Life holds more beautiful surprises than we can experience in a lifetime.

One of mine happened on the day I met my wife. Everything I did before I saw her on that day pales in my memory. Time seemed to have waited that day till the moment I saw her.

I strolled back into my grandma’s house after an outing with my cousins, in the usual way I walk into my grandma’s house – without a care in the world, and then I casually glanced at those being entertained and I caught a glimpse of her. I just stopped on my tracks, turned around and went to take a seat. It was a pull that till today, I do not fully understand. I can remember everything that happened during the few minutes I sat down trying not to stare. I can remember the barrage of questions my cousins had to endure immediately she left, because I wanted to know everything about her.

I started writing her poetry in text messages, yes, poetry was birthed in me. She seemed to like them, I later found out she loved them. She still did not know my name, and so she saved my number as “My Poet”. We did not have a face-to-face discussion until almost a year after I first saw her, just exchange of messages and calls. I remember those days fondly. They helped me fly across some rough patches in our journey.

Happy Birthday to my girl. The one that continues to pull me to a place of love, joy and possibilities.

For 15 years, she has been the reason I start and end my day with a smile.

I love you Womy.

– Osasu Oviawe

 

 

Hierarchies are built on the power of reaction. For them to long hold, the reaction possible by the top must always be disproportional to the actions possible by the bottom.

There is inherently more power in action than reaction, but hierarchies entrench an illusion that reactions are best to be avoided.

Humans have been perfectly conditioned for loss aversion. This ensures hierarchical institutions remain the most enduring institutions.

But is it possible that hierarchies have actually limited humankind?
Is the progress humankind currently celebrates, an insult to what is actually possible in a non-hierarchical structure?

I think about this a lot and I do not yet have the answers.

– Osasu Oviawe