Optimistic to a Fault!

I think many times when we want to feel that emotion called gratitude, we limit it to ourselves. Which is alright for the most part, because gratitude in whatever form and for whatever purpose is a good thing. Being thankful for our lives, our health and everything in between is a good thing. But what about our environment, our community, and our country?

The year 2023 was hard on a lot of countries. The ones I’m aware of and even the ones I have no clue about. So many people became destitute and had their whole lives swept up in the air in the most unpleasant way because of the events and occurrences in their country. War, famine and all of that. In that situation, you may ask yourself. What should I even be grateful for?

I wouldn’t know exactly but I can tell you about mine. The year 2023 left me in the most disappointed state ever. I posted something like this once and a few of my acquaintances went all, why would I be disappointed in something I never believed in. It was scary, the fact that Nigerians had lost every ounce of faith in their country, even though it was for good reason.

My biggest feeling of disappointment in the country, which I think may be similar to a lot of people, was the elections. I don’t know how best to say it cause I cried. I felt like the very last chance for growth, development and peace for the country was snatched away once again by the hands of the leaders because of greed, corruption and a gross lack of sympathy for the cries of Nigerians.

I prayed, begged and asked God that he should please give us one more chance by letting the people’s choice win. It didn’t happen. Not because, God wasn’t around. I’m not even sure what the reason is now. There’s a bigger picture that I’m choosing to trust, though. Don’t know where it’ll come from but I’m positive about that. The new leader came into power and barely 24 hours, he made a statement that turned the country upside down in such a way that we’ve still not been able to recover from.

As this is a post of gratitude, I don’t want to dwell on the failings of my country but on the gifts. And the biggest gift for me would be the people. There’s a reason why even though fuel prices have become three times the amount it was barely a year ago, that food prices have quadrupled and all of that, I would still choose to be a Nigerian no matter how many times I’m asked.

I don’t think I’ve seen a set of people as positive as Nigerians. It’s sometimes annoying but it’s a reason for joy nonetheless. Even with fire over our heads, Nigerians would still find a way to bring smiles to others through jokes and comic write-ups. There’s a statement that comes to my mind when I think of the times some other countries try to diss the country or(and) her people. And that is, you can’t shame the shameless.

We make fun of ourselves so much that even if you wanted to make fun of us, you can’t cause we’ve washed ourselves down to the last. It’s crazy but it’s true. I watched a documentary in 2020 that described Nigeria as the most optimistic country in the world. It didn’t take me a second to admit how true that statement or statistics was. A country that even in the hardest times we would always find a way to smile.

We’re optimistic of our future and we know how to adapt and thrive in the most disastrous of situations. Perhaps it’s a cause for concern that we so easily adapt. And sometimes it even feels like the reason there is no positive change is because Nigerians are used to adapting to everything. To be too comfortable with whatever the leaders throw at us at whim. That may be true, but I think also that it’s an inbuilt defence mechanism.

With the kind of things we go through as a people every day, if we didn’t make jokes about it or if for any reason we became too serious, we’d lose our minds in a week and I mean this in the most literal sense of the word. I’m super grateful to my people that we choose to smile every day. That we choose to be grateful in the worst of times. So you’d hear us say things like, It didn’t go well o. But we go again. Meaning that while we are aware that things didn’t quite pan out as we planned, we’re positive that next time would be better and that’s enough to make us wipe out tears and spur on.

That’s my biggest gratitude concerning Nigeria. That we have the most optimistic Citizens any country could ever wish for. I hope this year will give us as a people a reason to genuinely smile. But even if it doesn’t, we go again!

Jhymi🖤

_{Image is mine.}