If the past month were a story, books would be the bolded titles. But they weren't the only thing that made my month feel accomplished. There were also unexpected long and short conversations with friends and loved ones, small wins, and the laughter and jokes in between that showed up when I needed them. It is the first day of a new month. I haven't stepped out yet, but I can tell the sky is beautiful, judging from the way the birds are chirping joyfully. As each day passes, we are a step closer to the end of the year, reminded that time waits for no one. Just yesterday, we celebrated the first day of the year, and now we are already in the 5th month of the year. Looking back, April was filled with good moments. Of course, there were days when I felt numb and unalive, but the good moments overshadowed the bad ones, like stars shining through the night sky. 

Today, apology videos have become the norm. I have never made an apology video, and likewise, no one has ever made an apology video for me. Making apology videos has become common in the social media space, especially among celebrities and influencers. Celebrities are known for stepping on each other’s toes and causing online quarrels- that's one of the ways they gain more popularity and generate traffic. Some even go as far as calling each other out through videos. They post them on social media platforms, tagging each other, and using negative language. After they have settled their differences, the next thing you see is an apology video. And after the apology video, they go back to doing that same thing, making you wonder if they were ever genuine about the apology in the first place. 

What do you do when everything seems to be falling apart, and you feel like you're losing control? How do you cope when it feels like the universe is conspiring against you, and nothing is going your way. At this point, many of us must have realized that life isn't a bed of roses; it never was, isn't and never will be. The earlier you take note of this, the better. Sometimes, life will turn its beautiful and merciful side on you, pouring unexpected blessings and shining its smile on you like a brief ray of sunshine. But out of the blue, just when you least expect it, things take a turn for the worse, pushing us to the edge- the turning point on the other side of the mountain. Sometimes, life pushes us to the very tight spot. While some give up, others find ways to stay motivated. 

I always try as much as I can not to judge a book by its cover. As far as you don’t know the other side of the story, you shouldn't be too quick to jump to conclusions. We live in a time where people try to hide their pain, sorrows, and anxieties behind a mask. I have been there many times. Months ago, I struggled to share my emotions with people. My friends complained saying, “why are we friends when you can't even share your emotions with us.” It wasn’t that I didn't want to; I just didn't know how to. I had always lived my life behind the mask, hiding my emotions behind a fake smile. Gradually, I started learning how to share my emotions with friends. One thing I have realized is that even the most jovial and friendly people go through a lot;  they just don’t show it. “Everyone knows where the shoes pinches.” This idiom means that each person has differnt struggles, problems or challenges that they understand best themselves. 

Imagine waking up one morning to find yourself transformed overnight. Not just any transformation, but one that changes your identity completely. What if you went to bed as one person and woke up as another- a different gender, a different height and a different skin tone.  Years ago, I remember watching an American movie where the main character woke up in different bodies everyday. My memories are flawed and I don't remember the title of that movie. This is exactly what happens in Igoni Barrett’s masterpiece, Blackass. In this novel, the protagonist, Furo, experiences a funny and somewhat interesting reality: he goes to sleep as a black man and wakes up to find himself fully transformed into a white man. Not just any ordinary white person, but a fully transformed one with green eyes and blond hair.  This book is about Furo’s experiences as he explores the cosmopolitan city of Lagos as a White man. 

Growing up, I used to enjoy traveling. Every Christmas, my mom, brother and I would often travel to another state to spend time with grandma. I always looked forward to the holidays because traveling was always interesting. We often traveled by train. There were a few times we traveled by the family car, but because my parents didn’t like driving long distances, we preferred traveling by train and private cars. Traveling by train was my favorite. The sound of the wheels as they moved on the rails was blissful to my ears. The honking of the train was unique- unlike every other vehicle. I also enjoyed how the train would stop at every terminal- whether to pick up new passengers or to drop those inside. I thought I liked traveling until I graduated from high school and started traveling on my own.