Category: Everyday People

Everyday People · Family · Health · Life · Parenting

All in a brisk walk…

jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

This morning I woke up with a foggy feeling in my head and it was as if I hadn’t slept at all. I felt lazy, and just wanted to continue lying on my bed, but I knew that doing so would simply set the wrong tone for my day and literally muttering ‘mind over matter, mind over matter’ I basically cajoled myself to crawl out of bed and take my antidote – which is to go out for a brisk walk, to get some fresh air and hopefully feel more alive in the process.

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas on Pexels.com

My brisk walk can involve various things depending on my mood, either listening and humming to music that I enjoy with an occasional shake and a jig to accentuate the notes that hit home, listening to a podcast or any talk that piques my interest, venting in my head and going over an argument that I had with hubby and realizing that maybe I should have used a better punchline than I had; mentally deciding to save a punchline and use it to drive home my point, going over my to-do list in my head, making a shopping list, thinking of random stuff and just watching people go about their business…

I had almost come to end of my walk when an idea popped into my head out of the blues and I was so excited at the thought that I made a mental note not to forget to include it in my soon to be executed plans. Right as I turned into the bend leading to our apartment block, I ran into a young dad and a toddler – who by my assessment is barely more that 24 months – attempting to play football, and I slowed my pace to absorb the scene.

The man kept a few paces apart and kicked the ball towards his son. It’s either because the baby was wholly new to the game or wasn’t sure what to do; he missed it not once but four times. After each miss, his dad patiently walked towards him, picked the ball and kicked it again. I was silently rooting in my head for the little one and just as soon as I thought that he would miss it yet again, his little foot finally connected with the ball and he kicked it back with gusto. The ring of his delight and joy from his accomplishment had me applauding both of them and a huge smile made its way to my face.

A brisk walk of 40 minutes not only brought me such unexpected fullness, it drew home several pointers and set a positive tone for my day. During my grudgingly taken walk, I got inspired, I saw love and patience, I saw resilience and joy, I became energized, I gained more clarity and buzz that I wouldn’t have found in my cup of coffee. These little things we often overlook, they are the things that matter.

How is your week going so far?

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Everyday People · kindness

The Brief Smile…

jacquelineobyikocha20 Comments

From yards away, I saw her. Seated in a yoga pose on the brown bench, her back to the early morning sun, my quiet musing was interrupted.

Like a dog that sniffs at the air, I sniffed at the aura surrounding her and within a stone throw, I saw the unwitting frown line that dug into the sides of her lips; they were at odds with the smoothness of her forehead.

She raised a flask, took a sip and dropped it, all the time her right fingers tapped on her phone with speed that belied her pose. I watched her with more interest as I drew closer, my brisk steps slowed down a notch.  I saw a tear as it escaped and raced down her pinkened cheek.

It could have been easier to avert my eyes and pretend I neither saw her nor witnessed her private pain. I didn’t want to embarrass her, yet, I couldn’t resist slowing down and deliberately saying hello to catch her eyes.

Her expressive dark brown eyes shared its story in that brief moment of raising them to look at me.

I smiled. I was smiling not just at the physical person that I saw, but at the soul within.  I didn’t know what her burdens were and what the secret in her melancholic eyes was, but I hoped that in offering her that smile and nod, I offered her a prayer that made her know that yes, everything is going to be alright.

A Click A Day · Everyday People

The Bed of Sand – A Click a Day.

jacquelineobyikocha18 Comments

I honestly don’t have the right words to describe my reaction when I took a long walk yesterday and came across this Caterpillar with the man fast asleep under it. Look at the left side of the photo. Under the heavy artillery is a mound of a human being.

I was STARTLED! First off, I was ALARMED. I thought he was dead! Then I stooped low and heard the grunts and snoring. I felt relief, sad and worried all at the same time. What if he inhaled sand and choked? Did anyone know that he’s under this heavy duty machine?

I looked around and saw another fellow sitting with a far away look in his eyes’ – unfortunately, he didn’t understand one word of English, but my pointing and gesticulating might have come across to him – or maybe he ended up thinking that I’m one crazy black woman.

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A Click A Day · Everyday People

The Little Smiles from every day people – A Click A Day.

jacquelineobyikocha27 Comments

In a World that has been increasingly hectic with ugly and disturbing news, I make it a point to look out each day that I’m opportune for that little thing that makes me smile. It may not seem like much, but these little things warm my heart.

Watching this dad adjust his daughter’s tie, rearrange her hair and hold it up with a scrunchy, is one of such smiley moments for me.

Find something to smile about today 🙂

A Click A Day · Everyday People

The dragonfly lady – A click a day.

jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

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She strolled past me, a better part of her visible body covered in tattoos. I caught sight of the Dragonfly on her back and giving in to my curiousity, I  walked up to her, said hello, complimented her dragonfly and engaged her in a brief conversation.

Her body art serves as a cover for scars from injuries sustained in a car accident. She asked if I thought they were too much and I said no, that I could imagine the tattoos were prettier to look at than the keloids.

She smiled, stood still and obliged me with a photo 🙂

I did a little research on the dragonfly and found this information:

In almost every part of the World, the Dragonfly symbolizes change. Change in the perspective of self-realization. The kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life.

I may never come across the Dragonfly lady again, but I’ll remember the warmth in her eyes and the pleasure received from the conversation.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

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Everyday People

Trying to make a sale – Every day beautiful people

jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

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My conversation with the tradeswomen below:

“We take small items from the wholesaler on credit to sell. We only earn commissions and maybe extras from the profit of the original amount. Some days sales are poor, but it’s better than doing nothing.”

“It’s difficult to make savings from this, but I hope one day to save enough to have my own small kiosk.”

I ended up buying a whistle 🙂

I have found that once you approach people decently and engage in a conversation, within split seconds, you learn not only a bit more about them, but these little conversations make me pause and be thankful. They make me smile, laugh or sober.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

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Everyday People

Prepping the feet – Every day beautiful people.

jacquelineobyikocha15 Comments

Toe nail cutting

Watching the old man go about the seemingly mundane business of trimming his toe nails takes me back to my younger years when my grandparents were still alive.

I would trim my grandma’s nails and massage her feet with a special ointment made out of shea butter and I recall how she would praise and call me pet names that only she had the privilege to 😊

Now, I feel nostalgic.

Jacqueline

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Everyday People

The Story of Coffee – Every day beautiful people.

jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Great conversations and good stories go well with a cup of coffee. I wonder what they are chatting about. Who knows, maybe a great idea is brewing and spewing in the background 🙂

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