DEADLY CHOICES

Many years ago, I was in the passenger's seat of a friend's car.

While he was driving, another driver drove up to us, gave my friend a long look and then sped past him.

If you're a Nigerian and have a history of youthful exuberance, you know what that look means - "I drove past you, therefore I've passed you in life"

My friend got the message and was about to respond in the way most untrained youth would - RACE.

He was about to gamble with both our lives in exchange for proving a point to a stranger he'd probably never meet again.

My mind raced into the future value of that decision and I said to him, "If you even think of chasing him, I'll slap you so hard and ensure that we both die here. IDIOT!"

When I got home, I thought through the day and realized that my outburst was misplaced.

It was my responsibility to ensure that I shared my personal space with only people whose choices I could predictably trust, and I failed.

It was my responsibility to identify people who had a pattern of making treasonous choices with their lives and love them from afar, and I failed this time.

Anyway, I was 15 and thankfully, I got this lesson out of life ALIVE <--- READ AGAIN AND PONDER.

Years later, I was a blooming pre-adult and I was hanging out with this beautiful female one evening.

We had to walk through a motor park to get to our destination. We were nearly all the way through when we spotted some conductors and drivers were drinking at one corner and conversing loudly.

One of them catcalled her and immediately, her programming kicked in. She stopped and was about to head towards them... but my own training kicked in.

I grabbed her hand and kept walking. I don't know how I did that because I wasn't particularly strong growing up.

The stupid girl was still shouting what I don't know.

I'm not sure why she was about to preach her brand of feminism to a group of inebriated Nigerian motor park touts, but I was a preacher's son with a bright future, determined not to end up in a shallow well.

My eyes were fixed on the exit as I muttered under my breath, "Dear Lord. You know say I be pastor pikin. Pity me. We're almost at the nearest street light. Just a few centimeters more please and I promise I won't see this idiot again"

Somehow, we made it through without incident.

She kept on justifying her choices and I didn't say anything. I walked her to her gate and headed off to mine. Our friendship would henceforth be limited to BBM.

As for me, I needed to process the events of the day and update my life notes.

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There are people who by their training and level of exposure, cannot see 5 minutes beyond their face.

Their results reveal a history of treasonous choices and a disregard for the bigger picture.

They'd rather win the moment than win at life.

It's your job to not become them.
It's also your job to ensure that you're not significantly allied with them.

You will share in the harvest of their choices.

There are people however, who pull out of you, your noblest and greatest tendencies. Find them, befriend them, date them.

They get it.

They can help you win at life.

Stay Wise...