Seasons Greetings

Dear All,

 

It's quite amusing how days pass by and metamorphose into weeks, months and then years. Recently, I was discussing with an elderly friend. He joked that adding up his present age with the age, he'd be seventy year old. He'd better start planning something to be remembered for by the world after death. That's thoughtful, more so, for me. I can't believe it; that the year had just passed by. Just like that! However, I think looking back, we can ponder over some things. My bible told me that if one can reason, one will praise God for his goodness.

 

This year marks the end of a phase for me, and interestingly, the beginning of another one. I graduated from the University with a good grade, and in less than a week, I started another programme. The Bar Part II Qualification to the Nigerian Bar, I later found out to be an arduous task. Things are different now. As pioneers of the new curriculum, coping with the new curriculum could be a pain in the arse. Thanks to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc which has continuously held on to power all the time. At the Law School, we had to plan our lives around the 8:00PM, and 12:00 midnight to use laptops for study. We don't have a choice but to stay in our group meetings some hours after a marathon class now called "workshop". The workshop is more of an overview of what you're expected to have read, and God saves you from embarrassment if you can't say something to any of the questions posed at you by the Almighty Law School Lecturers. It's a mélange of the sometimes amusing but many times shocking revelations of ignorance and lackadaisical attitude on the students' part. The most of all, of course, are the instances of our Foreign Colleagues. It's just exhilarating. So, you just sit tight at the group meetings if you're not as smart, or good, as some sharp ones in the group who'd muster some energy to spend time in the library or cope with the heat of their rooms to study and provide answers to the task posted over the internet for the next day work. So, we all sit down to soak up all we could for our lectures. If I must confess, it's a good thing we're doing at the law school. It just makes everything so practical that you can't just easily forget them.

 

The best thing God created in the world is people but He later regretted creating man. But His love for man, and his potentials are quite exponential so, he had no choice but to redeem him to Himself. I love people, relationships et al. I don't know how one could live in this world without people. I won't take up Will Smith's role in "I am Legend". I'll just pass out. Moreover, I don't envy Robinson Crusoe at all with how much credit many scholars and erudite people had given to the book and its author, Daniel Defoe. No doubt Crusoe thinks he's the best but of course he is in his own world. Funnily there are some like that even in the midst of us all. They see themselves as the only one in it. This is different, in my own opinion, from being the best amongst the equals.

 

In 2008, I've met so many people and made few friends. Of course I hit the 200 in my list of friends on facebook. That's astronomical! I don't envy the likes of Dobi, Seun Kelani and all who have 600 and 3,000 + friends on facebook. No doubt, Facebook is one of the great inventions of our time. But in relating with these people, it's surprising how much many  of them have in common that you can group them into classes, so you have like shares, classes of friends. I'd once written on types of friends, and it's a bit easy but not too easy to classify these interesting people. I still think about my old friends while meeting and making new ones. Those history we share can't be measured or compared with any things. I love them because they encourage, soothe, challenge, and prod me to being what I believe God has destined me to be.

 

I'm glad the 2008 came. It's a stepping stone for me to greater things. I'm very positive for 2009 and very expectant of greater things. To everyone - my friends, mentors, mentees, brothers, sisters, cousins and all, I wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2009 in advance.

 

May the joy of this season be with you all from now on, and forever.

 

From me to you,

Segun Aluko