Ban
Today, I will officially lift my self-imposed travel ban. I know that it sounds ludicrous but trust me, I needed it. I have consciously tried to avoid travelling in the past, with a few slips here and there but this is the first time I am saying it specifically to myself and telling others (for accountability), that I won’t move an inch out of this local government area until January is over.
Here are a few lessons being static has taught me.
First, you’re not exactly static, just experiencing a different kind of motion. If you always had linear motion, on a straight line from point A to point B, you’ll experience a random motion in a confined space at the most exciting. You’re either moving back and forth or in the successions of routines. Which are great for restoring normalcy to a chaotic mind like mine.
You find out that you have more time on your hands but then again, what you do with the time can make it seem like a blessing or a burden. You can sleep, text all day, binge on shows and books, learn, think, create, feel bad about your life, work, pretend to work, feel worthless, feel useful — a very vast spectrum of emotions I tell you.
You reconnect with the person you were the last time you were fixed in the said location.
You’ll find new problems to solve and the old ones you were avoiding will resurface. They will sing Bandana’s hook to you like Asake and his golden teeth.
If you stick around long enough, you’ll find those weaknesses in yourself that are not so evident when you’re on the road and ‘busy’. Yeah, being in one place calls for a lot of introspection.
You’ll find new ways to contribute to the world around you. A typical example is how I never imagined that I will spend my Saturday afternoon -especially today- administering first aid and trying to resuscitate my Dad’s newly hatched batch of about ten chicks who suffered a heatstroke. Please don’t get me started on this topic.
You’ll rekindle old friendships. You’ll also be confronted by those you’ve lost. Grief will assail you. At the same time, you will be full of gratitude for what you have here and now.
By now, I believe you get the gist. So I was to put this out on the 31st since my ban was lifted on that day, but I have been like a pendulum this past week. Oscillating between certainty and uncertainty. But this isn’t new terrain for me so I trust that I’ll be fine.
I hope you get something that resonates with you from my lessons. And yes, feel free to ask about the chicks.
Lastly, Christians like myself believe in the spiritual discipline of fasting. And even though many people often times only fast from food, I find it restoring to fast from other things as well — shows, travelling, social media, work (even though this is usually done like a sabbath or rest). Have you ever deprived yourself of something you truly enjoy for spiritual or mental dedication? Let me know how that went for you.✨
