More than just a blogging site.
I woke up seriously tired and late this morning. It was a surprise for me since I slept around 9 pm yesterday which, to me, is an early bedtime compared to my usual keeping late nights habit. However after managing to do stuff we all do when we wake up, I checked my read.cash notiifications but was too tired to read or reply to them all so I picked just a few to read. One of the articles I read that inspired me to write this post is that of me of Mr @Olasquare titled **"An Angel in Human Form"** in which he dedicated a poem with words of gratitude to @tired_momma . Before I go on with how Olasquare article relates with the title of my post, I joined this site like five days ago, I have subscribed to many writers here but one thing I am sure to do before subscribing is to do some background check through the profile or the writer, through their articles and see what I can learn about them. If I find out that they share similar interests as me or see that I would enjoy their writings, I subscribe to them. I found out that Mr olasquare is a Nigerian like myself who moved to the UK not long ago . I hadn't known @tired_momma prior to the article but upon checking her profile, I discovered that she's from the Phillipines, although I am not sure if she also lives in the diaspora and man! What awesome articles she writes too! https://read.cash/@Olasquare/angel-in-human-form-adc05f72
The article written by Mr olasquare touched me deeply and made me marvel more at the beauty of human relationships, and how they can be formed and built from anywhere, regardless of the distance as long as it is based on love and honesty. I also imagine that these two people know each other from read.cash, or maybe noise.cash but still, they lived far away from each other, nonetheless they managed to form a good relationship through read.cash. I learnt that tired_momma's child, whom I later learnt to be a girl sent some gifts in form of clothing items and shoes to olasquares beautiful daughter. I saw how happy Ola's daughter was and you could really feel the contagiousness of her smile. I bet Ola would have told her where the gift came from. She seems like a grateful kid😊. I thought to myself "if this beautiful relationship continues, this girl would grow up someday and the two parents may even arrange to meet and if she learns this is the Tia that sent her gifts, that could be the start of another great relationship between the two kids". I found out that Tia herself was a cheerful smart, young beauty upon reading some of Tired_momma's article so they seem to me like they would really get along.
Relationships can be beautiful and rewarding when you do it with the right people. I too hope to meet some awesome people on this platform and build great relationships with them. I have come to know that readcash isn't just a place where you post articles to earn a couple of bucks, but a place that can serve as a foundation for great, rewarding human relationships.
Eso es todo amigos, ¡gracias por leer!
Nana.
Aloe Vera
From my memory of growing up, my family have always had an aloe Vera plant in the house. There was a time we rented this big house with ample land in the backyard one could literally turn into a garden, and that's what we did. We had tomatoes, oranges, paw paw, vegetables and of course, aloe Vera. Its like a signature plant for us. We use it in our household for various reasons: hair washing when mixed with sesame leaf, this is a local way of washing hair which not only makes it longer, but also shinier and softer and of course, cleaner. I still stick with this method because i prefer it to modern shampoos and hair moisturizers. We also use aloe Vera in some occasions for cooking. Luckily for us, the type of aloe Vera which is edible is predominant in my region. We use the succulent part in soups at times, and some times we eat it on its own, no doubt in can be bitter but aloe Vera is very medicinal.
Another thing it is very good for is the skin. I bet you've seem aloe Vera skin care products with their soaps before. I prefer to go natural on it all an mix my skin lotion with some aoe Vera gel I obtain from the plant, it works just fine. I have once made a soap out of it too by mixing pieces of cut soap with aloe Vera then mashing them together, it is a quite difficult process so I don't engage in it often. Sometimes I'd just run it on my face them wash with soap some minutes later, helps alot with pimples, dark spots and acne.
We used to decorate our former houses with tall aloe Vera pots that were up to the height of a small tree at that time, unfortunately whenever we move to a new house my mother always insists that we should leave them in the old house, That we can always plant another. We have only been 8 months, old in our new house but the new aloe Vera plant seems to be doing really well even if I hadn't been putting much effort into growing it. The usually takes care of the watering aspect as I only serve as a regulator to make sure the soil doesn't become water logged due to excess water.
As of now, it is old enough for use. One thing I love about aloe Vera plants is that you don't have to wait so long before using it. As long as they are mature enough and removing a petal or two wouldn't stunt its growth, then you can do so. Also, the younger plants are the best for consumption because they haven't acquired that bitter taste which they acquire much later in life.
I had wished we had a much bigger house so that we could have more aloe Vera, we have very few aloe Vera plants in this one, it's all crammed.
Nana.
Mom won't just let me sleep!
I kept late night yesterday and was up up to the middle of the night, 3:00am. I then slept off after setting my alarm with th intention of waking up at 10:00am, that plan went to the dogs when my mom woke me up with her shoe at exactly 6:00am, which was far from I intended. She went for the show option after yelling out my name several times without getting an answer, like anyone goes to bed at 3:00am and wake up the moment the name is being whispered! She woke me up for a purpose though, I wanted to help her go to the morning Market but of course it was still too early for that. Come on! Market women at 6:00am? What are they morning radio DJs? That's just my mom's way though, she's is a sucker for going to places early before time and wants us to do same, while that's a good thing, who gives an award for "the most punctual market-goer"?
Fast forward to when I got back from my market trip, I still had sleep in my eyes. Those three hours I slept prior weren't enough I had to get some more. I told mom I am going to get some sleep and why I had to get that sleep so that she wouldn't even think of waking me whenever she thinks the need arises, although I am the only child of hers who's in the house, the others will arrive in the afternoon. They had gone to my aunt's house to spend Friday night with the children so all I had to do is pray they come back before my mom needed something do for her.
I shifted the waking alarm to 2:00pm as I came jack from the market around 9am, laid on my bed, drew a blanket over my chin even though I wasn't so cold, and shut my eyes. After like 30 minutes of trying to fall asleep, I found out I had mistaken fatigue for sleepiness. I wasn't sleepy anymore, I was just tired from my trip to the market. Exasperated, I threw of my sheets and head to the bathroom to take a cold shower. I heard my mom call shortly after I got out of the shower to peel some potatoes, gosh African parents are something else! She didn't even ask why I wasn't sleep having told her I wanted to sleep, of course it wouldn't be hard to figure out why someone who told you they wanted to sleep are before you now, of course they clearly are no longer sleepy but you could at least ask!
We prepared porridge while talking about boring stuff. I had no vibe for proper conversations, even though my eyes refused to close my mind was still very sleepy. We finished quite on time as it was potato porridge instead of yam porridge which was the Saturday morning usual. I served mine, went to my room and sat on my bed, just then my phone rang and it turned out to be a caller who had the wrong number, thankfully he wasn't the annoying type who insist they have the right number despite you telling them it's wrong. I didn't know how it happened but after that call, I drifted into a long sleep, perhaps the heat I was exposed to in the kitchen evaporated my sweat making my body cooler to feel sleepy again. I am typing this article just after waking up, with my potato porridge still beside me, though now cold. I am going to eat it that way anyway!
Society is a Cage
Human beings, like a computer, are programmed, bu unlike a computer, the programming isn't usually done by one person. It is done by a group of people known as society. As we grow up as children, our body develops and so does our brain. The extent at which our mental capacity develops is largely influenced by the society we live in, the more evolved it is, the more mentally evolved we're likely to be. Still, there are always limitations to that ach and every society we find ourselves in, be it out birthplace or a place we migrate to, no matter how evolved or backwards that society might be. If you look well, the things viewed as normal or abnormal in society have been that way for a long period of time, otherwise they wouldn't have those labels on them. Societal constructs have always been there for only God knows how long, and they're certain labels that define them.
While values of society plays a major role in helping us understand more about ourselves, where we fit in, how to interact, and how to carry on with other life activities, these supposed values can also place some heavy limitations to those trying to see past them. As we grow older, some of us see things that are terribly wrong with society, things we haven't questioned before, that we wonder how no one else had seen it before us, or perhaps they have, they have just decided to ignore it because society wouldn't agree with them anyways. We begin to question those things we were taught while growing up, things we were made to see as either good or evil, things that could mean and entirely different thing when viewed from a whole new perspective.
Are you a person who, despite having these thoughts, still have doubts or think there is something wrong with you because the society in which you live in does not welcome them? Perhaps you're worried how weird you'll sound when you decide to voice out your thoughts to others or concerned about them laughing at you or calling you crazy? If you're that type of person, then........... we're friends, or maybe just similar.
There are things I question. Things I know sound crazy, there are even those that could literally get me into trouble if I am to voice them to someone where I live. I tried once but my suspicions were confirmed when the person I thought would listen to me thought I was crazy, ever since then I have learnt to keep my thoughts to myself, they don't do me any good really, but I can't just shut them out. From the way I write, one can tell that I have difficulty expressing myself and my thoughts, so that's quite another reason for me to keep my mouth shut!
My final word is, do not let society dictate your life. You can grow up in a society and still clem to outgrow the society. Like I said, a human being is like a computer, but be sure that you're the one programming yourself, or rather let the things you see program you, not society.
Nana
If you can't do these things, please do not own a pet.
People watch some cute video about an adorable cat or dog an its owner and enjoy it so much they get an idea of actually owning one without the knowledge of the amount I work that has to go in sometimes just to take care of a pet. Animal pets can be wonderful creatures when you take great care of them, you could also end up regretting why you ever had them in the first place if you're careless and negligent to their needs. There are factors that need to be considered before making a decision to own a pet. Below are some of them:
1. Food availability: Now while this might seem like a non-issue to those who have the idea of having a pet someday, especially those who are willing to adopt cats and dogs. You don't just give them anything you eat especially when you acquire a pet from a young age, like weeks or a few month old. You can't seperate them from their mothers and end up treating them like humans by giving them the same food you eat. If you don't have the means to provide them with animal food on a regular basis, please don't acquire one for now. I once read a funny story about a dude that got a dog after acquiring some money, now him and the dog are roaming the streets looking for food together.
**Image Source** https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/my-dog-wont-eat/
2. Emotional availability: Like humans, animal pets have emotions too. They get sad, mad and some even cry a bit. Be attentive to not only your pet's nutritional needs but also its emotional needs. Animals rarely have mood swings from my own experience, if they show signs of not being comfortable, it could be a sign of an illness or something else. Cuddle with them from time to time. Pat their head and rub their fur. Play with them. If you do this, they will grow to love you more and can return the emotional support too. Remember that most of these pets are seperated from their kind just to serve you as a pet, do not deprive them or your constant attention. Again, if you can't do this, I suggest you don't have a pet.
**Image Source** https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-behavior-and-training/do-cats-have-feelings/
3. Hygiene: This is a serious thing to consider when it comes to owning a pet. I see stray cats and dogs with gutter marks on they bodies, walking in groups on the streets. Some of these dogs even have serious wounds inflicted on them by boys throwing objects at them, these stray animals are mostly unhygieneic and would eat anything just to survive, even dung but nobody cares, why? It is because no one owns them.
**Image Source** https://www.womansworld.com/gallery/animals/cats-in-baths-165678
**The moment** you made the decision to own a pet, you have to ensure that it is always clean and hygienic. If it is a pet that isn't aquaphobic or is affected by water in anyway, do bath it at least twice a week. Remember that some animals in general, regardless of whether or not they are pets, carry diseases in them. Ensuring they are always clean not only improves their well-being but also yours.
Nana.
Do you now hate the word "narcissism" as much as I do?
A word that's been tossed left, right and center whether by people who know nothing about the word, or those who have limited knowledge of word, like those people who follow who prefer to get their knowledge from social media spaces rather than picking up a book and read, that word is the word "Narcissism narcissist, narcissistic". It might sound weird but over time, I have come to loathe that word seriously as many people who use it in a conversation have little to no idea what it really means. Nowadays, even a little trait of self absorption is called narcissism, people with heightened self confidence are called narcissists .People who just like looking good for themselves and like a bit of attention are called narcissists, even thought the desire of being the center of attention is a trait of narcissists, you can't judge by that one thing. The thing is, we all have narcicisstic traits within us but only those who are on the extreme spectrum can be labeled narcissists. In relationships? That's probably the worst! While all forms of abuse are strictly unhealthy in a relationship, not all abusive partners are narcissists. I have read a couple of stories on Quora in spaces that discuss issues like this but the funny thing is that some of these stories and the details given by the writer of a supposedly narcissistic partner have really nothing to do with narcissism, it's either the person is withholding some details or they don't outright know what narcissism means.
**Unpopular truth: Narcissism isn't always bad.**
While the negative forms of narcissism can have devastating effects on the victim, not all forms of narcicissism are bad. The problem isn't the narcissism but the abuse. There's a form of narcissism known as autonomous narcissism that can can be of benefit to the bearer. They can become more productive, ambitious, resilient and even caring, a word we believed does not exist in a narcissist's vocabulary. When we begin tossing the word around to deserving and undeserving circumstances, we are turning and otherwise very serious situation into something trivial, this is a form of insult to those people who have really been victims of true narcissistic abuse.
I can say that even the conventional definition of narcissism doesn't do the word much justice. Unless diagnosed by a specialist in the field or unless thus said person exhibit very obvious signs of being a narcissist, it is not right to call a person that. It's like comparing a cigarette seller to a cocaine dealer. We all agree that's far from fair.
The topic of narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a very broad one and I have no intentions of going into details about what it means, I mean, with the way it's been carried about this days, even a five year old has the slightest hint of what it means. Still there's more to it. If it is the feel of the pronunciation of the word coming out of your mouth is the reason you use it all too often, pick up a good book about it so that you can pronounce it for as much as you can while also acquiring more knowledge about it in the process!
Eso es todo amigos, ¡gracias por leer!
Nana.
Lead Image:Unsplash.com
Binge clicking threw me on here : Introdroductory post to read.cash.
Surfing through the internet takes most of my time these days. Binge watching YouTube and Facebook shorts, randomly typing in search terms and clicking one link after another, consuming useful, bizarre, and useless information all in a mix has been a habit for the past month, that's definitely what happens when you have too much data to burn and time to waste. I came across the name of this site on such activities, didn't seem interesting at first but on taking a close look, it looked appealing. My curiosity took a hold of me and I set to explore. I have read about three dozen articles since I joined six to seven hours a go and I must say, there's a lot of useful information here as well as life experiences I can learn from. I decided, "hey, scratch it. This could be more productive than binge watching videos you can't even remember what it is they are about after an hour of watching them" so I joined and here we are!
My name is Nana Firdaus but you can call me Nana. I am a young lady from Nigeria and I am officially a member of read.cash now so let me better let you in on the weirdities of your new friend here... I am a teen who's boring as hell but also fun to be with, wondering how that's possible? Well me too... I didn't say it, people did, and the statement not being from one person only made me believe it. They say that's the best way they can explain it. I coined a phrase for that, "subtly charming." I love hanging out with friends but love being alone more, I care about everything that's worth caring about, my friends, family, and myself. I realize quite early in life that my actions, whether positive or negative not only impacts me but also those around me, so I try my possible near to do the right thing at the right time. So people call me weird because of my mode of life, others think I am a little crazy in the head due to my unusual lifestyle, I don't exactly personally disagree with them because I believe we perceive people based on our level of consciousness or perception. I love sharing my insights about life, I love sharing special moments and I believe this site would serve that purpose quite well. I love sharing my insights as much as I love hearing other people's insight. I believe read.cash is a good site for that, judging of course by what I have seen so far.
I look forward to making good friends of similar interests and even those with different interests so we will come to understand one another better with time. Feel free to ask any question and I promise to answer as long as I know the answer. What am I even typing? This is not even an interview so I guess I am going to stop here for now.
If you manage to read up to the end, thank you! ;-)
@Nanaado
