The year started on a very slow note for me. By January, i was still a serving Corps member in Kaduna. I didn't travel for the Christmas/New year Holidays, so i was stuck all by myself in far away Kaduna, at the mercy of a biting chilly cold more popularly known as Harmattan.
By Now, i was already a member of the Abengowe family, who travelled and left their Kaduna residence to my care. That Family was really warm and welcoming. God Bless them for me
I wont forget my Brother and partner in crime, Peter. I met Peter in Kaduna, a young man, vibrant, lively and a year younger than i was. Peter was a good rapper and had the energy and zeal to engage in whatever was fun, whatever was interesting, whatever we could think of or propose. I recall, Peter and I going job hunting together, it was during one such occasion that we landed in a place where we were told to switch our Phones off after which we got a violent lecture on either joining the networking business or dying poor like our grandfathers. Choi, na so one random guy for Kaduna just dey yarn dust for my ear, a whole Unilag graduate and serving corps member like me. We left that place angry, quiet and sober. I don't think shame allowed us to ever share that experience with a third party.
I won't forget to mention the Soldout Family. Pastor Justice, Peace, Peter, Paul and everyone else who made the soldout experience a wow experience.
By April, my service year was over and i carried my Kaya back to Abuja, to the welcoming arms of my lovely Cousin Da Nke. Da Nke is my big cousin, young, mother of four, a loving wife and the center point of the whole extended family, i have never seen anyone as selfless and caring as her. Her caring arms extends far beyond the reaches of her immediate family to include distant relations and relatives. It was She who proposed that i consider attending an advert school in Lagos, it was She who paid the expensive tuition and in that one fell swoop, redirected or rather directed my Life towards my present career path. Boy o boy, I turned out to love advertising like Kilode.
A special mention to my tall Cousin, Ona who together with his lovely wife harboured me for a better part of my stay in Abuja. on more than one occasion, i came back home by midnight to wake them up with my guilty conscience and an inner satisfaction from having hung out with my friends till that late. This couple never complained, they never bothered and i never changed.
The road back home from NYSC and Kaduna eventually terminated in Lagos. Upon my arrival that same week, i enrolled to study advertising at 02 Academy Lagos. This was a life changing, eye opening and epoch making experience.
From the simple yet stylish Marie who was my first 02 contact, to the versatile, patient and charitable Mr Uche. My 02 Academy experience should be the best part of my year. Meeting smart people, being paired up in teams, being daily drilled to spontaneously come up with ideas that sell, 02 was just a revelation come true.
Mr Ozone, oh, Mr O, the Chief creative officer of 02 Academy, an advertising veteran, a career and spiritual mentor. Mr Ozone will come to the Academy from work everyday, drill us, teach us and motivate us through the nitty-gritties of advertising.
The Four months i spent at 02 Academy wasn't a waste of time at all. Two weeks after graduating from 02 Academy, i got an opportunity to attend an interview at a fast growing startup digital agency in Lagos. The interview turned out to be a chat, you know nothing is really official in the Advert world. That same day, i got an opportunity to serve a three month internship at TISV Digital.
TISV Digital turned out to be the next best thing that happened in my year. Timmy, the founder and creative director of TISV would unarguably rank among my top 5 men of the year. This super talented dude has the patience of a snail and the vision of an Eagle. He doesn't mind painstakingly taking you through the ropes of whatever it is you need to learn, In less than a year he has succeeded in gathering a team of highly motivated staff whom he'd rather refer to as friends. whatever i say here about Timmy would still not do justice to his person, I may have to devote a whole book to lauding his virtues, yes! he's bad like that.
Tolani, the engine room of TISV is one helluva individual too. She and Timmy co-interviewed me, and from that very first day, i took to liking her. Tolani is a handful and jara. She's Fun, non-easy going, troublesome, rational, kind and humane. She is just one of those few people who have struck a balance between work and play, being serious and jovial, naughtiness and maturity. Don't worry, I'd devote about three pages of Timmy's book to Tolani, that way you get to know all you want about her.
To my crazy colleagues Tom, Tayo, Tolu, Dullapo, Lara, Kay, Kuku, Pam, Kola you guys have been an awesome part of my year. To Pam, i had to devote a whole sentence to you as a mark of my appreciation for your immense beauty and computer scientist brains.
Hahaha, Mr Olisah, you are not forgotten. I can still recall my first day of resumption, Mr Olisah showed me round the office in his ever calm voice and gentle demeanour. Mr Olisah your easygoing attitude, your dedication to work and your infinite energy level are qualities i aspire to but may never attain. Mr Olisah, your loyalty to that Woman who sells fried yam & potatoes is rare, loyal people like you are hard to find. I'd devote two paragraphs on the preface of that Timmy's book to extolling your other virtues.
To my magic wand who took me to the extremes of forbearance and patience, who taught me how to hang on when all hope was obviously lost, who gave me sleepless nights & brought me untold trauma, who made an illusion so real that i wholeheartedly believed it. I duff my heart for you. May you also find love in a hopeless place.
To Paul, Dami & Seun, you guys have been regular features in my life over the past few years. I won't make vain your immense sacrifices by attempting to explain them in details, but you guys mean a lot to me.
Seun Thanks for that expensive Christmas gift, that was my one month pay when converted to Naira.
To Aisha, thanks for offering such a warm friendship that it turned eyes, caused stares and aroused questions.
Ochuko came from the blues and got a spot on this piece within two weeks. you're an amazing person, smart, intelligent and cheerful. You are the perfect Christmas gift.
To Davella, you've been amazing all year.
A special shoutout to the 02 Class of March 2016, you guys are probably the most creative genuises on earth.
Abeg my hand is paining me already, so for people like Assatta, Biebie, Mayor 1, AY, Pomary, Amaa, Ifeanyi, Mary and a host of others whose name weren't mentioned, its not because i don't care, its just that fatigue has set in and now i must stop.
I can see my Family members wondering where their names are, my Mum, Dad and sisters, I dey hail una o. God bless for the prayers, plays and fights.
Finally and most importantly, i'm eternally grateful to Baba God for his loving kindness, immense grace and infinite mercies.
Happy New Year All.
Bye.
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