Be That Street Sweeper

“This woman can sweep o, she’s so serious”. Ada’s voice jolted me to reality and I turned to look at the woman she was referring to.

The woman was bent down sweeping with so much vigour and one would think she was expecting to see gold on the sidewalk of the tarred road she was sweeping.

“Ha she can really sweep o, see the attention she is paying to the road” I retorted.

We both stood watching the woman and then I muttered out loud “sweep so well that even the angels will notice, even Ada now has noticed”, I was recalling the quote by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Do you know the quote”? I asked Ada and she shook her head in the negative all the while watching the woman who seemed not to notice us or the people walking hurriedly past her in different directions.

We were waiting for the driver that had gone in search of change for us.

“Imagine this man o, I asked him if he had change and he was nodding now he’s keeping us and time is going” it was Ada speaking and I responded “you clearly tried to avoid this o, I mean you asked him 3 times abi’?

“Ehen na” She sighed. 

We were on our way to work and were running late.

I turned again to look at the woman who swept like she was competing for an award. I spoke up again “she is sweeping as if people will not walk on the road again when in fact it will be sandy in a few minutes”.

Ada laughed and as we spoke the driver came with the money and we continued our journey to work but through the journey I kept muttering the lines from Martin Luther’s quote to myself “sweep so well that even the angels will notice”.

Isn’t that how we should do things and execute tasks? Shouldn’t we like that woman work with passion and the consciousness that our role no matter how small is important?

Whatever your work do it with love or leave it but if you cannot leave it then love it and give it your best.

Your work is only as inconsequential and unimportant as you see it and make it to be.

You are part of a system that would not function well without your full participation and as Rev. Martin Luther King said “If you are called to be a street sweeper, you should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. You should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

TAILOR-MADE LOVE

“Oga please bring my cloth o, I don’t want you to sew them again. Haba for three months, is that not wickedness”?

“Madam wait let me explain...”

“Explain what? You always have an explanation, just bring the fabric for me”.

“So you have been ignoring my calls but called back when I used another number”.

I ended the call in anger, no it was frustration – I was frustrated at that time.

Have you ever loved someone and hated them at the same time? One minute you want them and the next you want nothing to do with them. Know the feeling? Ever been in a relationship like that? This is the relationship I have with my tailor. I am angry with him today but tomorrow when he delivers my clothes I forgive him and give him more fabric to make more clothes.

If you have dealt with tailors before then you will understand this kind of relationship.

I told myself that I was done with him – for good. This is not the first time I would be making this decision but I tried to mean it this time.

I turned to my friend sitting by me and expressed my frustration. “What kind of nonsense is this? Since March o and now this is June, will I have to beg for my own clothes when he is not making it for free?”

He tried to calm me down.

I was angry because I had tried to call my tailor about the clothes but he ignored my calls and then when I tried to call with another number he picked up and even called back after I ended the call. That was all I needed to know that he intentionally ignored my calls.

He called me again afterwards but I ignored and then he sends a message that he would deliver my clothes the next week.

I was seething with anger and promised myself that I would never deal with him again.

The next week comes and he brings my clothes – very well made and as I held them in my hands all the anger I felt seemed to fly out of the window.

He apologized as I looked lovingly at the clothes but I paid little attention to him.

I finally put down my clothes and expressed my displeasure at the delay in delivery.

Then he dropped the bomb, “Madam I will be relocating to Lagos o, in fact by next month I will be gone”.

Say what? I tried to control my surprise as I asked him why. He explained and I tried to encourage him to go ahead…”sometimes God makes us uncomfortable just to push us to something better, just make sure you pray about it”.

Before he left I brought other fabrics I had been keeping and we picked styles for them.

As he left I thought about the stress of finding a new good tailor...choi! Minutes ago I wanted nothing to do with him and now I didn't want him to leave.

I hope he delivers before he leaves for Lagos because that would mean another round of arguments that would again result in me vowing not to work with him and when he delivers my clothes, I would change my mind and the cycle will continue.

Oh well…I guess there will always be that one person you hate to love and love to hate. You vow not to communicate with them when they offend you but like a deer panting for water, you find yourself going back again.

Ever had a love like that?

For me it’s my tailor…I guess ours is a love that’s been ‘tailor-made’ just for us.

Who Send Me - My Jasmine Jollof Experience

I like to play safe. I find what works for me and stick with it.

I wear pink or red lipstick only, eat what I know or seems familiar at restaurants, wear colours that I’m comfortable with and generally don’t take too many risks - I simply try tom avoid stories that touch.
I used to think it was boring but recently I had an experience that made me resolve to always stick with the familiar.


I had gone to the city mall to buy groceries, toiletries, food stuff and on my list was rice. I couldn't get the brand I am used to at the mall so I proceeded to another Supermarket in hopes that I would get the 'familiar' brand.
I went to the supermarket in search of Rice but couldn't also find the brand I wanted so I opted for a name that seemed familiar too. What I failed to see or simply missed because I didn't pay attention was the part that read 'Perfumed Thai Jasmine' Rice.
Had I known I would have gone to the open market instead...sigh!

When I got the cash point and the teller told me the price of the rice it was double what I was used to paying for 5kg of Rice and I quickly snatched it from her hand. I took a proper look at the bag again to be sure it was the same rice I was being billed for but because each time I go to the market the price of things seem to have doubled - no thanks to the recession, I grudgingly paid.
I packed the Rice with the other items I bought and headed home.
Let me mention here that I like Rice and can eat Rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner so maybe love is a more apt word.

I LOVE RICE!

I got home, arranged everything I got and as I poured my Rice in my Rice bucket I noticed that the colour was unusually white but I thought it didn't matter so I shrugged it off.
Then morning came and I set out to cook Jollof Rice which was to serve as lunch at work.
When I first parboiled it I saw it was unusually starchy and very white – why should rice be so white?
 
At that point I decided to Google 'Jasmine rice' - that was when I realized there was more to 'Perfumed Thai Jasmine' rice than I thought - who send me?
It was really different from regular parboiled rice and looked sticky even in pictures where it was served with chop sticks. Why didn’t I ask at the store before paying? Maybe that’s why it was double the price I usually pay.
I reduced the amount of water I used in cooking it but that didn't help matters as my coveted Jollof Rice came out super sticky with a funny scent – did I mention that it was ‘perfumed’ Jasmine rice?
I packed lunch all the same for my friend and me. When it was time to eat I warned her that the rice was 'special' and unlike regular rice.
After 2 spoons she remarked that the rice was sticky and tasted funny.
'Babe this rice is meant to be sweet o, you prepared it well but this your special rice is not good for Jollof' she said.
I reminded her that it was special but after she complained again, I had to open up to her that it was 'Jasmine' rice and I had no idea it would turn out the way it did.
“Which one is Jasmine rice again? You mean Basmati?” She asked again.
“Babe it’s Jasmine o, never even heard of it before but let's just try to eat it for my sake so the food wouldn't go to waste”.
For where, we couldn't o. After several spoons we dumped my 'special' rice.
When I got home I packed the ‘Perfumed Jasmine’ rice in a bag.
I headed out to buy rice again and when I saw perfumed on some bags I didn’t even wait to see if it was Jasmine or Jazzman, I ran fast. Who wants to pay double for what they wouldn’t eat?
I finally got my regular white rice and now I am looking for anyone that wants Jasmine rice. If you want kindly let me know – it’s yours.

I have learned my lesson and next time I’ll stick with what I know.

If Only You Would Just Read This

I watched as she battled with the door trying to open it. She pushed, pulled, hit herself against it and looked around for anyone to help her. I made to get up to go help her but sat back again.
She pulled again and pushed but the door wouldn't give way.

I was seated in the office conference room in a broadcast training session with other colleagues and as I watched the lady struggle to open the door, my mind wandered.
I thought about the countless times my boss had complained about guests who almost damage that particular door because they are unaware that it is automated.
It is the door that leads to the live studios as such guests who come in for interviews or programmes have to pass through that door but it is always a challenge.

So after deliberations and upon his recommendation, I personally typed and printed the instruction on the door still that hasn't stopped people from trying to damage the door - because they simply wouldn't pause to read.

I watched the lady keenly hoping she would see the instruction clearly posted on the door on how to open it.
She searched frantically with her eyes again for anyone to help her and just as I made to stand up and walk up to her, I saw her eyes focused on the instruction posted on the door "PRESS THE WHITE SWITCH TO OPEN THE DOOR".
The white switch that she needed for the door to be opened was just by the side of the door.

She pressed it and the door opened.

Then I sat back again.
It is the thing said about the African that "if you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book".
Times are fast changing though and so is the stereotype about Africans and reading but a large number of people still do not read even the simplest instructions.

Sometimes the answer to the challenge we face is staring us right in the face but we don't see because we do not read.
Knowledge is power and this statement is corroborated by the verse of scripture that says "my people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge" - Hosea 4:6.

Think of the many mistakes you could have avoided if you had simply opened your eyes to read.
Some people even fill out forms and sign documents without reading the instructions written.
Think of the many opportunities you may have lost because you simply didn't stop to read.

The ability to read in my opinion is one of the greatest skills anyone can have but that skill would only be meaningful when put to use.

So pick a book today and take time to read signs and instructions as often as possible.

Who knows what door reading will open for you like it did for the lady in my office? As Rachel Anders said "the journey of a lifetime begins with the turning of a page".