I don’t know what it was but I had barely parked my car before I noticed my tire had burst. Maybe the loud sound of music at 5.20am would have given me the opportunity to find out when exactly it happened. But I was too concerned about my 5.30 to 6.30am work out session. In fact, I didn’t bother with my tire until it was time for me to go to work.
My car could hardly move but I was not going to change my tire at the gym. I was going to look for a vulcanizer; and if I didn’t find out, I’d change it at the nearest gas station. But that’s what I eventually did. I could change tires in 5 minutes, tops! But after 30 minutes, I was still struggling to remove the punctured tire. I tell you, it wasn’t the best thing to happen to anyone on a Monday morning. Not after spending 20 minutes under a steam shower. Not after wearing myself a Fiji Old Spice fragrance. Not after tucking myself into a fresh pair of jeans I had never worn since I bought them 12 months ago. My muscles had torn from the strenuous workout from 1 hour before, the dirty jack and spanner were a curse to the fresh morning body I carried. If I didn’t know better, if I wasn’t already used to all these interesting events and occurrences, I would already have cursed the day. Why was it at that same time the rain started?
I wasn’t in the mood at all. I ignored the persistent ring coming from my phone but didn’t ignore the consciousness that for the very first time ever, I needed help changing my tires and no one cared to look my way – not even the station workers. But this short lady saw the opportunity to ask me for help. It took 5 seconds. No, 2 seconds for me to profile her. Her undersized t-shirt exposed a part of her belly, at the same time showing details of her underwear poking out from her blue jeans. Her hair was permed and she didn’t look in any way homeless. But she wanted me to ‘help her’. Somewhere deep inside of me, I must have grumbled about how I also needed help. I had just N500 in my wallet. I needed some change to at least buy some water to wash my soiled hands. Or maybe I would have seen a vulcanizer sooner and then I would have change to give him. I let her go without even muttering a prayer.
“Seye, can you help me upload some files?” Those were the first words Ifeoma said after a good morning! But I was going to have my weekly one-on-ones in a few minutes and I still wasn’t in the mood. So I said a sharp ‘no’. And faced my computer screen.
This evening I walked into my house and saw where I scribbled “the 9 questions” and what struck me was the question “If today were my last day, what would I do differently?”
What I’d do differently:
- I’d put in the back of my mind the full conviction I have about me putting others first especially those who don’t have the opportunities or resources I have access to.
- I would give more than I gave today. It’s more blessed to give than to receive.
- I would have read another chapter of my latest read, The life changing magic of not giving a f**k. Maybe with that I would have said what I really meant to say at my meetings today. Spoke my mind even if it hurt. Why suffer in silence? Right?
If today were your last day what would you do differently?
