Hear me out. I know reading ‘Move’ in a time such as this, would almost have you rolling your eyes to the back of your skull before discarding my line of thoughts into some bin labelled “okoto meow meow skrr” (some slang that means trash).
Like I mentioned, hear me out.
Currently, you may feel physically stuck. Plans to celebrate your Aries birthday, eat out, travel solo or with bae – all scathed by some wildfire. Even unplanned moves as: fighting a bus conductor for change; getting billed heavy by your mechanic; random hangs; and other ‘guess what happened to me today’ stories are suddenly on commercial break, thanks to this fire. However, despite being and feeling physically stuck, your mind stays relentless; gallantly taking all the borderless trips on your behalf and roaming unbilled through times past, the present and even the future.
Maybe I am assuming too much. Maybe your mind is currently observing the two weeks break that keeps renewing itself; Or perhaps, it has frozen like the days of the week that don’t count anymore.
Trust me, I know the mind can feel frozen, when it goes numb. Been there. You start to sense a disconnect and are oblivious to what’s happening around you. Yet, with how numb you may feel, your mind stays functioning. It even functions so well, you feel Nudges traveling through vessels under your skin, whispering or screaming “It’s Time to Move”.
THE WHISPERING NUDGE
When the Whispering Nudge comes, it caresses you like the sweet breeze blowing over your skin after a midnight downpour. You can feel your pores on alert. Hair follicles at attention. Both begging that you spare some seconds of your sweet sleep to drag that feet-pressed duvet over yourself. But how dare you interrupt this beautiful dream…
It’s a quick stop in Nice, France, for some gelato (Don’t eat in your dream oh, ehen). You decide to walk down the Promenade des Anglais before catching your next flight. On your way to the airport, some top professionals in your field hurdle up to you. “Can you kindly make a stopover at our on-going creative festival to give a speech?” one asked, still trying to catch his breath. You immediately remember them trying to book you earlier but you had to decline because of your jam-packed schedule. This time is, however, different;their offer- even juicier. With just few minutes of your time, your ready-made stellar speech starts replaying in your mind. The speech usually comes from your already published books. Something they might have even read, but how beautiful is verbatim from an author! Then, you head for the kill by sprinkling it with “don’t think inside or outside a box. Think like there’s no box” (Gbam! The ‘Aspire to perspire’ ministry is moving). Afterwards, when flight-delaying questions from fans are thrown at you, you throw them back with ‘What do you think?’ and make your exit. Haha! This is better than looted money.
Abeg just keep dreaming jare, who cover-cloth abi duvet epp? Enjoy the dream, the caressing breeze, and catch a flu with your chest when dawn comes.
THE SCREAMING NUDGE
“IT’S TIME TO MOVEEEEEEEE!”
Letters in Caps? Enunciated word? The exclamation mark? It’s definitely the Screaming Nudge. This one has teeth in your skin. You feel the sharpness. It’s like when a pregnant woman’s water breaks and there’s no need telling that it is time to move; Whether you feel up to it or not, you must. In moments as this, your senses are sharpened like Bella’s in Breaking Dawn. Remember the scene where she used red lipstick and thought she was a vampire? (Well, that’s the narrative I have chosen to stick with) Low-key, that scene would bang as some interesting lipstick brand Advertising.
Clearly, it’s no longer the caressing Nudge teasing you with sexy amber light. It’s RED now. Full-on Danger. At this point, you are running helter-skelter in your mind as the lockdown is still on. Navigating how to make your exit and where to go next.
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According to some Research, folks of other generations like to make this need to move a “millennial” thing. The patient dog analogy usually bears the brunt of the narrative. Well, about the patient dog, let it be known that there was movement. The young fella was not satisfied with the comforts of his home, so he found his way to the Butcher’s. There, he realised he shouldn’t come this far for nothing, so he waited for the largest chunk of bone.
So I ask, is it a millennial thing when your job drains your spirit? Or you find yourself in a toxic relationship and have become such an emotional wreck? Would it still be a millennial thing when your years of labour are made insignificant because of the corrupt state of leaders and you want out? Or are you just another human, generation aside, who has been nudged that…
… ‘It is Time to Move’.
