Saturday 5 January 2008

I'll do it Tomorrow.


22-FEBRUARY-2007

PROCRASTINATE:
1. English word
2. A verb
3. An affliction

Growing up, I always found newspapers boring. For one thing, the tiny print was such a huge turn-off, mostly politics and big grammar. I just went straight to the cartoons, beauty/fashion tips or tidbits of juicy celebrity gossip.

For some reason I'll never really know, I decided to start reading a certain column in Vanguard newspaper- "SKETCHES" written by Aig-Imoukhuede - instead of just flipping past the page in a crazed haste to get to my beloved cartoons as I usually did.

Mr Aig-Imoukhuede's column in Vanguard was weekly (Wednesdays) and it was just simply lovely, he had such a way with words, his style was satirical, his attitude very humorous and witty. He simply picked day-to-day issues involving him and/or the situation in
Nigeria or the world and just captured them in black and white in a way that made you feel you were standing right beside him when they happened.

You could just tell he'd had an interesting life. Some times, you even wished he was your Uncle or Father just so you could listen his stories one-on-one.

So I finally started enjoying newspapers, not just the funnies but every other part especially columns. My favourite still remained "SKETCHES". In fact, I started cutting out the page religiously each Wednesday and placed them all together in a file.

One Wednesday, after I'd read yet another of his amazing write-ups, I'd had a good laugh as usual and decided I was going to write Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede a letter telling him how much I loved and enjoyed reading his column and how much of an inspiration he was to me. I actually went as far as writing out the postal address of Vanguard newspaper on a piece of paper, but alas, that was about as far as I went regarding sending that letter.

For the next 4 years, I kept postponing the act of writing and sending that letter. I found out today that he died a month ago at age 75 and I wept.

*I wept for the letter that was never written.

*I wept for the letter that never got sent.

*I wept for the letter that can NEVER be sent ever again (Death doesn't EVER give you second chances).

*I wept cos now I'll never know what his response would have been, I'm so certain he'd have replied.

*I wept cos I'll miss him; I never met him, but it felt like I had.

*I wept for myself; for all the things I said I'll do but NEVER did year after year.

*I wept for all the time wasted and lost for ever just because I kept procrastinating, telling myself over and over again "I'll do it tomorrow"

Tomorrow always seems so distant but eventually it becomes Today and fades away as Yesterday...

6 comments:

Ms. Catwalq said...

I procrastinated doing a project and now my laptop won't start.
I have wept because once again, because I procrastinated I have messed up my own plans....

Atutupoyoyo said...

You can always tell straight away when you are going to enjoy someone's writing!

Vanguard sketches were the birth place of Captain Africa amongst others great cartoons. I never missed a strip in about five years. Like you I also collected those things in a little scrapbook which, like so many childhood mementoes, has long since been discarded.

Procrastination is a bitch and will be the subject of a future post. Will most certainly be back

RIP Aig-Imoukhuede

Waffarian said...

His words live on, even though he is gone. You could still write to his family, I am sure it would be some sort of consolation to them....

I used to read newspapers alot too as a child, and I had a favorite too in Daily times I think... Like you, I never got to tell him how much I enjoyed his columns and now, I can not even remember his name.

rethots said...

...the gods of procrastination. A lesson is learnt, at that moment, do it...at the risk of not knowing what the outcome will be. But, a happy person you'll be for having done it.

The consolation is you identified a great writer, you were with him in his writing.

@ waffarian, it ain't the same thing. Telling your crush's siblings your loved their....after the person's gone. Comm'n.

Bubétos said...

Procrastination is the thief of time. I have just been asking myself where January went...So many plans, so little time..but the time I have ..I don't use well..What a vicious cycle! This year has got to be different cos I choose to be different.

dareosikoya said...

All is not lost. You can still make it up by writing one of his daughters. Her name is Mrs Yinka Osikoya. Her e-mail is omua299@gmail.com. This should do for now.