…And The Eight Cardinal Award Goes To…

January 30, 2016January 30, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

Maybe when the seven Cardinal sins was written, ‘selfishness’ had not yet become a cancerous problem that is gradually eating it’s way into the backbone of societal values.

Maybe back then, the sense of Community, empathy and being your brother’s keeper was far more in abundance and the syndrome of eating your cake, other people’s cake and having it, had far more reaching repercussions than today, when for very little selfish reasons, a young man would go on a shooting spree.

Even the seven that were written eons ago are now looked upon as old-fashioned, in a syndrome of our present generation that suffers from acute self gratification of the ‘Me, Myself and I alone and the entire World can go to Hell in a hand basket.’

Who knows? If they could possibly re-write it, they should add Selfishness with a promise of Extra dose of Hell-Fire, Brimstone and Iodine for cleaning the burnt sores, that might result in having less selfish humans on Earth.

The Daily Post The Eight Sin

Remember the seven cardinal sins? You’re given the serious task of adding a new one to the list — another trait or behavior you find particularly unacceptable, for whatever reason. What’s sin #8 for you? Why?

(Hat tip to 99 Problems and Done for suggesting a deadly sin-themed prompt!)

Inspiration - Motivation · Little rants · Social Issues · Three quote challenge

Nope! You Can Never Go Wrong…

January 28, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

People watching is a social science hobby that I spend quite a bit of my time engaging in. Observing people in recent times, some of the little things I see shows that there some fine redeeming human values which seems to be at loss these days. I am quite sure a good number of you would have observed these things as well.

Two days ago, I watched an elderly lady who was counting her steps struggle with the few things that she had and a couple of the items fell from her hands.

She paused briefly, bending gingerly to try and gather them and from my observation, she probably has Arthritis.

My natural instinct was to run up and help her, unfortunately my distance was a little far off to offer immediate assistance.

Meanwhile, two young men, probably in their mid-to-late twenties stood two steps away from this lady, puffing away on their cigarettes and not one of them bothered to render a helping hand to a woman who looked old enough to be their mother.

For all you know, they were probably busy videoing her difficulty for their YouTube Channel, which seems to be the new thing these days.

People would rather spend time shooting a video of a dying man in an accident instead of figuring out how to help.

I honestly had to curb my desire to make my way over and give them a talk or two about chivalry, they might not take it well.

However, I gave them a thorough scolding in my head 😉 and reminded myself that I have to keep teaching my boys how to be gentlemen.

By extending a hand of fellowship or help no matter how little to those around us who need it, we can never go wrong. We are actually not just helping others, but staying in touch with our humanity.

These are some little nuggets of quotes that you might wish to spend a couple of seconds on.

‘Instruction in youth, is like engraving in stone.’ African Proverb

‘The old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth.’ African Proverb

‘We rise by lifting others.’ Robert Ingersoll

Several dear bloggers have invited me for quote challenges and each day, the invitation increases by a notch.

I don’t like to let these things trail for so long, but I also don’t like to just toss quotes out there with nothing to say about them.

I try to look at the things that I observe around me and let them serve as lessons or inspirations for my thoughts.

I would like to thank Sepultura and That Little Voice for their generous invitation extended to me, to participate in the quotes challenge and would like to invite the following bloggers below to take up the quote baton and run with it.

Bunkaryudo

Sheridan Johnson

GloverDeb

No pressures at all. Just go with it if you wish to.

The Little Rules are:

Post three consecutive days.
You can pick one or three quotes per day.
Challenge three different bloggers per day

My regards,

Health · Life · Social Issues

Sickle Cell Anaemia…

January 23, 2016September 17, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

When I was a very young girl, my bosom childhood friend Nnenna * God rest her soul* had sickle cell.

In my mind I still recall day’s of visiting her with a bunch of other friends and watching as she wept in throes of pain.

We would rub and massage her muscles to help, try to make her laugh and a lot of times I would go home feeling burdened with questions and worry.

She was a very beautiful, bright, talented young lady and equally full of life. She never liked being segregated or made to feel different and now that I dwell a bit on these memories, I can’t even fathom how big a burden she bore.

Knowing a family that lived a few streets away from our house, lose their offspring one after the other from Sickle cell disease, definitely cemented the indelible marks that SCD made on my mind.

Today, thankfully, with modern science, life expectancy of sufferers is a bit longer than what it used to be, nonetheless, it is still a traumatizing disease.

To know a bit more about SCD, you can click on this link Sickle Cell Disease.

Personally, I love to support groups that are out there, selflessly seeking to improve the standard of living of human life.

Most times, when we hear the word support, we balk at the idea because we automatically think of big bucks.

Support can come in so many forms that may not involve parting with any form of money.

Support can be the giving of your time and helping hands.

Support can be by lending your voice to a worthy cause.

Support can equally be by just being there for someone who you know going through a rough patch. Knowing that you are there counts for a whole lot.

‘Remember that though you may not be there for everyone, you can be there for someone.’

Regards,

Life · Social Issues · The Daily Post

These Heinous Things That People Do…

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha54 Comments

Sometimes, I read the news online as I work, just to keep abreast with what goes on in the larger World that I am part of.

Occasionally, you stumble across good news but 98% of the time, the rest of the news are the heaps of rubble of wicked acts perpetrated by mankind.

Why would a man kill his own little son to accommodate the whims of his teenage girlfriend ?

Why not return this child to his mother or better still send him to CPS or whatever welfare around him that would accept the boy if he had no other choice and didn’t want him any longer?

How heartless can a human be to snuff the life out of a young innocent being?

I guess he will claim temporary insanity, when the poor little, trusting boy didn’t get the opportunity to claim anything.

It is so sad to see so many people out there seeking the fruit of the womb, seeking for just one child to call their own and some undeserving human gets to kill the one that they have been blessed with.

Now, I hope his teenage sweetheart is happy and they should be hanging together for the rest of their days behind bars? Such people are even a waste of space and taxpayers funds.

Such news leaves me feeling ill about humanity.

The Daily Post Prompt Ripped into the headline.

Write about something that happened over the weekend as though it’s the top story on your local paper.

Creative Writing · Haiku · Hope · Lifestyle · Poetry/Poems · Social Issues

Crystal Meth…

January 12, 2016January 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha34 Comments

A fascination of the Stars it held,

Purported to pleasure he heard,

Hope he keeps away from the Meth.

PLEASE NOTE! ‘The usage of crystal methamphetamine is dangerous.’

This is my first time participating in ‘Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Prompt Challenge‘ with the prompt words, ‘crystal’ and ‘hope.’

Blogging · Little rants · Musings · Social critic

Please Correct Me If I Am Wrong, But I Beg To Disagree!…a little rant.

January 7, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha188 Comments

Maybe I am wrong to rant, but allow me to stew a bit in some of my righteous indignation juices 😉

I came across a post with regards to blogging etiquette and best practices and I would like to holler a bit.

A blogger friend had to start extra blogs based on another bloggers advise to break down her current blog into different blogs, because they deemed it that her articles on devotion do not fit in with articles concerning her mental health and I am like what?

In essence, the advise is that for a mental health blog, all that is expected of the blog are issues about the person’s mental health and depression. How depressing is that? Is that all that her life is about?

Who decides these things and makes these rules? I feel that humans who tend to make this suggestion have issues with other peoples happiness and therefore decides that a person who has mental ill health has no business praying

I am still struggling to grasp and understand so maybe someone will educate my poor mind a bit more.

The ‘so-called blog experts’ say that your blog must be themed to be deemed worthwhile and to get like-minded followers. I don’t need only like-mindedness. I love variety and its that simple.

It’s all a matter of choice, or isn’t it? My blog, my rules 😉

To me, it sounds a bit as if she is being asked to break herself into compartments *the blog represents* her to me.

Some of us write not necessarily to score points and what not, but because we find healing in our hearts by doing so. We write because we hope that our words will encourage someone else out there, even if it is just one person.

Why do we like to put ourselves in manacles and strictures? Actively managing one blog can be hectic not to talk of two or three.

Some of us just want to share our mundane conundrums without having some persnickety human, pointing fingers at where you should fit in x or y and souring the juice of fun in the blog.

Very soon, they would want us all to turn into little wound up robots, all saying the same thing and fitting into one tiny box.

Typically, I dislike stereotyping and labeling. I see it as being narrow-minded, when we assume just a little too much.

If someone who has mental health issues or any other issues for that matter, cannot have a category in his/her blog where he/she connects with his/her intrinsic self, as well as show her readers her self-help survival tips through her devotionals, just how dry do you want the blog to be?

What if a reader is not inclined to follow all the other blogs they have started because they like the original one-stop shop of a blog? Then I suppose they should just be contented in losing their readers.

Mental ill-health or any ill-health is not who the individual is, but a condition that he/she has.

Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Love · Quotes For You · Societal Issues · The Daily Post

Hocus-Pocus!…and it’s all peaches…

December 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha30 Comments

Without much ado, if I had one shot as a Super Power to change the law of Nature, I have no need to set my eye’s too far.

I will weave my spell that all mankind will have innate and undeniable abilities to love selflessly, without prejudice.

Wouldn’t that be out-rightly peachy?

If we take our minds off for a moment and think of everything that plagues mankind and where it emanates from, we would find that the deep roots of all problems simply generates from lack or insufficient love.

Insufficient love for God gives birth to disobedience, lack of trust, dishonesty, wickedness and a long list of negativity.

Our inner spirit’s are forever in a state of turmoil due to this disobedience and consequently gives birth to its own fruits; from self fulfilling hatred that is cascaded down to others – because, one cannot give that which they lack – to avarice and greed, envy, corruption, moral decrepitude and an endless list of vices.

Indeed where there is no love, there in lies a multitude of sins.

So, it’s got to be love all the way, if I had my way to some hocus-pocus.

When we love we respect. When we love we are patient and kind. When we love we care. When we love we are understanding. When we love we are generous with our laughter, our light, our riches and ourselves. When we love we are not proud. When we love there is absence of greed and self-seeking. When we love we are free.

The Daily Post If I ruled the World.

You’ve been given the superpower to change one law of nature. How do you use it?

”There are three things that last; Faith, Hope and Love but the greatest of all these is Love.” 1 Cor – 13:13

Creative Writing · Hope · Life · Poetry/Poems · Social Issues · Writing · Writing 101

May I Share With You?…

December 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

LIVING FREE…

May I live
Unafraid to breathe
Free from a choke-hold
That becomes a stronghold
May I live
Unafraid to live
Clinging to my expectations
With feral desperation

SHARING FREELY…

May I share space
Unafraid of being encased
Free from condemnation of race
That becomes a strong base
Purple, White, Olive, Black and every hue within
May I share space
Knowing that we are first a human race
…And all blood are red in this place.

BELIEVE FREELY…

May I speak of belief
Unafraid and in relief
Free from contentious eyes of disbelief
That becomes thresholds of grief
May I wear my mask of belief
Understanding that to achieve
Peace would be a welcome reprieve
…Which we must seek to retrieve.

LOVING FREELY…

May I love you
Unafraid to be bound to you
Free from censors of broken whispers
That becomes harbingers of cold shivers
May I love freely my love
Unafraid to expose my naked bust
Knowing that in you lies my trust
Encased in the warm embrace of your love.

Writing 101, Day 5 Freedom

Love · Poetry/Poems · Quotes For You · Social Issues

The Feast…

December 3, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

With hungry eyes and gnarled knuckles,

He begged!

Please could you spare me something?

But they hurried along!

No one cared to look,

They were in a rush and too busy!

In abject poverty and clad in rags,

She groveled!

Hunger had punctured holes in her innards,

She cried out for help!

But no one cared to hear.

They were too ashamed to cast her a glance!

Flea bitten worn blankets,

Torn cartons for bed,

Under the stormy weather,

It’s bitterly cold!

Looking in at the warm and shiny windows,

Where laughter and food overflowed,

Into plates, leftovers to the trash,

Thrown away to go to waste!

He scurries over,

Digging for leftovers,

And a feast did he find.

With tears in his eyes,

As he gobbles grungy droppings,

That were several days over!

He is thankful for the offerings,

Shared with his stray companions,

A lame dog that no one wanted again,

And a one-eyed cat,

His companions at the garbage table!

Sir? Could you spare me a piece of bread? Please?

Please don’t throw away food, someone out there is dying from hunger.

”If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”- Mother Theresa

”No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank

”A heart that gives, gathers.” – Tao Te Ching

DAY 3

Jennifer at INK and QUILL has invited me to participate in 5 day photo story challenge.

Challenge Guidelines:

Post a picture each day, for five consecutive days. Attach a story to your image.

*can be fiction / non-fiction
*poem / short paragraph
*each day nominates another blogger

I invite Kay Morris, my fabulous blogger friend , to join the photo story challenge. I look forward to reading from you if you choose to participate. Enjoy 🙂

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Little rants · Quotes For You · Societal Issues

When One Finger Picks Oil….

November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

Blanket Race or Religious castigating remarks always feed off the wilful, ugly actions of the misguided among us in society.

These actions earn names and virulent comments from those who perfect the act of positing themselves as armchair judges, pointing fingers, pontificating and lumping people under labels.

In fairness to others, we should learn to stop herding and lumping people into categories to suit our lack of open-mindedness and to satisfy our cravings for ”I told you so’s” as is the case of an African proverb that says “when one finger picks palm oil, it spreads to the rest.”

It is a given and natural phenomenon that the influence of one’s upbringing and society will not only rub off on them, but will dictate and shape their views, behavioral tendencies and if this is the case, then it stands to reason that the individual is not necessarily to blame for how they turn out, but the society at large and their upbringing.

Who are society? We! We form society and not aliens from Mars.

What have we done as a society to improve these situations that we find ugly, which keeps perpetuating itself until they are fast replacing the normal with the abnormal?

Since we are too busy being politically correct, we are all to blame.

If we truly love and want to change our World as much as we claim, is this not then the time to stop playing Possum and to stop hiding our heads in the sand?

Is it not yet time for Muslim leaders to stand as one voice and castigate the bad eggs who perpetrate evil in the name of Islam?

Is it not yet time for the people to question the status-quo and raise eyebrows at those who do these so-called brainwashing?

Is it not yet time for Christians to open their hearts and express that love that we profess?

Is it not yet time for every Religious leader worth his salt to speak up and condemn these inhumane practices and other behavioural tendencies that hurts the society at large?

Or, have they lost their essence as the salt of the Earth?

Is it not time for the arm-chair pontificators to get off their butts and do something more useful other than to be judgmental?

Let us steadfastly attempt in seeking positive ways to do better things for the benefit of our society and not by the spate of ugly words spouting off peoples mouth all over the place.

Today, I will share these African proverbs with you, which should help us realize that our little works can have ripple effects since we are not in isolation and that:

”It takes a village to raise a child.’‘

”If your child is dancing clumsily, tell him, my child you are dancing clumsily. Don’t not tell him “darling, do as you please.”

”A child is what you put inside him.”

”One should shout when a child comes home with a stolen egg, otherwise the day he comes with a stolen ox, it will be too late.”

We are society. Let us stand for the truth.

Thank you Chape for providing the opportunity to enjoy ruminating over these proverbs. I would encourage you to visit his blog. You will find lots of useful fitness tips and neighbourliness.

My invitation extends to these 3 awesome bloggers:

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer

Tony Burgess

Beth at Nutsrok

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Image credit: Pinterest