The End of Relevance

I have been missing in action for months. Partly because Nigerian Law School makes it almost impossible to think of wanting to think of posting on your blog, and partly because laziness writer’s block. It’s good to be here.

It was William Shakespeare, who said the immortal words (by the way, all the words of Shakespeare are immortal words!),

All the world is a stage,

And the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

Most times we only avert our minds to the truths above on the days of funerals; in sobriety, tears and while shaking our heads, we agree that life is but a stage, and we all, but actors. But I have another angle to this whole concern. Our days of natural life are divided into stages, moments, periods and all things that are distinguishable. Being humans, it’s easy to be at home, thinking the status quo will never change. The truth is, life will change, whether you are ready for it or not. It’s deeply enshrined in the tenets of nature, that change is inevitable. It is not about the cessation of life, it is the death of relevance. And even in the Law of Evidence, what determines admissibility is relevance (pay Mr. Wemmick my consultation fee, I’ve just taught you law).

I visited the compound I used to live in in my undergraduate days; which I packed out of in March 2014, and then this reality hit me, my days there were over. I could only visit there if I had business to do there, else I was just another trespasser. My room had been taken over and life had continued in the most normal pace ever, death of relevance.

Coming to our various lives, it is probably best for us if we are always aware that a day will come when we will not be relevant in some places. Take for instance OBJ going to attend FEC, he’ll not be granted entrance, or maybe he’ll probably have to scale the gate like these men.

Know when that car has packed up, and use Hausa bus (without prejudice to my Hausa friends); know when you’ve outgrown childhood and act accordingly; know when you have minimum balance in your EcoBANK Savings and act accordingly; know when to leave the country, and when to come back to contest elections; know when your tenure in that office is ending (making allowance for impeachments) and work within your time; know when your make up should be minimal; know when you should be tweeting APC and bashing our beloved GEJ and when you should be quiet; know when to read, knowing that your days in the University are counted, and make them count. Know your exit and leave.

It’s not tidy to be seen hanging around when you’re no longer relevant.

Finally, life is like a game of Musical Chairs, you best be sitting once the music ends.

Have an awesome weekend y’all!