Midnight Motivations and Musings #55

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

It’s a natural tendency for us to seek the approval and support of those who we consider our friends and loved ones because no one exists in a vacuum or isolation.

It’s also normal to find that some of those around us may not buy into our dreams or be our cheerleaders. Some will outrightly express their dissension while some may not voice it, but their attitude towards you will show their contrary opinion.

The truth is that the natural inclination of most people is to seek for the difficulties and all the reasons why an aspiration won’t work, before seeking for the possibilities.

One needs to be attuned spiritually to determine whether the criticism or voice of dissension is truly born out of honest conviction and concern for your well-being or whether the naysaying is borne out of envy, automated pessimism.

There is always need to weed out the chaff and keep the wheat. It’s not every opinion that you should pay mind to.

Writing

Ah Ha! Now we are talking my language…Streams of consciousness Saturday.

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

Ha! When I saw Linda’s prompt for today’s streams of consciousness, I burst into laughter. I wondered how she picked such a random exclamation.

Most of you who have read my blog would have seen this exclamation littering the horizon of my words from time to time like in these posts:I must have been born exclaiming, Nothing to be tricked about, Fruits of a hustle, Mama Put. I can assure you that there are several more 😉

I actually try to tame my usage of the ha’s and o’s on the tip of my tongue even though it does get the better of me sometimes.

It’s the Nigerianness in me. Even if I live to be 120 years and maybe a resident in Nunavut, I am sure that ha, o and hey, will feature in my writing as well as speech.

Back home, we exclaim a lot especially when we speak in pidgin language. Our sentences are emphasized with o, a, ha and hey! It’s literally impossible for us to do without our high-pitched punctuated exclamations. Haba! That simply takes away the flavour in the expression.

How can I tell you the depth of my askance or surprise if I don’t say ha? 😉

For instance, we use ha to express things such as:

Ha! Indeed, Really?

Ha! You don’t say.

Ha! Wonderful

Ha ba! What is it?

Now I am speaking pidgin in my head as I write and in conclusion, ‘make I finish quick, quick waka comot for hia. E get place wey I won go buy market – let me finish quickly and go out. I need to go shopping somewhere.’

Personal

My Relaxing Indulgence…The great book of lists.

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

For this week’s Great book of lists, we get to outline our hobbies. Through the years, my hobbies have changed a bit. A lot have been dropped by the wayside due to push and pull factor of life. Some exigencies and recent moves found some things falling into the crack of lifes pavement.

However, there are some hobbies that have grown to become an intrinsic part of me:

I love to read and I read to live. As far back as my conscious mind can recall, I have been in love with the lettered word. Even as a child, I would spend my pocket change on a book instead of something else. I read voraciously. As an adult, I indulge in a book, two or more in any given month. Reading is my sleeping pill. After the day’s hustle, I settle my nerves down with a book and if the book is a compulsive read, I might read far into the night or toddle off to sleep as I read.
Writing. This is my way of thinking. I think through my fingers. Even before I ever started blogging which is just 11 months ago, I journalled every day.
Doodling. I sketch. I really don’t know how it works but sketching relaxes me. I just doodle whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes, they turn out very nicely.
The Running Man
Can people watching be classified as a hobby?
Taking photographs. I have thousands of random photos taken over time. I hope to find time to take professional lessons. It’s a hobby with a lot of potentials.
Dancing. It makes me very happy. I dance just for the sake of it. No celebration required. I get a shake of a leg in virtually every day. Somewhere, some how, I find my ten minutes of wiggle the waist 🙂
My daily me time gives me a little room to flex my mind, to tone down and just exhale. I could spend my me time just being quiet, or taking a walk and soaking in the things around me.

There are some hobbies that I miss doing, like crocheting, playing the piano, pottery making and sewing. I don’t know if it’s that the zeal has waned or due to time squeeze. I guess I can use the excuse of not having a piano here in Dubai to console myself.

The Daily Post

The Future In The Young….

April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha9 Comments

The hope of mankind’s future

Lies in the step of the young one’s

We are simply custodians

Meant to help them find their footing

How and what we teach them

Will mould the way they choose to walk

Let’s be wise in our teachings.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Future, The Daily Post Photo Prompt

Everyday People · Humans · Life · Photographs

Every day beautiful people # 12 ….

April 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha6 Comments

‘Human beings are born with the instinct to express themselves through movement. Even before he could communicate with words, primitive man was dancing to the beat of his own heart.’ Ben Fosse

As ordinary as it seems, I enjoy watching people go about their days affairs. It’s always an enriching experience.

Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings # 54…

April 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Life lived dancing to the tunes of misery wears out the soul living it.

Yes indeed, our days are not always smiles and sunshine, but the truth is that misery and negativity are barely a head’s turn away and once you give it room, it becomes a permanent tenant and a difficult one to evict.

A lot of times when I am feeling down, I might brood for a while, but with training my mind to shut off the negative raps, I endeavour not to stew in it by getting engaged in little things that will uplift my mind and take the focus off me.

Not the easiest thing to do at times, but the alternative is worse.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Personal story · Uncategorized

FEMINIST FRIDAY – Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

April 8, 2016April 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha

So here’s Bernadette’s diversity scoop about me below.
I get a warm feeling from the opportunity that she accorded me and would appreciate your time to read it a bit.
Comments are disabled here.
Please leave some comments on her blog and I am fishing for compliments 😄
My lady Bernadette, you are awesome.

Haddon Musings

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

As a continuation of celebrating diversity in April, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha. One of the wonders of blogging is that it has expanded my vistas and allowed me to meet such interesting and culturally diverse people from all over the world. Jacqueline is a fellow blogger who is originally from Nigeria. Her blog is A Cooking Pot and Twisted Tales. She uses this platform to support fellow bloggers and to raise awareness of the many ongoing cultural inequalities and problems in the world. Here is Jacqueline’s story in her own words:

I like to describe myself as a Jacqueline of all trade and a mistress of nothing. Everything is work-in-progress in my life, including me. Nothing is finished for, there’s always room for more improvement.

If all is finished, then that means that I am done on this side of…

View original post 461 more words

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Photographs · Poetry/Poems · The Daily Post

The Black Cat and I….

April 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha16 Comments

As I walked I met a black cat

Sitting beside the trash can

Black cat and I

Stared each other in the eye.

His were vivid green

Mine as it’s always been

He meowed a bit

And he moved to my feet.

He looked mighty harmless

His velvety fur was spotless

And since he was nameless

I called him cuteness.

He couldn’t cast any spell

As far as I could tell

It must be an old wives tale

A superstitious belief gone stale.

To paint a poor kitty black

Not cutting it any slack.

I returned to pore over my mail

And indulged in a tall, cold glass of ginger ale.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Superstition, Daily Post Prompt

Uncategorized

Meet and Greet Weekend @ Dream Big: 4/8/16

April 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikochaLeave a comment

Are you going to be at Danny’s ?

Creative Writing · Fiction · Short Stories

Lost In Thought…Friday Fiction In Five Sentences.

April 8, 2016February 1, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

Ted was bored, angry and tired. He hated his job, the drudgery and his boss.

Every morning, he would get all dressed up, knotted in stitches by the strictures of his tie, suit and briefcase, yet he trudged along, a pack of analgesic and pepto-bismol tucked away in his bag. He would have gone through a bit of them before the day was over.

He knew that he couldn’t continue like this in such a dull job. He had told himself this for the past ten years, yet he was too lethargic and scared to sit up and do something.

Lost in thoughts over his quandary, his movements were spare and automated as he walked down his usual route to catch the bus.

He stepped into the pedestrian crossing, just a few seconds too early. He had failed to see the flashing change of the lights and the truck that trundled down at high speed.

Image credit: Pixabay