A Movie of My Life

When they make the movie of my life I hope they get somebody with a lot of character to play me, less about their physical beauty but more about their depth of character, somebody empathic and down-to-earth and fun-loving ….. a good human being to play me. I also hope they get a good director who cares about the impact of his work on society and not just the box-office figures, maybe an indie movie director. Someone who will be able to capture the essence of my life; make everyone see how much I’ve overcome (*snicker*) to be someone deserving of a motion picture.

I hope they go in depth about my sexual adventures, my very legendary passionate adventures. I hope they mention I was very good with children, good with the elderly and animals and and and and. …. in fact scratch the animals bit, I can’t stand the nasty buggers! For all I care, all animals are meant to be Man’s lunch, yes including those cuddly kittens! I hope that fabulous director is able to make everyone realize how they underrated me, how they disbelieved and misperceived this living saint and woman of absolute virtue (*snicker*).

To be absolutely honest, if they really made a movie of my life they'd show me going to watch a thousand stupid romantic comedies (and later in life dragging my poor husband along), they’d also show that I read a lot of nothing little novels; how I devoured all those Mills & Boon and Harlequin Romance nonsense in my teenage years and in my early adulthood (present), the wanton sexual scenes in the Jackie Collins and Louise Bagshawe novels, oh those meaningless Chick Lits ….

Everyone will see my mediocrity, how I deserve to be forgotten just like everybody else and how I also actually DO NOT mind at all being forgotten by the masses. I only want to be remembered fondly by those who mattered to me when I lived. I would want them to remember me not because I did anything gigantic or formidable but just cos I lived and I was part of their lives as they were of mine. I wouldn’t deserve any portrayal or depiction; I just want to be left alone living my little very very very little life ………….. and loving it

Anyway, to the real point of this blog entry – should this fantasy movie of my life be made, I have picked my favourite male stars to play the parts of everyone from my holiday flings, to my dad and even my stylist! A girl can but dream, after all…

Boyfriend – Olivier Martinez: I can’t think of anyone better to cuddle up on the sofa and watch arty French films with than dreamy-eyed and buff Olivier Martinez - swoon!

Dad - Bill Murray: Just think – the celebrity friends, the ‘Dad’ jokes that are actually funny, the wads of cash to take you out on a shopping spree, the understanding, ‘You do what makes you happy, dear…’ attitude… The man was in Ghostbusters for crying out loud – what more could you ask for? Dear Bill Murray, will you adopt me?

Brother – Jake Gyllenhaal: He is good-looking but I just don’t fancy him, not at all! This doe-eyed fella seems so caring and considerate and I wouldn’t mind him playing my big bro. He seems to get on real well with his sister Maggie and the crux of all this is that he has the hottest friends ever (helloooo Heath Ledger, Austin Nichols). Please be my brother, Jake!

Teacher – Robert De Niro: Wise, knowledgeable, plenty to stare up at over an exercise book...Annnnnd suddenly geography gets very, very interesting! Picture the scene; me sitting at my desk, head in hand, peering over my text book as he dreamily reads out a passage about convectional rainfall, before I recite – clearly and perfectly – the answer to his question. He smiles, I smile. He turns around to write on the board …. Psssst, he loves black ladies tooo

Boss - Will Smith: I’m thinking circa Fresh Prince days – sliding down banisters, all-day pool parties, DJ sets from Jazzy Jeff at the office Christmas party, abundant good food catered by Labadi beach Hotel in the canteen, generous bonuses for hilarious behaviour (the kind that you can use as a deposit on a Trasaco mansion) and ‘Wear your MC Hammer trousers to work’ days. Sigh…

Holiday Fling/Romance - Jude Law: I am not sure I could hack a long-term relationship with Mr. Smooth himself; I would forever be checking out the nanny and any leggy blonde who walks past, but for kicking back on a white sandy beach with a couple of cocktails and a lovely pair of peepers to stare into for seven days, I reckon he’d be perfect. So long as Icould give him and his brogues back afterwards...

Personal Trainer - Kellan Lutz: Need encouragement to haul yourself to the gym in the morning? Not in myfantasy – Twilight’s Kellan Lutz is ready and waiting outside my door to whip me into tip-top shape before I can say ‘Edward Cullen who?’ No-one, it seems, has pecks like that to check out when you get bored of squats and press ups.

Doctor - George Clooney: “Doctor, Doctor! We can’t find her pulse!” “You mean her heart skipped a beat when I walked in looking positively ravishing in my duck egg blue overalls that show off my pecks and my gorgeous brown eyes?” “Exactly, Doctor.” “Bring me a bin liner – stat. The only way we’re going to revive this patient is if I leave the room or cover myself up.” I probably wouldn’t survive an encounter with dear Georgie….

Husband – Taye Diggs: If it’s possible to get any more jealous of talented American actress, singer and songwriter Idina Menzel, then her super-hot, super-intelligent, super-awesome (need I go on?) husband Taye Taye Diggs has certainly turned me green with envy.

Gay Best friend - Perez Hilton: Everyone likes a good gossip, so who better to knock back the lattes with than the ultimate gossip queen himself, Perez Hilton? He’s as loyal as a Labrador if you’re his friend, but for your enemies? They better watch out – Perez’ sharp tongue, quick wit and ruthless investigation will drag up those guilty secrets faster than you can tweet ‘OMG’.

Uncle - Robert Downey Jr: Coolest uncle ever award goes to? Erm – real life Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, obviously! I don’t think I need to try too hard to sell Robert Downey JR as my favourite fantasy relative…

Granddad - Sean Connery: ... I have moved on from the crush I used to have on him. Not many people can boast being related to James Bond, Robin Hood, Indiana Jones’ dad, and Highlander’s Juan Sanchez. Just think of Christmas…

Friend with Benefits – Hugh Jackman: Hilariously funny, a good listener, great at giving advice…He’s got all the qualities I need in a guy pal. But there is one gigantic, gaping hole of a problem in this symbiotic relationship – he’s also ridculously handsome. I’m not sure I could stick to being ‘just good friends’ with Hughie baby…

Stylist – Andre 3000: There are very few men on this planet that can pull off the type of ensembles Andre gets dolled up in on the red carpet and while I’m not keen on ALL his outfits, I’d love to harness some of that natural style power for my own wardrobe.

Dinner Date - Jack Nicholson: The scintillating conversation, the fascinating snippets of Hollywood gossip, the ever-intriguing behind-the-scenes stories on movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good As It Gets … And I haven’t even mentioned that naughty glint in his eyes and that positively mischievious laugh!. Definitely worth sharing a cheese cake with. Well, some of it anyway...

Colleague - Shia LaBeouf: Aside from the fact he’s great value for money (the best in Hollywood, so I hear), I reckon I could use a quick-thinking, smart, and loyal guy. Gives me something to stare at over the water cooler, anyhow…

Chauffeur - Brad Pitt: What? I said this was my dream movie, and in my dream movie, I’d refuse to be driven anywhere at any time other than by Brad Pitt himself in a limo. I’d be an awesome boss too – take him out for dinner, to the movies, whatever. So long as he drives me to Shoprite and back every Sunday, he may keep his job.

So my loyal readers, which men would you fantasize as featuring in a movie about your lives and also who do you think could play me in my movie? Remember, that someone has to be tall, willowy with curves in the right places, long-haired (natural), super intelligent with a trilling laugh ……… Just like me! Ha!

The Rules of Being Human

I received this from my friend Saviera and thought I'd share with my own additions in bold at the end ;-)....

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around. - Does this imply that reincarnation actually exists? Then next time I really want to come back with Selma Hayek's body and Hilary Clinton's brains.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works." - Hmmmm, don't we all sometimes wished some failures had not ocurred at all? But never lose the lesson!

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson. - Oh for fuck's sake! It's like being made to write "I will never chew gum in class" a hundred times on the blackboard as punishment

5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive there are lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better than "here." When your "there" has become a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here." - True that! Always shifting the goal posts init?

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. - I don't quite agree with this but maybe I just don't get it?

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. - Say that again! We are masters of our own destinies I always say. We should quit blaming ill-luck, 'the system' or someone else when things go wrong.

9. Your answers lie inside you. The answer to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. This will often be forgotten, only to be remembered again.

(Cherie Carter-Scott)

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Mother!

Below is the status I put up on Facebook today:

Ma, on your birthday, I celebrate you being you, my extraordinary mother.
You have made such a difference, created so much good in my life!
I celebrate your smart mothering, your boundless physical and emotional energy; loving me, leading me, supporting me, lifting me when I fall.
On your birthday, Ma, I celebrate the best thing about my life...having you as my mother, a mother like the one I want to be.

I don't want to go on and on about how great she is because well simply put: she is. She is the best mother I could have ever imagined. I tell myself almost every day how lucky my siblings and I are to be borne by her; we are all sooo blessed to have her in our lives.

She loves her family unconditionally. She is and will always be the mom I hope I am when I have my kiddibubs. I have appreciated her more as I have grown older and gotten married myself. I tell you, as a parent your job doesn’t end when your child marries; it just shifts into a whole new gear/dimension in which you need serious tact, mediation and arbitration skills. And my oh my Olivia Ofei has done herself proud in her new role as mother to a young married woman and mother-in-law. She is always there with a kind ear; well she is also able to seriously tell me off when I’m out of line. Thanks to her, I’ve not had to cook any banku even though my husband loves it; freshly cooked banku in a food warmer is transported from Sakumono to Ashalley Botwe on a regular basis. The only fufu that has been pounded in my house was arranged by her when she came over for a few days during the New Year.

I have had a couple of rough moments in the past couple of years and on each occasion, she has come over to stay and take care of me without a word of complaint! She just does this mothering thing so well and makes being a working mother seem so effortless! No wonder I always say that when I grow up I want to be like my Mama, never mind that I’m past 30 years of age. I still don’t think I’m half the woman she was at my age. She was a mother of 4 with 2 stepchildren and a husband who worked out of the country by the time she was 30! I just don’t know how she did it!

She has this knack of getting people (both young and old, in fact more young) to feel comfortable around her. My friends get on marvelously well with her, they think she is a riot and a half but I always say: “well different if she is your mother”. Because, as much as she would laugh and share the latest celeb gossip with me, the next minute, I’m being grounded and slagged off proper for misconduct. You always know where you stand with her; classic case of ‘what you see is what you get’. She never minces her words and always says it like it is. That is one trait I’ve picked up from her; I’d like to think I’m without much pretense; life is soo much simpler like that.

She is also sooo smart; she was the smartest as a child among her siblings of 5. And even now, she still amazes me with her knowledge of current world affairs. Of course it helps that her bedside radio is permanently tuned in to BBC World Service; she sleeps and wakes up to it. She is aware she knows and is usually ready to offer her opinionJ!

I mean how did she do it raising us and how does she still do it now? How can you explain that her 4 kids ranging in age from 30 to 22 call her first for any piece of advice? You will think these will be the times when we are off living our lives and making our own decisions and being all grown-up. She is sooo down-earth, has a naturally enquiring and discerning mind, loves reading and working out puzzles. The best and most appreciated gift to her is never anything expensive and elaborate but a book of crossword puzzles and cheap tabloid celeb-gossip filled magazines. She can tell you where Anjelina Jolie and Bard Pitt holidayed at last summer and whats up in Eastenders! LOL! And she is ever sooo grateful, one thing I love about her! The morning after you give this woman something, she will call you to say thank you. Olivia Ofei (nee Siameh-Mensah) is not just a wonder mother but a decent human being.

So before this entry starts sounding like a tribute to a dead person, in a nutshell, my mother is pretty stinking amazing and I love her soooo much! I look forward to many more years with her and I just can’t wait to see her hanging out with her grandkids! I sooo want my kids to have the privilege of knowing this amazing human being!

The Pros and Cons of Most Exotic Places to Have Sex

For long-term couples not just the married ones, sex can get pretty mundane and seem a bit of a chore after a while. And then doing it in the bathtub, the kitchen counter and on the couch is no longer exciting. We need to get out of the bedroom mentality first of all even if it’s the most obvious choice. In fact, it is the obvious choice for lazy couples! If you have sex before bed, in the bed, and never get out of the bed, then you aren't experiencing all that sex has to offer. Finding new and exciting ways AND places to have sex can help spice things up.

It is still a matter of choice and what might work for one couple may not work for the next. I stumbled upon a blog spelling out the upsides and downsides of some exotic places to have sex. I have added my tuppence plus some tit (no pun intended) bits of my own. I have also indicated with a tick the ones I have tried out and plan to revisit!

Enjoy!

1. On the beach/In the Ocean ✓

Pros: This is a little bit more daring than your own personal pool, but it can be pulled off. Try going to a secluded beach and getting hot in the waves, or even trying the more difficult task of having sex on a raft or floatie or hooked up against a rock.  Good place to clean up afterward. 

Cons/Warning: Everyone else has cleaned up there, too. That’s where fish pee. Crabs. Two words: Vagina sand. Also, beware of bruises if you do it propped up against the rocks as I did.

2. Under a tree ✓

Pros: Fresh air. Romantic. Great place to role-play that werewolf fantasy. 

Cons/Warning: Bird voyeurs. Actual werewolves. 

3. In your childhood bedroom 

Pros: The thrill of getting caught. 

Cons/Warning: Actually getting caught. By the new owners. Who will charge you with trespassing. After they shoot you. 

4. In space 

Pros: You feel skinny because you’re weightless. No one can hear you scream so you can let it rip!

Cons/Warning: The wet-spot is everywhere. 

5. On the kitchen floor 

Pros: I have no idea, but it’s in almost every porno I’ve ever seen so there must be one. 

Cons/Warning: Everything. 

6. On video 

Pros: You will feel like a right porn star (and yes some women do have that secret fantasy!), it’s about having the camera on you that brings out the wanton wench in you! If you are body-confident you can play-back later and see how you can improve. And that tape can work wonders when you are alone with a sex toy.

Cons/Warning: Everyone will see it (Including your mother). And if you become famous, it will be EVERYWHERE!

7. In an active volcano: 

Pros: You’ll both laugh about “how hot this is” and double entendres are fun. 

Cons/Warning: You’ll die painfully.

8. In the Pool ✓

Pros: If you have a pool in your backyard, then you should be using it for more than swimming laps. Pools offer a refreshing place to have sex, and eliminates the need for the dreaded clean-up. And there are more options than you might have guessed - the steps, the hot tub, the ladder and even the diving board! You will feel like you are floating as you bob up and down. And if you do it with others in the pool, the feeling of naughtiness is just wowzah!

Cons/Warning: If you get caught out ….. Don’t try it if there are kids in the pool. And he certainly cannot come cos I’m damn sure his cum will rise to the surface. Gross!!!

9. In a Car ✓

Pros: I know what you're thinking: cramped space, and it's been done before. But don't you remember life as a teenager, parking in your boyfriend or girlfriend's car, making out until it's time to head home? Recapture your youth by having sex in the car.

Cons/Warning: But be careful where you park! I remember doing it in a heavily guarded posh neighbourhood in Tema and 2 policemen tapping on the window to ask why were parked there. Also, mind the gear/shift!

10. In a Field ✓

Pros: If you're lucky enough to live on a large acreage, this will be easier than if you live in the middle of a city. But having sex in a large, open field can really be exciting, especially for those who like to "worry" about being "caught."

Cons/Warning: Watch out for poisonous flora and make sure there aren't any curious animals or insects about. I had the pleasure of doing it on a golf course in the dead of night years ago and for several days after I was forever scratching the mosquito bites on my ass.

11. On An Exercise Machine

Pros: The padded seats on exercise machines and benches are great places for girls to assert their dominance in "bed". It provides the perfect positioning for girl-on-top sex, and gives a more exotic place for sex than the boring old bedroom.

Cons/Warning: Make sure that you are in your own private gym. I don’t recommend a public one – and look out for other equipment that might get in your way; don’t’ mistaken the handle of the cross-trainer for his ****

12. At The Office

Pros: If one partner or the other has a private office at his or her workplace - preferrably with a lock on the door - it might present a "forbidden" place to have sex. Surprise your significant other with lunch at noon - and you for desert.

Cons/Warning: Lock that door and make no sounds! In fact, do it after hours – you don’t want to scamper that promotion opportunity.

How Many?

What's your number? According to a new survey, a third of women aren't honest when it comes to 'fessing up about the number of men that they have slept with. And it is not even just an African thing, European, American; Asian etc women all do it. But why do we do this? And what's the right approach to addressing this touchy subject with your man? Also, can the same be said for the men? And when we lie why do they lie about the numbers?

According to a research reported in the UK newspaper Daily Mail, a third of women are guilty of lying outright when asked how many sexual partners they've had - and of those women, the majority (64%) go for a number that's smaller than the truth. But of course! I can’t think of anyone who would increase that particular number, in fact 64% is damn too low!

I have been honest before and I have also lied about this particular issue and it has always been influenced by who was asking. And if I lied, I’ve always thought it was a teeny white lie and nothing to lose sleep over. Funny thing is I don’t recall ever asking a guy this question; I’ve never really cared. I may ask how many ex-girlfriends they’ve had but never about how many sexual partners they have had. But how come I’ve been asked this by most men I’ve been with or considered being with? Why does it matter so much to men? Why do we even have that conversation? And why do we lie about it?

For some women, going through all of the gory details just seems like a bit TMI (Too Much Information). Some women do what we call ‘lying by omission’. When asked the question, they suddenly suffer from amnesia and give such a vague answer, it’s almost a non-answer. I have been guilty of that. Over the years I have somehow outlined the edited highlights - only the important or long-term relationships rather than the mistakes, 2 months relationships or non-starters; thankfully never a one night stand. We women usually lie about our sexual history because of our fear of rejection; we downplay our sexual history when we are dating someone we like.

Not surprisingly, feeling I had to lie to some wanna-be boyfriend or suitor is a red-flag for me. It tells me I can’t be with you if I feel you can’t accept me for what I am, warts and all. I have learned that nothing has come out of the liaisons I’ve had with the guys I’ve lied to but on the occasions I’ve been up front and honest, it has made me feel closer to the guy. It is my view that if you're with a man who can't respect the way you've decided to manage your sex life, he's probably not worth your time. I am myself from the minute all is bared out and of course it helps if he is also honest and accepts and appreciates the truth. It has been easier for me not because I’ve not had many ex sexual partners but because I naturally gravitate towards men who are free-thinkers like me and don’t make a big deal of the past. Though, I must add that my number is not that huge considering my age and how long I've been having sex (13 years). Well this is the argument I use to console myself! Hahahaaaaa.

But other women may not be lucky in finding men who are not critical and hence not every woman might want to be as open. Ultimately, as with the other aspects of one’s love life, disclosing your number - or not - comes down to personal choice but so many women gravitate towards bending the truth. Why we do have to downplay our sexual prowess? I think that if women lie then it perpetuates the myth that women are less interested in sex than men, and that women should have fewer sexual partners.

Most of you guys will admit that you feel better deep inside knowing that your girl has not ‘been’ with too many other men before you; to put it crudely, she has not got that high a mileage! :-) But why should it matter??? It makes things sooo tough for women. We make mistakes and we try to move on and try and minimize the impact of those mistakes on the rest of our lives. I don’t think us women want to lie but both men and women feel free to judge your choices in the way they'd never do with a man. In the face of that, and all the double standards, who can blame a girl for managing her PR?' In fact, I know some people who will need a whole team of people to manage their PR for sure! Mileage be what! But what the heck! Why should it matter I ask again!?

So, What do you think? Is honesty the best policy, or is this an area of your personal life where you think it's fine to stretch (or shrink) the truth?

I am Celebrating ……. are you?

I had an ‘ahah’ moment in the shower some months ago as I indulged in my increasingly numerous moments of ‘self-pity’; it hit me that gosh my life could so much more worse off than it actually is. It’s taken me quite some time to get to this realisation.

When it all seems bleak and you struggle to find a meaning to it all; how difficult will it be to find something to be grateful for and celebrate about? Most people agree that being grateful is important if we are to have a positive life and it is only when you find things to be grateful for that you are able to see the bright side of life. Unfortunately, we often look at what we don’t have instead of what we have, and we end up complaining unendingly instead of being grateful. The biggest NO NO is taking things for granted. Taking something for granted makes us forget how miserable we would be if we didn’t have it.

They say that sometimes one needs to experience a loss to be able to appreciate what you have. When something goes wrong in your life and sympathetic friends in their efforts to comfort you, tell you about how what you are experiencing could be worse; and recount stories of other people’s misfortunes, at that moment while you wallow in self-pity, you may think “oh just shut up, you lot!” And that is a perfectly normal reaction. It’s only moments later that you come to appreciate the situation in its entirety and also appreciate what has been left of the situation and learn lessons from how you can turn things round in your favour.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather not wait till that experience happens. With time, I have come to realize that we should learn to appreciate the things we have without first experiencing a loss. So here are 10 simple things I am grateful for in my life. While perhaps not all of them will apply to you, I believe there are more that apply than don’t. Here they are:

1. I have a loving family – my family: mom, dad, brothers, husband, aunts, cousins ….. I am so lucky to have unconditional love and support from these people I call family. And since I got married, I have enlarged this circle to include in-laws. I have been lucky to have such laid-back, no-drama people who allow me to be and are always there for me no matter what (well, almost). It is these people too that we take for granted the most. Who do you pay a debt to the fastest? More a friend that your brother. We must be grateful for family.

2. I have good friends – True that my circle of friends has shrunk as I got older but the quality has certainly improved! My oldest friends are my closest. Years ago, my mother was always vocal about the friends she approved of and those she didn’t and it is so weird that those she approved of are the ones who are still in my life now; these mothers are such witches! I have numerous acquaintances but only a handful that I call constantly and whose counsel I seek regularly. I am especially grateful because I know that good, caring friends are something that not everyone has.

3. I am healthy – Sometimes, we need to be sick to understand the blessings of being healthy. When you are down with something as ‘routine’ as malaria; and your muscles and joints ache and creak, don’t you just miss being able to move about effortlessly? I am soo grateful that I have never been seriously sick, ever! While we have good health, let’s be thankful and do all that we can to keep our bodies that way. Doctors and hospital workers are not miracle workers, sometimes, our bodies can let us down without any good explanation and we have to accept that a. It is just the will of God or b. we did something wrong somewhere along the line. This brings to mind the recent sagas with gynecological issues at the hospitals. My heart goes out to the families who have experienced losses but sometimes we have to be careful we don’t allow grief and the need to find someone to blame to cloud our better judgment of situations. I repeat, sometimes our bodies just let us down and there is nothing we can do about it.

4. I have enough financially – I may not be living in Trasaco, but I have a roof over my head and enough closet space to keep all my designer labels and enough shoe rack space to keep all my Louboutins (hahahha, I wish!!!).
I may not be driving the Honda CRV (as I would have wished) but at least my old banger’s shock absorbers work and I can travel from home to work in minutes instead of travelling in months or years like Magellan and Columbus. Still not convinced I have enough? Try this http://www.globalrichlist.com/.

Whenever I hear of the latest celebrity or rich dude who just committed suicide, I wonder: “so why do I want his/her life?” Enough said.

5. My computer works properly – Have you ever experienced turning on your PC only to find that it didn’t work and all your data is gone? I have and it is sooo damn frustrating. That was when I also experienced ‘tears of frustration’. Never again since then.

6. I have abundant entertainment options – Even royalty eons ago, didn’t have a fraction of what I have now. I have my teevee, movies, my Blackberry, Solitaire on my laptop, just to name a few.

7. The law of the land works in Ghana – Can you imagine if people could do just anything they liked and if there was virtually no protection of rights? Well, before you die of horror at such thoughts, understand why I especially feel safe and protected in Ghana where we have good law codes. Fine, we are not perfect, but we are not Darfur.

8. Online social communities exist – Through the hustle and bustle of what our lives have become in the noughties, I am grateful that I have a medium to communicate with friends: Facebook, MSN Messenger, Google Chat etc; they all make it easy to keep in touch with friends and family on a daily basis in real time; still be part of their lives without committing a lot of time and energy, banter and laughter shooting around the world at the speed of light.

9. That my grandfather lived – He passed away two years ago and not a week goes by without me thinking about him and tearing up. He was a wonderful and sometimes annoying man. He was a true patriarch, educated during a time when not many were and immensely proud of his family. There was a time when I was angry with God for taking him away before he could walk me halfway down the aisle and see his great-grandchildren being born; I also got angry when I realized that Mugabe is older and still alive! But I have come to appreciate knowing him for soo long before he passed. I appreciate the fact that I have wonderful memories of him especially as I have friends whose grandparents passed away even before they were born and others who have grandparents tucked away in the villages who they see annually at Christmas. I miss you lots Papa but I am glad I had you when I did.

10. The curtains in my bedroom – They are see-through and each weekend morning at 6am I cuss furiously as the sun streams in; I also vow there and then to get new curtains with black-out lining. I have still not changed them because 30 minutes later as I get out of bed, I become grateful that I am alive to see another day!

These 10 things are simple, but my life would be miserable without them and I’m sure there are still many things I have covered here. So learn to appreciate what you have and you will realize what a blessed life is yours!


Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6 NIV)