On the Common Man

This year’s valentine’s day was the first in many years that I have cared about. Usually in previous years, the day just seemed to dissolve on its own. I would oh and awn without any real feelings. But this year, I DID care. I’m not entirely sure why I did but somehow, my heart longed for the thrill that romance brings, I kind of just really wanted to join in the fun. Eventually, I would forget the longing as the day went on and I became preoccupied with my daily duties. I would later be reminded by couple’s cute social media posts but I was okay by then, the day was over.

Why did I think about it this year? Was it because I didn’t have other things to focus on like previous years? As I thought about it, I realised that there was a group of people who probably didn’t even notice that it was valentine’s day. I guess I’m talking about the millions of Nigerians who are struggling under the weight of our economic downturn. Left and right, there is the news of protests over the hardships of the country. Trade unions are bemoaning the situation, religious institutions are beseeching the government, the common man is bereft of ideas, wondering when the dawn will come.

Surely, I feel like there hasn’t been a time in the world’s history when the state of the economy hasn’t been complained about. At one time or the other during the last millennial, we have desired better conditions but somehow, this time just seems so bad.

We all desire better days but another quiet joy to be grateful for is the ability to feel hope even in the darkness. Think about the AFCON 2023 final, we all wanted to win and the ultimate defeat stung so deeply but somehow, I’m sure almost every Nigerian still managed to find something to laugh about despite the loss. I began to think maybe this is God’s special gift to us Nigerians, and maybe the rest of the world too, our ability to laugh almost through anything. I think about my own life too, I’ve laughed on some really dark days and I’m so grateful to have been able to.

I will never downplay the seriousness of the issues that the common man is facing but I will like to say no matter what, our circumstances have always shown us that for us that believe in God, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.

Photo credit: Jakob Owens on Unsplash