8-A1 in WAEC, SERIOUSLY?

Yes, I know it is not new, but in recent years, SSCE results have been reported as poor, with less than 50% of the candidates having less than a credit pass in Mathematics and English Language. I remembered in 1999, WAEC announced its candidate with the best result which was 8-A1 and 1-A2. I was not able to reach that particular candidate, but I was able to catch up with someone else that had the same result that same year to share with us how he was able to achieve this. He had 8-A1 including Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Chemistry and Biology and 1-A2 in Additional Mathematics

Dr. Jide Oresegun

 My name is Oresegun Olajide, I am a Medical doctor, I grew up in Abeokuta, Ogun State where I attended Ogun International Montessori Nursery &Primary School, Idi-Aba and later proceeded to the prestigious Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State. I grew up in a Christian family set up and under a serene, loving but disciplined atmosphere back in Abeokuta. I was a member of the Scripture Union, the Literary & Debating and School QUIZ team. I was fortunate to have studious and godly friends who positively influenced me and kept my negative tendencies at bay (meaning he had negative tendencies too, lolzzzz)! 

Yes, I did have a defiant period when I felt my parents are old fashioned and could not match up with what is in vogue, so they should not tell me what to do.  I think every teenager passes through this period of “I know it all”, “no one can rule/ control me attitude”; this happens when our hormones run riot, it is a phase and it would pass. It took a lot of humility and the grace of God to pass through this period; my hormones were simply in control. It took me to sit and ask myself what I wanted for my future and how my present way of life could lead me to my future dreams, that was when I realized  I was already in the wrong path. Yes, I might want to blame it on hormonal surges, yes, but I had to take control of the surges and tailor it into the path I wanted for my future and today, I’m happy I made the decision. Know that your parents would not want anything bad for you, their job as your custodian is to show you the right path, so, please, be calm, listen to them and make sense out of their words. Their words are golden.

By the grace of God, I was able to have an SSCE result of 8-A1s and 1-A2. I ensured I had brilliant and focused friends. Yes, I studied real hard, read every subject back to back, played less during the day so that I could have strength to study in the night and God simply crowned my efforts.  

Excelling takes first of all, the mercy and favor of GOD, diligence (had to attend all my classes and had extra lessons, good notes, tutorials, studious and encouraging friends) and support from parents (money for textbooks, lessons, school fees etc).

Life at the medical school was quiet stressful, with too much to learn and little time! But God was faithful. I must confess, I was much of a 'triangular student' -Church-Class-Home person...but I had some periods of fun in-between.  
I was not all books, books and books. There were times I got bored and had to hang out with my friend. I had social friend who invited to events and all, but my friends were serious minded with good moral inclination, so, we can be sure we weren’t doing things that could damage or distract us. We went for birthday parties, but not all parties, we selected the ones we attended and return to our books. While in the secondary school or anytime I was home with my parents, I would ask for their permission before attending any event. All the party and function attending were all within limits and no late night crawling.

Being a medical doctor had always been my childhood dream and excelling at school was strictly tied to a rigorous work schedule. That helped to curb some negative youthful tendencies. Being a born-again Christian with watchful parents also contributed in no small measure in handling the opposite sex, not forgetting the ever-saving grace of GOD.

I do not regret giving myself to studying; it’s an investment from which I will by the grace of God continue to reap dividends.

I will advise teenagers to stay focused and invest in knowledge. I realized that although some people are born geniuses, the rest of us are born kind with almost equal brain, it is now left to us as individual to develop the brain and talent God has given to us, how well you stimulate your brain accounts for the differences in individuals. When it comes to learning in school, the amount of time you devout to real studying determines how well you will do in your academics, since we did not come to school after having a full knowledge of the subjects from home, we all came blank to learn from school. There is no way to learn without reading. Improve the time to spend with your book, devout more time to study, drop your bb, ignore the TV, hide the video games, close facebook, sign out of twitter and let your friends rest while your study. Give your study time your full concentration, all the other stuffs can definitely wait.

A lot of teenagers want to get rich in a hurry, even at the expense of going to school. Well, I would say this is you getting your priorities wrong. We have learning years and earning years. Teen stage is learning years, cool down with the earning thoughts, you watch reality show where huge amount of money is won, that is fine,  but come to think of I , how many people enter for these shows and how many of them eventually win? You cannot base your life on chances!  Some even go into internet fraud, the truth is “what you do with your brain and hands is what would last with and for you, the rest others are not durable, they cannot stand the test of time.” This would make you stand confident among your peers. Maximize your learning years, learn all you can and then you can step into the earning years armed with knowledge to solve world problems. You can be sure you will be better chanced as you pick the offers you feel most comfortable with.

Form meaningful friendships, have friends that can challenge and motivate you to study, learn meaningful and impactful things, friends that can help you develop your potentials in the positive directions and not just talk about fashion, movies, opposite sex, etc . But friends that will challenge you to get more knowledge, to study more and to get better grades. Sacrifices are also needed; you might have to lose some sleep to cover up shaky grounds. Should you be weak with any subject, go for extra moral classes, they help. For the sake of standardized examinations, e.g. SSCE, SAT, GCE, you need to work with the curriculum.

The get-rich-quick schemes that abound nowadays don't lead to enduring success. 
Maximize your gifts and talents? YES; compromise your education? NO. 
Keep the passion for academic excellence aglow and you won’t regret it!

With God on your and you playing your part, you will surely do well.

EASTER BUNNY, EASTER EGGS AND THE REAL ESSENCE OF EASTER

EASTER BUNNY, EASTER EGGS AND THE REAL ESSENCE OF EASTER

Santa Clause is for Christmas, while Easter Bunny is for Easter.  The first time I heard about the Easter bunny and eggs, I wonder what rabbits had to do with Easter, especially rabbits that lay “colored eggs”. So, what is the origin of the bunny, its eggs and the connection to Easter?!

Easter bunny and eggs have no roots from the bible; they were incorporated into the celebration of Easter separately from the Christian tradition. In ancient times, the rabbit was believed to be the symbol of the goddess of spring; it designated fertility, rebirth of nature and was found everywhere during spring. Springtime coincides with the Easter celebration and with rabbits associated with this season, the Easter bunny was incorporated into modern Easter.

JESUS ON TRIAL

The tradition of Easter bunny was made popular by the Americans. It was introduced to America in the 1700s through arriving Germany immigrants who told their children to make ‘nests’ before Easter with their caps and bonnets and if they were good, the Easter bunny would will leave them colored eggs.

An African country like Nigeria has no springtime and rabbits are not seasonal animal around here (that is if we ever see them except in some bushy areas), does that mean we cannot celebrate Easter, what really is the essence of Easter? Easter is a Christian celebration; it marks the season of the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The bible tells us how in ancient times, the blood of animals was used as sacrifices to wash away sins, but then God got tired of the blood and in the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16, the bible says “for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten son the whoever believes in Him shall not die, but have an everlasting life. This son is to serve as a permanent atonement for sin, hence, there was no need for animal sacrifice in the New Testament and beyond, till date in our present time. The Lord Jesus Christ had His death spoken about by several prophets before Him and when He was around He said in the book of Mark, Chapter 3 and verse 31: the son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise on the third day. True to His words, He was crucified, He died and was buried, but on the third day, His tomb was empty, He had risen!

THE EMPTY TOMB WHERE CHRIST WAS BURIED.

His resurrection bought us victory over sin and Satan (the accuser). Now, we don’t have to kill any goat, sheep, ram, fish, chicken or anything for the forgiveness of sin, all we have to do is to ask the father for forgiveness, the blood has been provided. That is what we celebrate in Easter, the redemption and completion of the work of our salvation. Imagine if we had to buy animals for sin cleansing, we all would be vegetarians, because all the goats (for the locals), sheep (for the farmers), cows (for the rich), bulls (for the sophisticated), ram (for the religious), chickens (for babes), turkey (for the boys) and fish (for the poor) would have been sold out!!!!! And the temples would have been closed down by the government because of environmental population and disease outbreak. But, the Lord Jesus saved us from all these, He did a one-off payment; all we have to do is believe He died for us; ask for the forgiveness of our sins and Walla! our sins would be gone. Yep! That simple!

As we celebrate this Easter, let us have at the back of our mind, the whole essence of the season; let us take advantage of the blood and the victory that came with the resurrection. Let us not get carried away by the fancy bunnies and colored eggs, they will only last a few days, but the blood is forever.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

xoxo………

FIRE, A GOOD SERVANT, BUT A HORRIBLE MASTER!

On Tuesday, 20th March, 2012, there was a fire outbreak at the Physics Department of the University of Lagos and this fire spread to other offices and the floor above it, eight offices ended up being consumed by the fire. These offices are the offices of lecturers of the university, most of them being academic doctors and professors. The most valuable properties to these set of people are the research works they have done, the ongoing research papers, the publications they are working on, the ones already published and their textbooks. All of these were burnt in the fire accident, which means years of hard work got consumed in a fire accident, very sad. The real cause of the accident is yet to be known, but the fire ended up destroying people’s hard work, investments and valuables. 

The burning offices inside the University of Lagos.

First Aid For Domestic fire accident?

Have it at the back of your mind that fire is ignited and supported by heat, oxygen and fuel (anything that can support the flame, e.g. paper, cloth, broom stick, wood, nylon, kerosene, petrol, cooking gas, etc.) 

To stop fire, make sure one of these requirements is blocked and the fire would not be supported.

 • Cut the fuel supply: The fuel supply should be cut off, so that the energy source of the fire can be disconnected from the fire, so that the fire gets too weak to burn. Should it be an electrical fire, e.g. burning socket or electrical appliance, cut the source of electricity supply from the main switch to the house, if it is burning cooking gas, turn off the supply from the cylinder and then you can cool the heat. 

• Cool the heat: The heat can be cooled by pouring water on the burning fire. The force with which you’ll pour the water depends on the weight of the burning material should it be pieces of water or dry leaves, carefully splash the water on them, to prevent the light weighted objects from flying from their location to another location, thereby, spreading the fire. Water can only be poured on a burning massive object that is sure not to move from its point to another and spreading the fire e.g. burning table.

 • Starve the fire of oxygen: Burning is supported by oxygen, without which the fire remains smoke and does not turn in to burning flame. This is mostly used to put out fire from burning liquids e.g. burning oil. To do this, you could soak a heavy towel or blanket in water; pour lather powder or liquid detergent in water knowing that it is the lather of the detergent we need. Make the lather and pour it with the water on the burning object or cover the burning object or liquid with the soaked towel. Note: do not pour water into burning liquid; else it splashes on you and burns you skin. 

• Protect yourself from the fire and the smoke which kills silently. A lot of people die from inhaling the smoke without getting burnt. The smoke contains carbon monoxide which is poisonous to the blood.

 Items Needed To Fight Fire.

• Water • Detergent • Thick Towel or blanket • Fire extinguisher 

Fire Extinguishers. 

Most of the fire extinguishers seen around look like this, they contain a mixture of dry chemical, carbon dioxide and water that can choked oxygen out of the fire and cool the heat a bit. Note, the gas in the cylinder is under great pressure and has to be carefully and tightly handle, else a fling from it can cause injuries such as a bone fracture. To operate a fire extinguisher, you must: • Remove the safety pin • Hold tightly and direct the nozzle to the center of the fire • Then, squeeze the handle to release cylinder content. 

A fire extinguisher

Components of a fire extinguisher

Precaution: 

Switch off all electrical appliances when leaving the house as electrical fire spreads very fast.

 Ensure you put out the light of every match stick and do not leave a burning candle with no supervision.

More pictures of the fire incident in the University of Lagos.

Before the fire got big

Damaged offices with the fire still burning at the top floor.

PUTTING OUT THE FIRE

DAMAGE ALREADY DONE!!!

INSIDE AND AROUND THE BUILDING.

Nigeria Emergency Telephone Numbers

199 - Ambulance
119 - Police
190 - Fire

LAGOS STATE EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Distress Call: 767, 112(TOLL-FREE LINES)

Distressed/Collapsed Building (LASPPDA): 01-5931947, 4933658, 4931940, 7630854

Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS/LASEMS): 08022887777,08022883678,08022887788, 

01-7413744,01-7930490,01-7639939

FEBRUARY 14, HMN......

FEBRUARY 14, HMN……..

February 14, Valentine’s Day, hmn….. Lovers’ day, hmn….. A day anticipated by all, both adults and teenagers, even preteens and grannies, lolzzz, everyone wants love. Everyone wants to have a Valentine, if not known before the day; a surprise Valentine would be appreciated and simply perfect to save the day. Once it is first of February, anxiety and preparations takes the next gear, every girl wishes to have a Valentine’s date, while a lot of guys would love to abscond.

I remember High School and University days, Valentine’s days were highly anticipated days, even teachers and lectures used to realize that students have lost concentration and their thoughts and attentions were on something else, everyone anticipating a gift for either the sake of it or the “I love you” significance of it. Popular girls in school gave boys the specifications of gift they can receive from them, while other girls hoped a secret admirer shows up to make their day and “players” schemed a way to get into a fight with the less important girls in their lives and escaped giving them gifts. Val’s day for a lot of teens is usually about getting gifts, any at all, from cupcakes to Mars chocolate bar, to flowers from the lawn, to Sure roll-on deodorant, anything at all, just save the day for me, please…….

During my High School days, I never used to expect any gifts, but trust me, I made myself useful, did free unsolicited reporting for the entire block, knowing who got what from who and when and how the gift was delivered, lolzzzz…. Amebo was my second name; it was so bad that I used to come up with my version of “Forbes Top Val’s Gift of the Year”. I asked a friend how her valentine days were in high school and got an epic reply. She said “hmn, I’m ashamed of myself; those days are that I did not know anything. I did not hear of valentine until my fifth year, when I finally heard, I still thought it was a celebration in the Catholic Church”. I could not help the laughter, it was too big a joke for me to ignore. I asked another friend and he was like “over wake up was disturbing us then oooo, both boys and girls; most boys picked up fights when it was close to Val’s and make up after the day. To Val anyone then, you had to sneak out of school to buy a gift and that means you are a die hard, you must be over bold. Anywaz, teachers discovered that students were using that day as an opportunity to engage in all sorts of immoralities and sex, so it was banned”.

This now leads to the question, what exactly is Val’s day and Love?

Valentine’s Day is a day that has been dedicated for lovers to show love to one another. It sounds like a regular thing, but it has a day dedicated for it.

Love is a feeling of affection felt by one person towards another person. It is that feeling that makes you care for another and want to spend all you time with them, share all you have and help the person out in case of any problem. Love is a beautiful thing from God that He has for His creation and expects us to have for Him and others.

Love has been confused to be sex, but is sex really love?

Sex is now being used as a manipulative tool, love is not manipulative, if sex was love, then, there would be no rape; if sex was love, so every product of it would be wanted, so, sex should not make you feel cheated, used or dumped, love would not; love would not make you feel any self-hate, guilt or hatred towards anyone, but sex could; If sex was love, there would no STDs or laws against sex and parents frowning against it or moral castings against it or punishment when caught/discovered having sex or societal disapprovals at a certain stage or prison sentences and disgrace following this act under certain circumstance.

So, this means sex is not love and not a part of Valentine’s Day! God is love and He created the world with everything that we need to survive, created us in His own image and took His time to make us all beautiful. If sex outside marriage is fornication, this implies that it not part of love showing or sharing and so not a part of Valentine’s Day. Love gives, so exchange of gift is a part of Valentine’s Day, love makes the heart merry, so going out, sharing some food and drinks, cracking jokes and having some sweet conversations is a part of Valentine’s Day.

In all, have a love filled valentine’s day and do not forget there are some people who would be glad to have someone smile at them, that might be the only gift you will give a beggar on the street, I stray kid or even your domestic help. Valentine is about love, so show some love, just because…… and please accept my token of love. xoxo.......

So What If I Am A Teenager?!

I did not realize what it meant to be a teenager at first, I felt it was just a coincidence that the ages between 13 and 19 ended with  -teen until I did something one day and an aunt said “oh, she is now a teenager’’. I wondered what that meant, but I could not be bothered, until I noticed I wanted to do things my own way, I wanted to act like an adult, I wanted the responsibilities of my life and actions to be left to me, I just wanted to be treated and accepted as an adult. More than ever, I wanted to be noticed, I wanted to create an identity for myself, I become a lot more self-conscious, I wanted to choose a click of friends that could be easily noticed, I wanted to be one of the most popular girls in school, I wanted to have the best school shoes, school bag and wrist watches, I wanted to be admired by everyone; then I realized that truly there was a change going on inside of me, that was when I realized I was really in the adolescence stage of my life, I was a TEENAGER.

The teenage period is the period that falls between the ages of 13 to 19, it coincides with the onset of puberty i.e. the period the body changes from that of a baby to that of an adult, it is the period of adolescence. At this stage, teenagers would like to be treated as adults, but adults would not accept them as one of them, adults see teenagers as grown babies, hence the conflict between adults and teenagers and the rebellious disposition of teenagers towards adults. Teenagers discover themselves at this stage as their intellectual capability develops more rapidly, hence, their urge for adventure to discover life and try living their fantasies. This leads a lot of teenagers to want to engage in activities which are contrary to societal norms, ethics and values. At this stage, there is a crave for independence, making teenagers take positions and views different from those of their parents and other adults, but act in conformity with their peer no matter how unconventional the act may be.

Some psychologists refer to the teenage period as a period of “storm and stress” because at this stage, a teenager undergoes physical, social and psychological developmental changes. Their bodies grow in to that of an adult, they feel more comfortable in the midst of their peers where they find social acceptance, carving a niche for themselves and form their ideologies based on conversations made within their peer groups, believing it is the perfect ideology to life. These ideologies may or may not work, leading to the confusion of many teenagers, but the because a lot of teenagers do not like the way adults treat them, they do not ask question and decide either consciously or unconsciously to learn from their mistakes, making this period “stormy and stressful”.

A friend once said and I quote: “Sincerely, teenagers are difficult to deal with; we make and mar our lives at this point and without a proper leadership and guidance, we tend to make a lot of wrong decisions. I have had my share of the trouble and it took me a while to my clear straight and clear.’’  After listening to her say this, I wondered how many more adults have this kind of story to tell and above all, I wondered how many more teenagers would say this by the time they are adults.

So, how can a teenager go through this stage without encountering storms and stresses? We will be sharing this in the next article.

Teenagers and Valentine, what can I do as a Parent?

 Although as a African parent, you might want to frown at your teenager having a boyfriend or girlfriend or have a valentine, but the truth is your teenager is exposed to a lot of peer pressure that he/she could easily loose his/her identity. So, what would you do to ensure your teenager does not get hurt during this valentine period? Parents can use Valentine's Day to start important conversations with their teens or pre-teens that can make them understand the meaning of dating and relationships -- not just now but throughout their lives. This is a period teenagers would be ready and willing to talk about their understanding of love, dating, relationship and valentine’s day.

The truth is teenagers are inquisitive and adventurous, with the thought of being adults, they would want to be adults on Valentine’s Day too, go on a date with someone special or not, at least not to feel left out on Val’s day and have a story to share when friends are sharing theirs. Teenagers spend more time with their pairs than with their parents, hence a greater belief in their peers, even though the peers may not know any better in case they know as much. Young lovers are among the keenest age groups planning to lose their virginity on Valentine's Day, Feb 14, according to a survey released by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, 07/02/2012.  The Internet, social media and cell phones have opened up new avenues for improper, even illegal behavior, among teenagers This is a thing a lot of parents would not want to read, so how do you protect your teenager from breaking your heart?

·        Know your teen's friends. "As children become tweens and teens, it's more important than ever for parents to know their children's friends," Landers said. "This is the age when what peers think and say are a teen's top influence. Teens value their friends the most. You must know them.

"You may have to step in and help the child reduce his or her relationship with a peer who you think is negative or damaging. That's very difficult. It's easier to promote positive relationships early and nourish those relationships through the teen years."

·        Set family expectations early and review often. It's never too early to start talking about your family's unique values and expectations. Start talking about dating and relationships as early as age 9 or 10, no later than 12 -- before the first date is even on the horizon, so that your teenage would not be misinformed outside and hold it superior to your parental advices.

"Your child needs to know what activities you consider appropriate and where the absolute out-of-bounds lines are," Be sure to look for 'teaching moments' -- such as a USA congressman who was forced to resign after sending a provocative photo. These events become lessons in the bad things that can happen when actions aren't thought through. You can discuss incidents that are in the news, behavior of TV stars, scenes in movies, anything that will inspire conversation and help you reinforce your values message.

·        Take a deep breath and discuss sexual situations your teen might encounter. "Remind them that oral sex is sex. There seem to be some teenage and adult misunderstandings about that". Be sure your teens understand that they have the right to say no." You might even role play potential situations so your child learns how to say no, or what to do if he or she feels pressured.

·        Let your teenager understand that sex is not love! There are several valentine’s days to come in future when he/she would have being mature enough to know the real meaning of valentine’s day and love and would have truly understood and what he/she really wants without being under any pressure or influence.

The teenage years are an important time for any child. He or she is taking steps toward adulthood and making lifetime memories: first date, first crush, and first love. "Hopefully, they'll have fond memories of the caring, involved parent who watched over them during this time as well." This forms a part of their fond memories and family values that can become trans-generational which you would be glad you are involved in it.

                                                 

WHO AM I AS A TEENAGER?

Who really am I as a teenager?

I remember my days in the junior secondary when Procter & Gamble used to come and market their Always Sanitary Pads. It used to be embarrassing been called to the school hall to be lectured about puberty, its signs and body changes toping it will with the menstrual cycle, all that comes with it and given free sample sanitary pads as souvenirs, eww...., that was so gross, especially when I had not even had my first period.  

That was simply taking the embarrassments to a height; imagine going to the school hall without your school bag and having to carry the sanitary pads in your hands with some manual about your reproductive system works, lolzzz….. I remember  begging my mum to buy me a bra because everyone one was wearing it and dint have one, but she insisted on me wearing the slips she buys for me until my God-mother came some day with a training bra, yay!!! I was so glad; I started feeling like I’m gradually becoming an adult.  I remember having a crush on one fine boy in my class, an epic crush I must say, we used to smile at each other even though we never used to speak to each other, but had our best friends as friends that served as middle men, lolzzzzz….. I remember how I used to spend several minutes infront of the mirror, trying to see what my body looked like, if my curves were formed and my face was pretty enough, because being a bit pretty was way below the needed standards. Good old funny days I must say, wanting to feel, act and be regarded as an adult, but really was I an adult?

Who really is a teenager and why do we act the way we do, always anxious, wanting to be seen, heard and popular, why are we like that? The teenager is also referred to as an adolescent, with ages between 13 and 19, we are no longer children, but we are developing into adults. Because we are in this transition stage, character-wise, we are usually moody, insecure, argumentative, impulsive, impressionable and at times, reckless and rebellious. Physically, we are having odd growth spurts, acne, odd sleeping pattern and we could have snobbish behavior at times. Ouch, why all these negatives, does that mean the teenage phase is a terrible phase? The answer is NO!!! It just happens during that phase because we are yet to be defined, we are trying to find an identity for ourselves and we need to establish our social standing and we are at this stage developing intellectually, more than when we are younger. At this stage, we have our hormones raging, we naturally have the energy to do a lot of explorations and adventure, but we have no experiences to give us the needed guiding wisdom, hence, we get it wrong a lot of times.

Researchers found that at the end of childhood, the brain undergoes significant changes during this stage, our brains at this stage have been found to be very unique with the sections responsible for planning and nerve connectivity, making it difficult for us to read social situations and other people’s emotion, hence, we fail to see the consequences of our actions, we really don’t give a flip what others think about us, just let us be. Research has also shown that the brain at this stage has less activity in the area responsible for motivation and risk assessment, hence our indulgence in risky behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse, smoking habit and illicit sex, all for the experience since our brain is down in that section.

Since research has told me I don’t have to feel guilty for some of the bad trait I kind of want to exhibit at times, my brain and nature have to be blamed for that, my question is, do I have to be a terrible teenager? The answer is NO! Why? Because if teenage hood is preparing me for adulthood, that means the habits I develop as a teenager would be my habit as an adult and if they are morally wrong habit, I will be less likely to be a responsible adult.

I really want to be a responsible and successful adult that my parents and sibling would be proud of, how do I achieve that? Research said the part of my brain responsible for self-control is developed at this stage, then, I think, I better put it to use. I need to think of the kind of adult I want to grow and become, look for adults like that around me, make friends with them, make them my mentor, hopefully, they will have my time and answer my questions when I’m confused and guide me with their experience since I’m yet to have them.

Seriously speaking, the teenage period is an interesting and delicate period, yes, I had all the fun I wanted as a teenager, especially since I had little responsibilities to tie me down, but I had to have boundaries, because I had adults that I dint not like what their lives looked like around me and did not want to end up like them. I dint want to end up a gambler, a cigarette, alcohol or drug addict, especially seeing some elderly guy on my street that looks so fine but acts retarded because of his alcohol and cocaine addiction, God forbid I be like him.  I wanted to grow up looking beautiful with a career and not just a job like some elder cousins of mine, I had to become their leach and they accepted me that way, took me to places I know I could not afford and say what a good life I could have if I can just exercise a bit of self-control and discipline. Yes, they did something wrong when they were younger which they told me about and they wish I never make their mistakes. So, I had my fun, learnt my lessons and now, I’m so grown……