YEN BO BIO Agbenyo Yao E.A.R. We drown in a river not by falling in but remaining there in. The tragedy of life is not that we die but that many people reach the point of death only to realize that they had never really lived. Once you’ve cared for none, and lived for none and worked for none and sacrificed for none but self and I, dearly beloved you’ve never lived. Once you fail to try and fail to risk and fail to dare in life, dearly beloved you’ve never lived. The tragedy of life is not that we die but that things die in men while yet they live. Somewhere along the way of life you might feel hurt or disappointed, or scared or even have your heart broken by someone. Do you resign to fate and decide never again to try? Do we say because my mum had not a good marriage and dad and neighbours are always at war with their spouses we shall not venture to marry? Or shall we say because I proposed and she disposed, never again to try? Shall we say because he came with lip and ate and left not buying, never again to sell? Or shall we say because dad had not a school climate of rosy and cosy life, never again to school? Or shall we say because one died in first year “unquized”, never again to school? Or shall we say because we took a course, sat an exam and failed or perhaps had some papers referred, never again to try? Or shall we say because I had a poor grade in a lecturer’s course; never again to take his or her course? Or shall we say because I sat some papers and had it all devils on the cross; we shall not strive to destroy the Ds? Or shall we say because we try to learn an instrument and failed, never to learn to sing or play a flute? Indeed! It is according to the contours of the old ropes that we build new ones, but if an earlier wine tasted sour, is that an excuse never to taste another? Or shall we say because we sponsored ten students to school and they all left the church never again to help our youth? Tell me, shall we say because we voted several times and not had what we wanted, never again to vote? Are there not different weather conditions every time? Bro., are there not times when it is super cold and the blanket pinches as pin and times when the sun burns like fire? Are there not times in life when the weather is fair and cool when we wished it were same all day? Ah! Are there not times when the moon disappears at night, the stars give way and it rains anyway? Are there not times, ladies and gentlemen even in the day when darkness falls? Have we not experienced rain while yet the sun shone as bright? Dearest dear, such and such is life! Why then do we nag and complain and curse and blame God, throwing in the towel, losing hope and calling it quits? To say “kekrereke yen boo bio”x3 when things go wrong, ladies and gentlemen, is a sign of immaturity. Why can’t we still hope in God and trust Him to do as He’s said, trying as many times as we may to change lives rather than resigning to fate and saying “kekrereke men boo bio!” Date composed: wed, 31/10/12