bolts and screws

the script. the theory.

a lot of beings and things are constituted on earth. there are people and there are the crazy ones. you see, the crazy ones are one of the prerequisites for the word chaos. and before the both of us start to wonder at the similarity of ‘chaos’ and ‘craze' and most especially, the meticulous accuracy of the five letters, the first letter being a loyal ‘c’, we first have to secure and stabilize our calm.

the thing is, everyone gets their share of whatever grates on their nerves. the question of whether it is fair or not, or how the degree varies, is left to the comparer. and when the force comes along, threatening to loosen all the screws in your head, it is up to you to choose how many screws get loose. few screws or none.

when it plays out

permit me to tweak this adage and say ‘different times call for different measures’. and if fortunately, you happen to live in the nigeria of normal nigerian conditions, the first skill you develop is street-wisdom. you know how and when to put people where they belong. how to identify and escape a warm situation that's got the potential to heat up. most importantly, shouting for help when your sense tells you that someone's about to hit you. do not forget your lines. it goes ‘egbami oo. o fẹ ja nnkan gba lọwọ mi ni o.’ (help me. he wants to steal from me). then watch how the world comes to your aid.

and the times when you choose to be calm, you bask in the euphoria of disappointing your opponents. they were desperately expecting you to lash out at them and give them the exact value of their bargain, but you just smile and walk past them like you did not just notice that the last passenger shut the car door when you were about to alight. and when the driver decided to assume that you had enough change in your purse and your innocent aim was to get into the next car as you were tired of standing. you already made peace with yourself that you were going to pay extra for your decision. you just told the person sitting next to you to let the driver enjoy his proud silly moments.

but that did not stop you from deflating the driver's ego when he talked to you anyhow. he shouted at you and you told him to throw his aggression somewhere else. i mean, what is your concern with his missed lunch or the fuel price?

be stingy with your sanity

i acknowledge the anger. the fuming. it is rightfully expected. its valid. but do not keep it pent up to dish out the aggression later. that sounds familiar, like the driver.

gently direct your brain to things that restore your sanity. a funny memory that cracks you up at every remembrance. something you love to do. the goal is to soften your heart and revive your calm. but please, do not allow an uncouth somebody to make you bitter.

your peace might not be immediate. in some cases, it can not. the goal is to cool your temperature like the boiling water will turn cold. and your peace can even be immediate. it happens in your winning moment where you draw out the line that shows that your opponent has overstepped. satisfied with your sass, you watch your opponent go silent and defeated. celebrate that win, it's rightfully yours.