Dear OluTimehin, I am glad to hear about the self-discovery and self-care you have begun to appreciate. For what it is worth, I congratulate you for arriving at this stage in just three decades. This epiphany tends to unfold for many around two to three scores. So, revel in your successful hacking of the system. I may not pride myself with the exact attributes as you, but as an African woman in a white privileged and capitalist world, my battle intersects with yours in more ways than we acknowledge. Therefore, whether I fall short of one or more of your attributes, nothing but a concerted effort against the intersectionality that impact us, will mean that we truly live. Therefore, we must continue as troubadours, but we traverse on our own terms, together. All the best.
You're so kind, Tonye. It's wonderful to know how we are similar, but I also look forward to hearing your perspectives that are informed by the ways in which we differ. I love the idea of traversing together on our own terms; this is exactly what is at the heart of all my work and thinking. Thank you!
Hello OluTimehin! I'm so very glad to see your first article, having enjoyed being enlightened and challenged by you via TC. Now, as then, your perspective is so refreshing. and yet, you have distilled what so much of my own life has been about: survival first, and now the experience of love, joy, wholeness. Don't feel badly about only discovering "life" in your third decade; I am in my fifth and am only now discovering it! It reminds me of a quote from David Bowie: "Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been." Here's to sharing the journey of becoming and "just living."
You're very kind, Frodo. Thank you for coming along with me. We have a saying in Pidgin English: "when person wake, na im morning be dat." No matter when we arrive at a discovery, we are always right on time. I'm glad to be right on time at the same time as you.
There's a book that I think touches on this topic, but which I am sadly yet to read, called Pleasure Activism. I think it's about how to incorporate a healthy dose of joy into your activism. Personally, I am of the view that taking care of ourselves and finding happiness is itself a form of resistance.
For the past 1,5 months, I was working on an outfit. And no amount of store-bought clothes could add up to the joy and satisfaction I feel when wearing these things that I made myself. The system of capitalism does not value this project, beyond the materials I bought. Finding value in these things has been my resistance. As well as being the ultimate avoidance of fast fashion, since the style is from 1895 :p
And indeed, simply living as people of marginalised identities is a form of resistance. I look forward to seeing more of this magic.
It's wonderful to read from you too! Seeing your name has lit up my heart as it used to at The Correspondent, and as always you've offered me so much by sharing your perspective. I look forward to living more of this magic alongside you.
Happy to read you again, OluTimehin! As always, you expose things hidden in plain sight. No one should be fighting for existing, and everyone deserves to just live. If only that were the cornerstone of civilization.
Dear OluTimehin, thank you for sharing your reflections. I’m pleased to read them and am too saddened that The Correspondent stopped being in December. I was fortunate to share an enlightening zoom call with you and Minna Salami on Sensuous Knowledge which remains in my consciousness daily.
I need to take on board your ideas about living as this lockdown has filled me with inertia.
Please keep sharing your intelligent words and positivity
Oh, that Zoom call was SO enjoyable! I'm glad you were there. It's one of my most favourite memories from TC. Thank you for following me on this new journey.
I had to star this newsletter for later reading when it first arrived in my inbox. Your writings are just too special to rush through and must be dissected and digested slowly. I very much agree with Tonye that you have indeed "hacked the system" of a happy life at a breakneck speed of just a score and half years, your contrary opinion on it notwithstanding. It is amazing to meet folks from TC family here again.
So glad to hear from you again! No matter where you are in life, your point of you matters for me. (But I am also glad for you that you discover a new facette of your life.)
Dear OluTimehin, I am glad to hear about the self-discovery and self-care you have begun to appreciate. For what it is worth, I congratulate you for arriving at this stage in just three decades. This epiphany tends to unfold for many around two to three scores. So, revel in your successful hacking of the system. I may not pride myself with the exact attributes as you, but as an African woman in a white privileged and capitalist world, my battle intersects with yours in more ways than we acknowledge. Therefore, whether I fall short of one or more of your attributes, nothing but a concerted effort against the intersectionality that impact us, will mean that we truly live. Therefore, we must continue as troubadours, but we traverse on our own terms, together. All the best.
You're so kind, Tonye. It's wonderful to know how we are similar, but I also look forward to hearing your perspectives that are informed by the ways in which we differ. I love the idea of traversing together on our own terms; this is exactly what is at the heart of all my work and thinking. Thank you!
Hello OluTimehin! I'm so very glad to see your first article, having enjoyed being enlightened and challenged by you via TC. Now, as then, your perspective is so refreshing. and yet, you have distilled what so much of my own life has been about: survival first, and now the experience of love, joy, wholeness. Don't feel badly about only discovering "life" in your third decade; I am in my fifth and am only now discovering it! It reminds me of a quote from David Bowie: "Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been." Here's to sharing the journey of becoming and "just living."
You're very kind, Frodo. Thank you for coming along with me. We have a saying in Pidgin English: "when person wake, na im morning be dat." No matter when we arrive at a discovery, we are always right on time. I'm glad to be right on time at the same time as you.
How lovely to read from you again!
There's a book that I think touches on this topic, but which I am sadly yet to read, called Pleasure Activism. I think it's about how to incorporate a healthy dose of joy into your activism. Personally, I am of the view that taking care of ourselves and finding happiness is itself a form of resistance.
For the past 1,5 months, I was working on an outfit. And no amount of store-bought clothes could add up to the joy and satisfaction I feel when wearing these things that I made myself. The system of capitalism does not value this project, beyond the materials I bought. Finding value in these things has been my resistance. As well as being the ultimate avoidance of fast fashion, since the style is from 1895 :p
And indeed, simply living as people of marginalised identities is a form of resistance. I look forward to seeing more of this magic.
It's wonderful to read from you too! Seeing your name has lit up my heart as it used to at The Correspondent, and as always you've offered me so much by sharing your perspective. I look forward to living more of this magic alongside you.
Happy to read you again, OluTimehin! As always, you expose things hidden in plain sight. No one should be fighting for existing, and everyone deserves to just live. If only that were the cornerstone of civilization.
Bavo! What a joy to see a familiar name. Happy to read *you* again, too. Thank you for sticking around and adding your voice, always.
Dear OluTimehin, thank you for sharing your reflections. I’m pleased to read them and am too saddened that The Correspondent stopped being in December. I was fortunate to share an enlightening zoom call with you and Minna Salami on Sensuous Knowledge which remains in my consciousness daily.
I need to take on board your ideas about living as this lockdown has filled me with inertia.
Please keep sharing your intelligent words and positivity
Oh, that Zoom call was SO enjoyable! I'm glad you were there. It's one of my most favourite memories from TC. Thank you for following me on this new journey.
❤️❤️❤️
Happy to see you writing again!
Happy to be writing again, especially to people who truly enjoy my voice and want to be in community with me.
I had to star this newsletter for later reading when it first arrived in my inbox. Your writings are just too special to rush through and must be dissected and digested slowly. I very much agree with Tonye that you have indeed "hacked the system" of a happy life at a breakneck speed of just a score and half years, your contrary opinion on it notwithstanding. It is amazing to meet folks from TC family here again.
So glad to hear from you again! No matter where you are in life, your point of you matters for me. (But I am also glad for you that you discover a new facette of your life.)