Hey y'all!!! It's been a minute. I know I promised not to disappear unannounced before, but I was on the verge of doing the same thing again. Thank God I did not go for too long this time. I'll try even harder not to go away next time. Right now, I'd normally try to explain why I was away again, but I don't know if it will serve any purpose. The summary is that I felt tired + overwhelmed + lazy + uninspired. I was also all in my head trying to overdo, and that led to not doing anything at all.
This week’s rant will be short and simple. Honestly this time. And I feel this is one that will count legitimately as a rant. Over the past 2 weeks since I last dropped any content, a few things have happened. I will talk about just two of them and they helped me “remember the time” and reminisce about how things used to be.
My parents got back from Nigeria 2 weeks ago. It was great having them back here after being away for a month and to have a fuller house again. However, it was quite weird. Understanding that they traveled during the pandemic, to a place where all indications made it seem as if there was no virus attacking the rest of the world, I was quite worried for them throughout their daily movements in Nigeria. Needless to say all the things that I was worried about. What made their return unusual was the fact that as I picked them up at the airport, I was afraid to give them a hug. Knowing that they would be subjected to 2 weeks of quarantine in the same house as me, I was paranoid that the “feds” might be monitoring who picked up whom from the airport and whether there was any close contact between them, among other possibilities. Let’s just say I was overthinking the entire ride home.
Things did not get easier on me when we got home. This was because I had to watch my own movements so as not to be in the same vicinity as them. The instruction from the government was that travellers had to be in their rooms alone and avoid common spaces in the home. This was not convenient for me because we’re a very open family and we love to discuss together. Moreover, I had to see what goodies they brought back here and I knew I wouldn’t do that wearing mask while screaming from downstairs just so they could hear me. I eventually decided to be in self-induced quarantine with them for the first week. Even then, I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind. Smh. What COVID turned us to. Thank God they’re good though. Everything is back to normal now.
Now, to the 2nd occasion that made me remember the time. January 28 was my birthday. Although I never got to celebrate my birthdays when I was growing up, my birthdays meant a lot to me on a personal level. While I’m still not a fan of celebrating it, the day never goes by just like that. I have to treat myself with something. Two things that I never miss are preparing my outfits for the day and getting a birthday haircut. There was a year when I planned my birthday outfit 6 months in advance and another when I planned it a year ahead. I would brainstorm and come up with what I thought I’d like to wear. Or I’d randomly find something in the store and think about how good it would be for my birthday. There was also one time when I had to get 2 haircuts at different barbershops the night before my birthday, because I was not satisfied with what one barber did to my hair. To treat myself, I could go out for breakfast or brunch at an upscale place, buy myself a nice watch, or rent a luxury car for the weekend. There was always something. Some of my indulgences are in the collage below.
The last birthday that I celebrated properly was in 2020 and it was the grandest with respect to the planning and execution…all of which I had nothing to do with. I just had to show up, and everything was perfect. We had no idea what was to come in the following weeks. Since that gathering, I saw too many people who had to celebrate their birthdays in the simplest ways possible.
As my birthday was approaching this year, I already knew I would not be able to do anything elaborate. Apart from the quarantine, we were on a province-wide curfew and businesses were shut down (they still are 😦 ). This meant that I could not plan any outfits and, even worse, I could not get a haircut. As I couldn’t do that, I refused any suggestions that required me to take any pictures on that day. I just couldn’t do it, knowing that things could be better.
As I bring my rant to a close, do not let the tone fool you. My rant this week is not out of ungratefulness. Quite the opposite, actually. I am grateful to be in good health; I am grateful that my loved ones are also in great health. I’m always happy on my birthday, even if I don’t do much. The fact that I could not take and display my “customary birthday picture” did not dampen my joy in any way; it just felt good to remember the good times pre-pandemic.
One thing that’s certain is that, if all else fails, Mama always comes through with the set table. That single act is one thing I look forward to every year. Whether outside is opened or closed, the table always get prepared. As long as I have that on my birthday, all is well.
RANTS FROM THE PRIVILEGED SEAT 