New Dawn!!

What is it about new beginnings we all seem to have difficulties coping with? Perhaps it’s the fore knowledge of its impending failure, inherent in all of us! The knowledge not the failure I mean. We all seem to come across these "new beginnings" stages in our lives, and in some cases, cope quite well with it. New school, new job, new relationship? For me, I'm not so sure. There's been the New Year and its typical resolutions....Oh I’ll loose weight (or gain some as in my case), take things easy, be more focused and loads more tripe! I remember when I was moving over to the UK for uni, I was filled with excitement and expectation...pretty much the same way a child would before his/her birthday. I'd laid out all my plans, detailed all the things I’d do in the first year....see jemiroquai and/or the cranberries play live, travel to Prague for the summer, etc. Now at my computer a year later, I feel rotten that I didn't do those things. That's not to say that I didn't try to, but somehow, it.... well we all know how these things work out!
This New Year marked new beginnings for all around me in some way or the other. For best mate Eniola (I’ve know her for over twenty years), new plans, new goals...and the best part is she has started carrying them out already...bugger! For funny girlfriend keji (not her real name), a definite focus on relocating back to Nigeria this year. I suppose it really doesn't matter where you fulfill them dreams, its just doing it in the first place. Can you blame her? She’s absolutely convinced that there would always be barriers of various shapes and sizes in this country....her accent, her degrees, her passport, the color of her skin? Some could argue that, barriers are only where you place them, an argument that rings true but still remains contestable. Ex mentor of mine, Nigerian TV girl Funmi used to tell me that the bumble bee flew despite the laws of nature prohibiting its flight! Perhaps, but would the story be the same if it had a Nigerian passport in 2006?
Despite all that has been said about this country (United Kingdom), I have learned some valuable lessons, key to success in the future. If you say you can, you will! Key ingredients here include focus and determination. Inspiration could be anything from the rather trivial X factor to the boy with the million dollar page website!
Thirty days after I made up my mind to be focused and determined in my goals for the year (including gaining weight); I’ve just woken up to realize that I’ve not started! Bad news is that I’m slightly behind schedule on my plans; good news is I’ve woken up to actualize my “reality”! With good grades and planned holidays on the cards, I can't go wrong if I stay on track, no?
P.s On a pleasant note, Africa welcomed brilliant new beginnings by electing its first female President, Ellen Johnson...you go Liberia!!!!!