Hi there. I wish I could say that much peace resides
in that greeting of mine. Why? Not that I have
stopped living; but that a lot has happened lately to me. So much..
Let me whisper it to you - there was this little tiff between
my wife and I. Did I say little? Well,
it had to do with one of our two boys;
but I can tell you, it was much deeper than that!
A blog for another day...

One thing is clear: I learned that children are really very
important to women. It was tough while the
tension lasted... But we began to work it out for
our selves. Boy, things could be tough at times!!
Life is not easy; not at all - at any age, but after the hell
I was happy and relieved again. Light was back in my eyes;
we are now closer than ever....
.

Then it happened! My sister died on 28th August, 2010 -
exactly 75 years and 6 days old. A Saturday. I was broken!
I felt like an orphan once again, having lost my mum
when I was only five years old. She filled the vacuum for
over 55 years of my life as my mentor,
friend, counselor, mother and sister rolled into one.
With her death, many links forged and kept have been
broken! Even tenuous ones.

As I write, I feel the vacuum
she left is still beckoning on someone in my family
to come and fill. She was a larger-than-life person - as they say.
Wielded a lot of influence in the area where she lived.
She was a woman leader in one of the wards in Lagos
State. Had 4 children - 2 boys, and 2 girls - all of whom
are making waves in their chosen fields. Her husband is
over 80 years old. But one voice - the voice of her newspaper
vendor still rings in my ears as we took her body to the
church for the funeral service that morning, "So, Mama
dey inside that coffin...?" His voice trailed, as he ignored
a possible customer.

I could go on about this idol of mine for
years, but let me cap this with this poem I wrote for her:

WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, SISTER

Mama Aba, sister, friend'
This is not at all your end!
Big, friend, foe, great or small...
Even in death, you still live...
For your memory will cleave
To the countless lives you touched
In testimonies that breathe
Of things we wish we did!
You were a centre-point,
Incomparable family joint!
My sister...at the trumpet blast,
You'll wake with a joyful start -
Immortal, renewed, deathless,
To eternity, strong, deathless.
Sleep, sister, sleep until then,
While we live in this woeful den!

See you, too soon. Pretty soon.

-Hakeem

Life Moves On..Faster, but...

Hi there,
I have been home, away from work for a while; and have had the
privilege to reflect on a few things....hmnn things
are moving, but I couldn't put my fingers on anything.
Do you sometimes have that vague feeling? Let me know
how. Waiting.

Eyes Open..!

Hi there,

It's been quite a while... been busy, really...and tired..., but life goes on.
Know what? I am convinced that life is all about looking and learning,
and using the knowledge to benefit others!

Yes, you read me right...using the knowledge to benefit others.
Paradoxically, that is the best way to really benefit...

This is what I had committed myself to doing a few years back, but
it all seemed unrewarding... (was I doing it to benefit? I don't really
know, but while it lasted, I really enjoyed seeing people beaming with
smiles...
No, I am not going to recount what I did... Don't like blowing
my trumpets...until I began to get weary of doing this. No payoffs...

Then it happened...

a colleague rescued me from what adversaries planned
to be a disgrace...then one person walked into my life with an offer of
sponsorship to university..!

Currently, a friend is rising stoutly to my defense in a difficult matter...
Yes, the payoffs are rolling in...I don't know for how long, but
I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

And more importantly, I am going to keep my eyes open and learning,
and using the knowledge to improve the lives of others.

Lastline?: keep on doing the good that is good to do... As they say, you
are sowing. The rewards will soon start rolling in. Like I am experiencing....

Added something to your life?...yes, that is the focus of this blog...to add one more
value to your life with each post. See you..

Hakeem

Death on the Prowl - again!

Hi there.

My heart is heavy this day. Three deaths!
The mother of a girl whom I joined in marriage slumped, was rushed
to the hospital. The next day (last Sunday, to be precise), the
mother was dead!

And another: a lady evangelist with whom I had
worked, had gone round to collect the month's collections. She
returned home. Started discussing with her friends. Suddenly,
she complained of tiredness. Slumped, and stopped breathing!
Just like that! Her remains are in the mortuary.

Mortuary!
This is a dread word in my part of the world.... It denotes
demotion, darkness and deletion from all that is good and lovely.

At the hospital, a third was taken in - another friend of mine. She, too,
was hale and hearty, or so we think. Suppose one of these people
got into a brawl or something? I do not know what might happened
if one of them died in that fight? Manslaughter!

Learn not to get into
a fight..you never know. Did you add something to your life?

Catch you...soon.

-Hakeem
plusoneconcepts@ymail.com

New knowledge?

Hi there, PlusOne here again. The last time I tried to post,
everything went awry. And to think I had put in so much.
What went wrong, I can't say, even now! I guess it is
due to my clumsiness with this business of blogging. Will
get better. Do you know that, come to think of it, I added
one more to my knowledge? I have learned from my mistake.
What did I learn? What did I add? Just be plain direct in most
things - including blogging! Thanks for reading this...but think
of that...be plain direct in most things...Hmmnn. See you
-Hakeem

Getting Closer

Hi again...! Welcome, with all my heart to PlusOne. PlusOne..!

What a name! Keep reading until you see my purpose and mission...

Yes, I was talking about this desire that we all

have to ask, "What is in for me?" Greed! Six years ago

in California, a friend of mine said, "In any business

proposal, always include the interest of the man who is helping

you...put something in it that panders to his most urgent need," he said.

That statement made me sick, given the fact that we were discussing.

End of any business dealing with my friend ever since!

"Devious!, I thought. Many more words came tumbling out of

my righteous head: underhanded,

cunning, subtil, crooked. "Is this what business, so-called, is?"

I pondered. But am I still the same today? I hear your question, but the

answer is unfolding...but I think I have grown

up a little more in six years. Beginning to see the world and its reality

in white, grey and white! Yes, my friend is right. Are you beginning to

get my point (I almost said my moral...) in all these ramblings?

"No? Yes?" as my Pakistani friend would say. We meet again tomorrow..

-Hakeem

Click on this and see what happens: Get the Best..)

No, it will not explode in your face...maybe your finance will...Go ahead..try it

You have a lot to gain....HERE: Get the Best..)

Still on thinking greed!

Hi, there.Yes you read the title right: three days later,

I am still thinking of greed. Why? Simply because

this is the reason for this blog...to make us think of

what we think and do. Greed..! Are you stillthinking?

Isn't it this is the reason you are reading this? To see

what is in it for you? And we keep looking for what is

in it for me, looking again and again...until we get what we want....

Hurrah!! You got it, and you clutch it to your chest...

proudly. With a sense of accomplishment....but soon

this prize loses its shine and novelty....and you go

looking for another, and another. Some call it adventure; some say

it is natural. Didn't the Lord say we should have dominion

over the earth and everything in it? Yes, that is correct.

Just today, something strange happened... What was that?

I will see you in my next post....No, my laptop battery

is not running out today....it is very okay....See you soon.

Cheers.

-Hakeem

Check this out: http://www.theabsolutesecret.com/