This is 30!!!

For a very long time, I would tell friends my birthdays are usually an extension of Christmas. It never really felt like mine as the Christmas lights and jingle bells were all over the place. We would warm up the remaining chicken and jollof rice from Christmas day, (I felt those tasted really good) and my mum will throw in a home-made cake, they were my favourites.

The day usually starts with my parents praying for me, it was always a delight to see the smile on my sister Yetunde’s face while she waits for her turn to say happy birthday, the dusty dry weather and euphoria of the season gave it a more special feel coupled with the fact that there was no school the next day or the week after, the warmth of having the family under one roof was bliss. Those were some of the best moments of my life that I can’t get back and that sucks.

I moved out of my parent’s house at the age of 24, unlike all upcoming artistes, I did not take the night bus, I took the morning bus and had an air of uncertainty regarding who I am going to be. I knew what I wanted to be, I desired to be the creative guy behind the cool adverts on TV and I felt I was on track. I had gotten into Unilag for my masters (PR and Advertising), now I just needed to land my dream job and let the sparks fly. In between all that, I am going to date and fall in love with someone really pretty, get my car, an apartment and just live a good life. I was to do all these before I clocked 30.

I quickly learnt that life is a constant battle to be a better version of yourself, most cases you see improvements as you age, in other cases you fight not to loose your energy. In retrospect, I have struggled with both, I have tried to be a better version and at the same time strive not to hit rock bottom. in all, the growth is steady and visible.

Today I am 30 and I am mostly grateful for being alive and having a clean bill of health, I did not achieve all I had hoped to achieve but I did accomplish other heights which I am profoundly proud of. I made amazing friends and now have a wider network of great people in my corner, I got jobs, each new job better than the previous one, I made more money, got a car, I fell in love (fell out though, it’s the effort that matters) I had a thousand more reasons to be happy than sad, I got to do the things I love unhindered in any way, my sisters had babies (Nathaniel and Jayden), all these and way more were reminders that life gets better as you age.

Happy birthday to me, I am proud of myself, my little wins and big wins, this is just the starting point.