The Story behind Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

In April of 1737 at 52, Handel suffered from a stroke which incapacitated him, making it impossible for him to perform or conduct. He also complained of blurred vision. He was not a wise businessman and this led to the loss of his fortune. By 1741, he was swimming in debt and it seemed he would land in debtor’s prison. It was in this period that he was commissioned to write The Messiah which included The Hallelujah Chorus.

While writing the music, Handel never left his house for three weeks. A friend who visited him as he composed, found him sobbing with intense emotion. Later, as Handel groped for words to describe the strange phenomenon he had experienced, he quoted St. Paul, saying, "Whether I was in the body or out of my body when I wrote the music, I did not know."

There are two lessons in this story. Firstly, the true measure of a person lies in his or her ability to maintain a sense of resilience and determination even when faced with personal tribulations or tragedies. Secondly, God has a way of using certain individuals, irrespective of their situations, to achieve extraordinary feats under mysterious circumstances.

 

I am Back!!!!!!!

About a year ago, I relocated my blogging endeavor to the Wordpress website. Due to some unforeseen circumstances however, I have resolved to return to this domain. In view of this therefore, I promise to continue my blog posting in the same tradition of objectivity, uniqueness and analytical candor for which I have always been known. 

This, indeed, is a new dawn for my writing.

And thank you for your readership.

The Beginning of a New Era in Nigeria.

Today, inside the largest black nation in the world, something unprecedented took place a few hours earlier in the day. The erstwhile Nigeria’s president (Goodluck Jonathan) voluntarily stepped down from the exalted office after losing the presidential election to his opponent. To this end, Muhammadu Buhari was duly sworn-in as the new president. This great, unsurpassed political development will have a profound effect on the political future of sub-Saharan Africa and the global community. God bless Nigeria!

Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari rides in a motorcade while inspecting the guard of honour at Eagle Square in Abuja, Nigeria May 29, 2015. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde.

To All Great Foster and Adoptive Parents.

28 years ago, an 8-year-old boy and his younger brother were taken to a foster home upon the arrest of their crime-prone, single-parent mother. Just a couple of hours earlier, these poor kids were roused from their sleep by the pounding and knocking down of their door by the police. While still suffering from the emotional trauma, the confused and frightened kids stared gloomily at their foster parents who tried to calm them down. Being so late in the night however, they were shown into their room.

The following morning after taking their showers and fully dressed, the kids were pleasantly ushered into the dining area. Two things caught their attention immediately. The two had never seen so much delicious foods in their lives. And in the center of the table was a huge cake. It had been prepared all through the night by their foster mother who reminded the older kid that the day was his 8th year anniversary and that the cake was meant for the birthday celebration. Stunned, the boy burst into tears. In a subsequent offer of apology, he explained that he had never celebrated a birthday. Most times in the past anyway, he and his sibling often forgot their respective birthdays. This celebration would then become an annual tradition instituted by the couple who went on to adopt the two brothers. 20 years later with college degrees, great jobs and now married, the two brothers and their wives have since welcomed into their respective homes a foster kid each, who they eventually adopted. This was in line with a joint resolution they had earlier made.

This story was the content of an e-mail I received today from a guy who wanted me to share it with other readers. His objective was three-fold. To appreciate the roles of all great foster/adoptive parents. He wondered what the fates of he and his brother would have been today without their adoptive parents. He expected those of us who were (are) raised by biological, foster or adoptive parents not to take the kind gestures for granted. And finally, he wanted everyone to try showing some acts of kindness to those in need.

[embed]https://youtu.be/B1OLtpWKQvU[/embed]

 

Goodwill Message at my High School Re-union.

Ladies and gentlemen, I greet you all on behalf of all the old students in the diasporas. This is to felicitate with you on this august occasion of the 9th annual re-union of our great school, Oyun Baptist High School, Kwara State, Nigeria.



I must confess that the process of writing this message evoked in me, a deep sense of nostalgia and a mental trip down memory lane in regard to the great OBHS. Without doubt, we all have the Almighty God and our school to thank for all the medical doctors, lawyers, professors, political leaders, engineers, teachers, accountants, business tycoons and other professionals among us today.

Based on an observation, I wish to implore a vast number of our fellow older ex-students to take more advantage of the numerous social media that are available on the cyberspace. This is important because it’s one major avenue by which we can network among each other and further the interest of our school. The younger generations are doing a marvelous job in this regard and we need to emulate them. I am personally looking forward to a time when we can locate and even “meet” each others' families on the Facebook or any other social medium.

Finally, I’m using this forum to appreciate and thank some individuals for the great roles they have been performing in the effective running of the O.B.H.S.O.S.A. On behalf of members in the diasporas therefore, I am especially expressing a deep sense of gratitude to Lanre, the association’s indefatigable president (who also happened to be my classmate). The same gratitude goes to my great “aburo” (Wole), the hard-working General Secretary and the other past and present executive members (at national and state levels) for jobs well-done in the upliftment of our great OBHS. I wish you all a joyful deliberation. And may God bless you.

Femi Olawole
Delaware, United States.

 

 

Birthday Greeting to a Dearest Daughter.

Ebunoluwa, Iyalode 3rd: As you celebrate an addition to your glorious years on earth, may God Almighty continue to shower His bountiful blessings upon you.



You’re always after my heart---smart, focused, goal-oriented, determined, confident and extra-ordinary in everything you do. Thanks for always bringing joy to my heart. Happy birthday! I wish you a Long life and abundant Prosperity!!!



 

A Woman is Behind Every Successful Man.

A New Dawn in Nigeria.

With the election of a new president in Nigeria, there now arises a new dawn in the largest black nation in the world. This is the day the Lord has made and we shall rejoice in it. To God be the glory.

The Celebration of a Quintessential Lady.

Titilola, iyawo mi atata, Iyalode (1st Class):

On this joyful occasion of your birthday, I pray that God grants all the good desires of your heart. You have earned the rare distinction of being a quintessential lady, wife, lover, mother, advisor and confidant…all rolled into one.

Happy birthday! Many happy returns of the day, Long life and Prosperity. I LOVE YOU.

 

 

 

 

A Woman's Biggest Misconception About Men.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that a woman has is that a man has to accept her the way she is. No, we don't. I don't know who told you that. We like the bright and shiny. If you stop wearing the makeup, stop putting on nail polish, stop wearing high heels, you'll lose us.” - Steve Harvey.



 

A Birthday Wish for My Daughter.

Ifeoluwa (Iyalode 2nd), as you celebrate your birthday today, may the good Lord continue to bless you most abundantly with His great abiding faith, love, mercies, long life and prosperity. To the glory of God, you are one of the bedrocks of my life, a source of my constant state of joy, peace and contentment. Happy birthday, my beautiful daughter!!!

Joint Birthday Party for New York Couple Married 82 years.

As per Associated Press, a husband and wife thought to be one of the oldest married couples in New York have celebrated their birthdays — and their combined ages will be 212.

Duranord Veillard turned 108 on Saturday. His wife, Jeanne Veillard, would be 105 in May. The couple celebrated Saturday at the Spring Valley home they share with their daughter. Veillard is a native of Haiti who was a judge there.

He and his wife moved to the United States in 1968, raising five children while he worked as a hospital laboratory technician. Though nearly blind and hard of hearing, Veillard still cracks jokes in Creole and does push-ups after getting up before dawn.

The Veillards have been married 82 years.

The Hunger to Become Somebody.

Many, including some fans of Aerosmith, don’t know the history and the motivation behind the song, “Dream On”. It was written in 1969 by Steve Tyler, long before the formation of Aerosmith. Always dreaming of the day he would make it big in the music industry, Tyler wrote the song as a personal affirmation that success was a matter of time for him.

As he and the Aerosmith’s band mates continued to tour and toil in the early 1970s, Tyler never lost his sheer determination to succeed and (in his own words) “the hunger to become somebody…” The “hunger” ultimately drove the songwriter/lead singer to suggest to his band mates, the re-release of the song, “Dream On” in 1976.  The song rose instantly to number 6 and became the band’s first major single and the biggest hit so far. Steve Tyler has since become “somebody” in the music industry and the rest is now history.

[embed]http://youtu.be/54BCLYNkFKg[/embed]

Happy Martin Luther King Holiday!

Remembering Teddy Pendergrass.

Yesterday marked the 5^th anniversary of the death of Teddy Pendergrass (1950– 2010). TP, as he was fondly called by his fans, was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter. In the late 1979s to early 1980s, no serious party could ever be complete without the DJ featuring some of Teddy Pendergrass’ songs. He was among the very few authentic R&B singers of our time. These days, almost every charlatan pretends to be an R&B singer even though all they do is make some silly, rambling noises on a manipulated microphone.

Teddy Pendergrass actually started out as a drummer for the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It was while in session one fateful day with the group that he sang along while on the drums. Startled by the powerful vocal of the then young man, the leader of the group decided right there that TP would henceforth be the lead vocal. And by the late 1970s, he proceeded on a successful solo career. Unfortunately, his career was at the very peak in 1982 when, after a party at his residence, he crashed his Rolls Royce onto a tree in Philadelphia while taking a friend home. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. Later on in his life, he founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, a foundation that helps those with spinal cord injuries. Pendergrass commemorated 25 years of living as a victim of spinal cord injury with a star-filled event. It was titled, “Teddy 25 - A Celebration of Life” at the Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. On January 13, 2010, he died of respiratory failure at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia.

[embed]http://youtu.be/gCVRE6qXdwU[/embed]

A Friendship Formed in Heaven.

This is amazing! Clarence E. Huntley Jr. and Joseph Shambrey (pictured below) died on January 5, 2015 in their respective Los Angeles homes. They were both 91. Huntley and Shambrey were among the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black fighter squadron that flew in World War. As lifelong friends, Huntley and Shambrey enlisted together in 1942 and, in 1944, were also together in Italy with the 100th Fighter Squadron of the Army Air Force's 332nd Fighter Group. As mechanics, their main responsibility was to keep the combat planes flying.

Alas, their heroic war efforts did not spare them from the rabid racism of those ugly days in the American history. According to Shambrey's son, the war veteran recalled getting off a train in Alabama where a hospitality station was welcoming returning white troops with handshakes and free coffee. Not only were the men, still in uniforms, denied appreciative handshakes because of the color of their skin, but also were made to pay for their coffee.

Since the end of the World War Two though, the two men were said to have got closer as friends, except that they would not talk about the war. The friendship between these two gentlemen could only have been formed in heaven. In today’s world, “Best Friends Forever” (B.F.F.) is only a cliché. It’s no wonder that many will rather settle for mere acquaintances that can, once-in-awhile, be window-dressed as “close friends”.



Clarence E. Huntley Jr. (left) and Joseph Shambrey (right) COURTESY Los Angeles Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc president Ron Brewington.

 

 

When a Man Loves a Woman.

When a man loves a woman,

he can't keep his mind on nothing else.

He'll trade the world for the good thing he's found.

If she is bad, he can't see it...she can do no wrong.

He'll turn his back on his best friend if he puts her down.

When a man loves a woman,

he spends his very last dime,

tryin' to hold on to what he needs.

He'd give up all his comforts, sleep out in the rain

if she said that's the way it ought to be…

Song by Percy Sledge.

Harland Sanders and his Kentucky Fried Chickens.

Have you got a dream, natural gift or ambition that you wish to transform into reality and instead of success or breakthrough, all you keep seeing are stumbling blocks? You are definitely not alone. Go ask Steve Harvey, Oprah Winfrey, Bill gates and many other successful or accomplished individuals out there and you’ll get an era-full about the initial frustrations that came their ways. Therefore, the very first thing you’ve got to accept is that if it was so easy to achieve success in any endeavor or enterprise, everyone in this world would have been successful.

This reminds me of the story of Harland Sanders. The man loved to cook and kept dreaming of the day he would to set up a restaurant solely to fry and sell chickens. But not just the typical chickens that others were selling. Sanders had a special recipe close to his heart. It contained some herbs, salt and pepper. His target audience was the many Americans who he expected to have gotten tired of the same old, regular fried chickens.

Alas, tried as much as he did, no one was impressed with or attracted to his brand of fried chickens. Most times, he felt like abandoning the dream to pursue a regular job that would pay his bills. And each time, he rejected the negative, defeatist thought. It would take several years before people started to believe in and love Sanders’ brand of spicy, tasty chickens. And that was how he got the much needed and sought-after recognition in the restaurant business.

In appreciation of his tenacious spirit as an entrepreneur and his contribution to the economy of the state of Kentucky, Harland Sanders was, in 1936, given the title of Kentucky honorary Colonel by Governor Ruby Laffoon. A restaurant that started as a humble enterprise has since become Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a large corporation with several franchises all over the United States and the world.

The bottom line here is to never give up on yourself in spite of whatever odds fate and naysayers may stack against you as you trudge up the long, thorny path that will lead to the realization of your dream, natural gift or ambition.

Angelina Jolie: Dares to be Different.

According to news report, Angelina Jolie was, penultimate Friday at Buckingham Palace, made an honorary Dame in the list of recipients issued to mark the British Queen Elizabeth's birthday. The title recognizes Jolie's work in founding of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) and the contribution she has made toward the British foreign policy objective of ending sexual violence in conflict.



The actress and humanitarian, 39, had a private audience with the Queen, 88, who presented her with the physical symbol of her recently bestowed title of honorary Dame – the Insignia of an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George.



I have a whole lot of respects for this lady. She is just one of the very few Hollywood celebrities that I care about. Majority of them can only attract a sneer from me. Yet, this has nothing whatsoever to do with her works as an actress, her beauty or her fashion. Rather, I cherish the fact that she dares to be different. Most of the Hollywood people, and especially the women, are often too busy idolizing their bodies, parading intimate body parts or getting involved in one scandalous issue or the other. And while these silly stuff are being pasted on pages of gossip magazines and all over the internet, Angelina Jolie is somewhere in a remote corner of the world doing some humanitarian works.

 

 

 

No Good Deed Goes "Unrewarded".

It was one February morning during the harsh winter of 2003. As a supervisor, I was showing a new staff around the job place when we stepped briefly into the front of the building.

“Oh my God!” the woman suddenly exclaimed while pointing at a car on the street. “My car is all covered up in snow…”

Expressing my sympathy, I promised to get a permit for her to pull the car into the staff parking lot. But first of all, the frozen snow had to be taken off the windscreen. Getting too concerned with the woman’s plight, I told her not to worry. Dashing back into the building, I went into a nearby kitchen, got a bucket-full of hot water and walked toward the car.



I emptied the hot water on the windscreen and saw the snow melt. But as the woman began to thank me, we both heard a strange, crackling sound. Alas, the windscreen had cracked sharply from the impact of the hot water.

The same woman now glared at me in obvious anger, “Excuse me sir…you’ve broken my windscreen…”

“Oh my God…” I muttered in shock. “I am so sorry…”

“Yeah…” the woman continued to glare at me. “I…I guess you’ll have to get me another windscreen.”

I was dumbfounded.