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.

 

 

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

A colleague once narrated an incident that took place in her Wilmington, DE neighborhood. After getting off work in the middle of the night one fateful day, she saw a group of people loitering around her home. Seeing the fully-armed officer approach, the group dispersed. Then she realized that among the group were teenage girls and kids ranging from seven to twelve. Angrily, the officer scolded the girls and the kids for staying up so late in the company of grown men.

The following morning, her porch played host to some furious women who wanted to know why she scolded their kids. In spite of her explanation about feeling concerned for the kids’ safety, she was warned to mind her business next time. A few days later, the same officer arrived at her neighborhood to see the teenage girls “making out” with some of the men at various corners of the street. Shaking her head sadly, she ignored them. A few months afterwards, a couple of the girls were pregnant, victims of “babies having babies”.



All over the United States, too many people are shirking in their primary responsibilities as parents. And they would not tolerate anyone getting involved in their kid’s discipline. It’s no wonder therefore that the country is replete with too many rude, lazy and ignorant young people. Unfortunately, there is a staggering manifestation of this sad consequences in schools, work places and neighborhoods across the nation.

In many middle schools and high schools across the nation, it takes individuals with lion hearts to work as teachers. With metal detectors installed at several schools to prevent lethal weapons, the job of a teacher is filled with as much hazards as those of soldiers deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

When a typical high school churns out some irate, undisciplined kids either as drop-outs or as half-baked graduates, they usually end up at the hands of unlucky employers of labor. Yet, with a sordid foundation laden with laziness and indiscipline in formative years, these individuals who are now “grown” adults will sooner or later begin to exhibit their negative attributes.

Some of the kids who are unable to fit into a regular work orientation or too desperate to get rich quick, will end up as a menace to their neighborhoods. If they are not selling drugs at street corners, they get into street gangs to unleash terror on hapless people. Before long, these characters will get busted, tried in courts and jailed. And that is if the guys don’t first get killed by fellow drug dealers, opposing gangs or a frustrated police officer who is also a victim of some very poor parenting.

There is still hope in the horizon. But that is only if we all can return to the “old school” tradition where "it takes a village to raise a child".

The Naked Butt of Kate Middleton (The Duchess of Cambridge).

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was reportedly caught “pants off” (not just "pants down") while on a visit in Australia last month. According to the available photographs, the young woman was with her husband (Prince William) when Mother Nature "attacked" with a huge wind that blew up her dress (a blue and white Diane Von Furstenburg design) to reveal her seemingly naked butt.

I thought the British royal family members were supposed to be the epitome of conservatism or does that apply only to those of them who are “old school”?

It’s also kind of funny to learn that there is a concurrent gag order on the publication of “embarrassing” pictures about the royal family members.  But first of all, are the "royal people" aware of what we Americans call the First Amendment? And, secondly, whose fault was it that Kate Middleton chose to go out in public without wearing underpants...or was she wearing thongs? 

Whether she was wearing thongs or nothing at all under that cute dress, the Duchess would still need to be a bit conservative in her choice of clothes next time.