phony elections in naija, I wonder whether our continent will ever get it right. Bobby and the Queen are next on my Blockbuster list. My summer list is complete but one book...I shall share my progress in the next post.

Are Americans really stupid?

It does not Matter…

What of it fails?
What if the sun doesn’t shine?
What if I stray away?
What if it falls apart?

You wonder about what is,
The wonder of the unknown
But who knows what is yonder?
You wonder if the yoke of it all is worth it
What about “it”?

All I say, is that it does not matter
It does not matter how many times we fall
It does not matter how many it fails
It does not matter how many hecklers you got
It does not matter if it bothers you

Reaching beyond the wonders of the stars
And the beauty of rising beyond the deep blue sky
Lies in the secrets unlocked behind it
Because it never matters how far you fly
How high you soar or how low you sink,
It never matters how much rot you have been

All that matters is that the sky is blue,
The sun is red, the earth is brown
And the rain falls where you and I rest.
All that matters is that you are with me
At least on this

Why does He not call me?

1. Because you are now boring
2. Because you are now annoying
3. Because it just doesn’t matter anymore
4. Because in the ranking order of thing, you are CURRENTLY not a priority
5. Because all the above are incorrect and he is brain dead

Postscripts:
I had to let you people in on this. This stuff is funny- I beg check my man- naija man out on You Tube. This dude is crazy. For Laughs

Check this Vintage Car collection out and you just might want to see Australia Hailstorm and the ravishing beauty of Sydney draped in the white stuff. What a wonderful world!