<aside> 🪄 Week 32 Date: 4 August 2024 → 10 August 2024
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Nursing a headache, I found an unlikely ally in unscented candles. Their unexpected brightness not only soothed my pain but illuminated a deeper truth. These humble flames became my new eyes, casting light on the overlooked corners of my thoughts and my apartment.
In the dance of candlelight, I realised how much I've been running - from task to task, place to place. Lagos, with its perpetual motion had normalised this constant movement for me. But as James Baldwin reminds us, "Any real change implies the breakup of the world as one has always known it, the loss of all that gave one an identity, the end of safety."
a burning candle
With this pause, in a city that never sleeps, I found power in stillness.
Returning to Lagos after three weeks away, I felt a sprinkle of paranoia and the familiar fatigue of travel. Surprisingly, I found value in simply not thinking. It sounds counterintuitive, doesn't it? Especially in a city that demands constant alertness. But as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life - no disgrace, no calamity, which nature cannot repair."
Those moments of silence in my house became my personal woods in this Lagos concrete jungle. This week, as I allowed myself to rest and "unthink," I found my creativity soaring. Ideas for projects flowed more freely, and solutions to work challenges presented themselves unbidden. It's as if by allowing my mind to wander, I found my way back to myself and my most productive self.
Growing up on a farm, I believed everyone lived as I did. It's funny how our understanding of "normal" is shaped by the boundaries of our experiences. My world expanded dramatically when I left for boarding secondary school, and now, living in Lagos, it continues to stretch. This realisation led me to question the very notion of common sense. If what's common to me isn't common to you, how do we find common ground?
This paradox becomes even more pronounced in our rush towards frictionless systems and AI-driven futures. We often forget that removing all constraints isn't always beneficial. It's like trying to drive a car with no brakes - you need a little friction to manage obstacles while moving forward.
As I read more about AI applications during my flights, I couldn't help but think about this double-edged sword of progress. Our favourite apps, once sanctuaries of utility, now overflow with ads. AI is changing even our most basic interactions - from chatbots handling customer service for our local businesses to AI-generated content flooding our social media feeds. It's a stark reminder that progress isn't always linear or universally beneficial.
Nonetheless, I had the privilege to speak with a few people creating new paths to extraordinary impact, leveraging technology responsibly. Their work inspired me and reaffirmed my belief that as we navigate this AI-powered future, our most powerful tool remains our uniquely human capacity for reflection and connection.
Despite my initial hesitation about moving around, Lagos welcomed me back with its characteristic warmth. It's strange how quickly we can become strangers in our own homes, yet how swiftly the familiar rhythms return. The visit from Ganiru and Arinze was an unexpected balm, their presence as comforting as a hug in this city of constant flux.
These interactions, from fixing my grainy bass guitar amplifier (a metaphor for recalibrating myself, perhaps?) to enjoying Bogobiri's open mic night, rekindled my passion for life in Lagos. In the warmth of friendships, in the spontaneity of an open mic - this is where I feel most awake, most connected to the pulse of the city.
picture of me at Thai Thai by Ganiru
As Zora Neale Hurston wisely noted, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." This year feels like both - each journey, each reflection, a question and an answer intertwined. I wonder how you, dear reader, feel about your year so far in this rapidly changing world we share.
As I look ahead to the coming week, I'm excited to experiment with balancing "thinking" and "unthinking" along the calming shores of the Indian ocean. Perhaps I'll set aside time for candlelit reflections, or find pockets of stillness in my daily routine. In doing so, I hope to continually discover myself in yet another city.
Until next week, may you find joy in the journey of becoming. After all, every new day is the best day of our lives – especially when it comes with the wisdom to appreciate both the chaos and the calm.