Haidar's Corner

With each breath,  we make imprints  upon this space   unconsciously  etching on sand  dissappearing  into the vast  sketch of eons  whose echo is  pindrop silence  lost reverberating  hoarse and hollow. .  Haidarwali 202010171109hrs

Have you heard silence sing?  its melody is said to be sweet  for some  bitter for others  it drowns all sound  only bested by the breath  and thudding of a heartbeat  but if silence is heard  can it then    ever truly be silent? .  Haidarwali 202010171126hrs

Nigeria we hail thee! We know what lies in you of greatness, of which we always see but flickers and flashes. 60 may seem alot but you are young yet, and hold the destiny of the millions who call you home.  No matter the disappointments we harbour, one thing we cannot deny, is that you have always carried us faithfully like Mother.  No matter the failures that daily plague the land, we have no other. This earth that birthed and hosts this uniqueness known as 'Nigerian'.  As we strive to be truthful and honest, with loyalty and in faith, we must also fervently pray, that God forgives us our erring, and makes the Naija spirit to permeate and percolate, for enduring peace, progress and prosperity, binding us in unity and strength for all!  Thus on this day again, we renew our resolve to struggle to restore your honour and glory. For Naija! We do repledge!  .  Haidarwali 202010010032hrs

Corona don spoil market for all of them! 🤦🏽‍♂️ .  "We told him! We said: "Take am easy, you no see as your brother Lassa don try hin hand... He think say he go conquer Africa, but d tin no too connect laidat!🤨  .  See now you ma they don defeat you. See ba... God dey their side O, I no go lie to you! 🙄 .  Just jejely arrange yasef like Malaria just dey take am easy, especially for that place wey dem de call Naija... dat one na our Waterloo!" 😣 .  Bro mo just chill! 😷 .  Oya Chairman Corona find me sontin naw, things hard O! Ever since you enter town no work again. Common cough or sneeze dem dey fear and e be like say their immunity don increase! Too even infect someone and cause simpu headache na stress! Which kain wahala be dis naw!" 😒 .  You sure say we no go collect that vaccination contract wey dem dey look for volunteers. Las Las dem go dey use us dey vaccinate pipu wey get diseases. Is half bread not better than nothing? How you see am Cha...

It is not love to cage a bird though it may look quaint and make for an attractive display. A cage remains what it is, no matter the  embellishments and soonest the jailer will also be imprisoned.  Release is a relief like an open palm that let's go by holder of the beholden.  If truly there is sincerity, then freedom is to take flight like the freebirds soaring to great heights  And while watching in honest delight, bask in the knowledge that they knew you had willingly set them free.  Haidarwali 202006080443hrs

What they told me  That I wouldn't make it That I wasn't good enough  That I was nothing They tried to keep me down They tried to smother my spirit  But I always knew  That my heart was telling the truth  That something better awaited  For every dark night I closed my eyes to  I found it replaced with a bright day For all the sorrows I endured Were washed away by joys Sprouting from my toils  Eclipsing my pains  Reenforcing my gains  Till I was firm, rooted tree So all I ask is...  Can you believe?  .  Haidarwali 202005202317hrs

I never thought life'd be so difficult  never thought it'd be easy too these paths we've traversed to arrive at this moment nothing, seems as it is yet all, is as it should be  for fate is done with us  it's given us all we need  so we can get all we want  though sabotage's addiction  has robbed us of the prize which we've sold for a price and now we lie in last throes of our own undoing and only penance awaits on the other side of this door.  .  Haidarwali 202005202243hrs

They say the author is 'dead'. So let me try my hand on the piece to see what meaning I can glean: .  The writer starts straightaway by telling us what the poem is about: the vastness of knowledge and their yearning to gain it. .  Then there is a personification of time which is used to further buttress the futility of trying to know all for one's life is limited to a few moments on this earth compared to the quantum of knowledge there is. .  The writer then gives an analogy of the depth of knowledge by using the word 'glance' which buttresses how insignificant the knowledge seeker's understanding is despite achieving mastery of a field (depicted by 'a thousand'), the persona is 'lost'!  .  Blooming desert is an oxymoron that tries to show that while knowledge can be associated with growth and foliage (which is used a couple of lines later), it is also like a desert where one will find themselves lost in an area where they do not fully comprehend...

Remember that this life is only one-off.  There are no re-dos, no make-ups and no sit-ins. You don't need to know everything, do everything, achieve everything, please everyone or beat and surpass everyone.  But you do need to be the best version of yourself that you can be.  You're not as important as you think you are but are as important as you make yourself, by being of value to others.  Not everything you think matters, actually matters.  Life is not as complicated as you think.  Most things, are only in our heads.  'I don't know' is also a valid answer.  A true I'm sorry is one of the hardest things to say because it needs to be proven by actions.  Abundance is actually the default setting before greed came along. We don't 'lose' things because we have never really possessed things, rather we 'waste' them.  We also waste more time on trivial things than we can ever imagine.  If we could harness what we 'waste', there wouldn'...

Who remembers Don Juana! 😅  .  I came across his hit song 'I believe in Money' aka 'Occupation' on YouTube.  The lyrics of the song so totally captures 'Dan Nigeria's plight' and the unending struggles of an average Nigerian. If only we could be able to address these things:  .  'I believe in Money' .  Chorus Wayyo! Wayyo! Wayyo!  Allah kaw da balla'i Allah kaw da massifa Allah kaw da azaba Duk da balla'i har da massifa .  Verse 1 I believe in money, I need some money I have to be able to feed myself from this occupation Singing is my occupation from my father’s generation My uncle is a welder but not in Julius Berger Oga Mai V boot, Oga Mai Honda, wetin be country hardi I need that money, give me that money Before I lose my temper Government e dey promising my people free education And free medication, but no occupation It is only sufferation that leads to my aggression My frustration Oga have mercy, have mercy to our people I have to be ab...

Knowledge used to be a hardly sought after treasure held in the hands of the few, while the masses relied on 'gatekeepers' for guidance. Today, that knowledge is freely available with a 'but'. But, there is so much information that knowledge has become still hidden with while it is becoming increasingly clear that only 'new gatekeepers' are going to have the ability to sift through 'data' and get the 'real deal'! Haidarwali 202004131236hrs

Such reliable darlings!  Ever ready to do our bidding!  Woe unto any  Who doesn't appreciate  These mighty warriors  That are also known as The Roamers!  Imagine the world without them;  No walking towards our goals No running as fast as you could carry us  To glory or away from our fears No kicking of objects in vain Nor stomping or dancing  To entertain  History will surely vindicate As secret behind humans'  For you always took us  To wherever we envisioned to go! .  Haidarwali 202004092348hrs 

We thank Allah for the upbringing we were given by our parents!  .  Every passing day I see it's effects and the more one realises the sacrifices and efforts exerted by them, the more you see it as a pointer to what and how we must equally do for the next generation. .  So dig in and keep doing right by them; it is not a matter to be played/joked with! .  Dedicated to all responsible parents!  👨‍👩‍👧‍👦♥️🎊 Haidarwali 202004061232hrs

In public discourse, there is no reason to lose critical views or to ignore views that we don't like because it is these kind of views that enable one to see where they are blindsided/going wrong. The moment you cannot entertain different perspectives then you may be on a path that will not be optimal. And this applies across board. Personally, I try to always read certain personalities because of their critical minds which enables one to have a balanced view of things and reduce the element of bias that, can result from having the same viewpoints with others.  However, as human beings no one wants to be subjected to ad hominem attacks which usually defeat the purpose of knowledge-sharing and scholarship regardless of the tools of criticism being used.  May Allah grant us the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn; make the  knowledge beneficial and be our constant Guide. Haidarwali 202004052227hrs

In other news, it has been discovered by the Institute of Scientific Mimicry (ISM) that 3g may have caused Ebola! At the time of filing this report, details were still sketchy; trickling in slowly.  .  Meanwhile pseudo-scientists are beginning to realise that 4g causes Temporary Rationality Loss Syndrome (TRL) due to the propagation of higher accessibility rates of alternative facts amongst highly susceptible multi-cellular organisms with sentience.  .  In this regard, the Coalition to Save Humanity (CSH) is working day and night to come up with a 'cure' for 'Gullibility' which seems to be a malignant form of this disease that seems to spread without check!  .  Researchers say that while a periodic dose of critical thinking and pessimism is good for healthy functioning, individuals must watch their intake of information as 'reckless consumption' has the tendency to be addictive and debilitating leading to the early onset of the TRL syndrome.  .  I...

Now and then, we hear the sound of destiny tiptoeing from afar; steadily approaching... . Yet, the shrill din of routine's hustle and bustle drown it out and prevents us from tuning-in to the frequency modulation that would have enabled enlightenment! . And so do we return to our reverie to enjoy our sweet oblivious (non) existence. . Even pin-drop silence would awaken a snoring fugitive when all the guns have stopped coughing...  .  Yet who dares to sleep when lying dogs are barking at a visitor who is claimed to be one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse! .  I bid you 'fare' well and admonish you hold on to charity and, look deeper; into the deep! .  Haidarwali 202004041353hrs 

No doubt this matter makes one really scared, but at the same time there's a calmness that descends when you remember that confusion, worrying and panic have no currency in dealing with the reality of this pandemic. It is a time for introspection; a time to take stock of what this life is all about.  .  We have come this far in the journey called life and if we allow ourselves, we will now see things with a crystal clarity...realising the true value of choices we have made/not made and the the futility of certain behaviors that have defined us.  .  These trying times present an opportunity to rediscover meaning. Every moment will now be imbued with a renewed significance even as we all hibernate with bated breath awaiting the unknown. What is for sure is that Rebirth beckons - for regardless of what happens, we will all be affected one way or another. .  Therefore, let us spread what 'good' we can spare in the form of 'hope' and use the reservoirs of 'goodness...

Please remember that as you scroll through your newsfeed, there may be a tendency to start thinking that everyone is 'succeeding' while you are not. .  Please perish that thought. Everyone is faced with their own peculiar 'problems' and 'failures' and it is only because you know your own 'challenges' that makes it seem as if you are the only one not 'making it' in life. .  From comments to status updates, tweets, friends, followers amongst a host of metrics, you are probably going to only see those things that others want you to see.  . Research has shown ( https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751) that "...there is in fact a causal link between the use of social media and negative effects on well-being, primarily depression and loneliness." .  So in short let us remember that social media is a tool that we must be responsible for using and so to protect ourselves we need to lay down some rules on our usage: .  1. Av...

Just yesterday, we were in another year, another decade. At 11:59pm, one minute was all it took to move from 2019 to 2020. Lesson: Never underestimate the power of one (1)!  .  So ask yourself, what one (1) thing will you change in 2020? For me, it's my perception of 'time'.  .  For time moves seamlessly, uninterrupted like the sky's horizon with everyone experiencing things from a different vantage point.  .  And I end with this nugget from Ron Lizzi:  .  "Whether your situation is dire or stable often depends on your point of view. Exploring different vantage points can give you valuable perspective." .  Haidarwali 202001010828hrs