(SNM UPDATE) CHARLEY BOY_MY OBITUARY

I wonder what will be going through your mind as you read this article by Charles Oputa.

Right about now, some of the readers will question the sense in capturing and casting this type of crazy captions for my articles. I only write for those who are patient enough to understand the creative beauty of my mind. I write for those who have depth enough to see beyond what they see, those who have a discerning mind.

However, if your curiosity has gotten the better of you, then read on.

I am about to take up a subject no one really wants any part of, but that's alright, this is where our imagination runs apart. For a brief second, imagine this: if your life were to end today, what would your obituary read? Come on; don't get frightened, thinking about your obituary will not kill you. Nothing escapes the Creator's cycle; not plants, not animals, nor human beings. All living things emerge, gather, spark new life, fall apart and die.

The purpose of all of this is not to scare you about death which is inevitable, but to expose you to a new information or rather, share a certain mindset with you that may help you live with humility and aliveness that only an acceptance of death can release.

'My Obituary' is meant to prick your mind to start being fully conscious of the moments you are alive.

Every moment of our lives, we are knowingly or unknowingly writing a line for our obituary. Every action or inaction provides memories of us to those we eventually leave behind; they are the memories that the people we love and leave behind will want to include in the telling of our life's story.

Within the first quarter of this year, I lost a good friend and cousin, Mr. Emeka Aseme to kidnappers; he was butchered and killed in cold blood. My whole village was not only scandalized by the senseless killing but till today, the 'Blue Lake City' of Oguta has lost the shine it had as a city of bubbling happy go lucky people.

Emeka was a good man who provided employment for hundreds of Oguta people, he was sociable, liked by all and sundry (or so we thought). Even though Oguta had a lot of industrious sons and daughters, Emeka's legacies stand out. He cared about his people, he gave a helping hand, and he was sensitive to people's conditions.

Now that he's no more, all we have to say of him (his obituary) are his good deeds, what he contributed to the betterment of his fellow man, especially his kinsmen. What would yours read like, now that all you know is 'Me, Myself & I'?

What legacy are you living today, is it different from the one you will want to leave behind? Some people live as if they will be here forever, not giving a hoot about what happens to the next person. If it’s not their immediate personal/family gratification, it does not concern them. Mind you, I'm not saying you should not care about your welfare and that of your family o (if you know the AreaFada well you will know that my family remains my ROCK).

However, I still make an ample proportion of my time to fighting the course of our youth and being the Voice of the Voiceless. And this gives me joy and fulfillment. For me, it is what keeps blood flowing in my veins, puts the sparkle in my eyes and springs in my steps...despite the unfavourable state of the terrain. Wetin man go do?

You are the author of your own Obituary, so tell me. Are you writing a history of misery, or a tale of tenacity? Were you inclusive and supportive? Or were you exclusively out for yourself alone, you selfish bloke. Did you lift others up, or did you allow them to knock you down? Did you stay down long enough to recover, or did you stay down complaining and winning. What will your Obituary say about the way you treated people and how you made them feel about themselves. Most importantly what will your Obituary say about how you treated yourself? What will be said about your attitude, how you handled yourself in crisis. Perhaps now is the time to consider how you are living and what you want to be said about you when you are not. Your life provides the content of your Obituary, so my guy, check yourself and park well.

For me, I came, I saw, I did it my way, had fun and boned everyone who thought it wasn’t possible. That’s my Obituary. I'm still here though, for the longer haul!