A trip from reality…

I stumbled upon an old stuff i had written a while back. I loved it then. Still do. Of course , some facts must have changed but i guess the message remains nonetheless.Here's for your reading pleasure.

A trip from reality…

I was lying on my bed, doing stuff when my 8 yr. old cousin walked in and literally fell in beside me. After moments of silence where I practically ignored her, the words came out, “I wish my life were high school musical.” Alright, she totally got my attention. I looked at her for a while, and then I started laughing. Where did that come from?

Okay, she’d just had tons of minutes of Disney channel and was obviously reeling from the fact that her life could be so dull, drab and uninteresting compared to theirs. I mean, Hannah Montana, Cheetah girls, High school musical, Cody and Tory, Jonas brothers…hello?

How does that compare with her having to wear not so funky uniforms to school, hang out with guys who aren’t half as fun, do boring arithmetic and spelling, and to top it, eat amala and ewedu for dinner? Where were the pretty clothes, infinite chocolate and ice cream, cute boy band with their crazy guitars? In her child’s eye, her life was dour.

And so I counseled her the way I knew best. The way her dad counsels her mum when he finds her on African magic and E! “This stuff isn’t real. It’s just a world of fantasy.” Yeah right.

My little cousin may be dismissed for her adventurous imagination but come to think of it, quite a number of us will plead guilty as charged to such indulgences. How about those vacations to wisteria lane with the desperate housewives? Perhaps it will help to know that Eva Longoria (Gabrielle Solis) was paid $30,000 per episode in season one which jumped to $250,000 per episode in season two.

Want to make a guess as to her earnings today? Her total assets gross $9 million, which include an upscale Mexican restaurant, BESO in LA with plans to expand, plus endorsement deals from L’Oreal, and Chris aire.

This happens while we sit all day, our minds churning a thousand reasons why we can’t start that business, get that capital, launch that career, take that step; and not a single reason why we should get up and get going. We’d rather be lost in the fantasies of “I wish …’ and “What ifs”.

Besides, the hours we spend gushing oohs and aahs over red carpet designer dresses, power couples and gossip won’t do us much good. Still trying to deduce how Angelina Jolie prised Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston? (Not to mention how smart and lucky you think she is.) You probably have forgotten that the couple work hard, birthing babies and making serious money. We get so involved with other people’s lives, our ideas, proposals, and intended projects sit a top our shelves gathering dust.

Our men imagine they love the premiership more than the English themselves. The fact that they don’t get to smell the million dollar cheque these players collect or that the name C. Ronaldo or John Terry bears no correlation with their housekeeping allowance, doesn’t seem to erode the euphoria this fantasy presents.
The next time you get excited over D’banj’s album, remember that the kokomaster has got endorsement deals from virgin colours, Globacom, Chris Aire jewelers/ time pieces, established the koko foundation, been named the ambassador for youths, and now, moved over to the koko mansion. Don’t get me started on Beyoncé, on her money, music and her man. Just keep shouting to all the single ladies, wishing you were a boy!

So while we are quick to have a good laugh at my little cousin, let’s remember that regardless of the realities of getting and keeping a job, settling bills, pursuing a career, and family responsibilities, fantasies exist on several levels.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft when asked about his incredible success, couldn’t have said it better “Unlike television, real people have to leave the coffee shop and go to work.” Noted, sir!