Lets go back to January 1st 2014.

Sorry to disturb,
As usual it's one of Harry's thread and one of His trademarks is:Longreads,epistles or Whatever you may call it.
So if you hate to read such,sorry for wasting your Mb,just hop off from the thread now,ok.











What would you do differently if you had the chance to start life from scratch? If you could rub a lamp (or rechargeable lantern) and make a wish, or if you were given an opportunity to change some of your previous life choices, what would you do? If there was a time travel scientist called Doctor Who Sai, and he offered you a chance to travel in his time travel telephone box (not operated by Nitel o), where would you travel to, and what would you change? Would you go back to 1950 and beg your popsie to complete school and go to Uni, so that he would succeed so that you can have a better chance of being born with a silverspoon in Ikoyi?

Or would you go back to 1914 and slap Lord Lugard into a stupor to prevent him from amalgamating the Northern and Southern protectorates to form Naija, and thereby save us all this anguish. 

Or perhaps you would travel to 2005 and invest your hard-earned salary in 1st Bank and Nigerian Brewery stocks and shares, instead of Transcorp, Finbank and Intercontinental Banks like you ended up doing and loosing your life savings.

 Maybe you wouldnt have married that girl – you have now found out that she was too good to be true. She claimed she was a virgin and had never seen man, and did not let you ‘violate her’ but on the wedding night, once you straddled her, you almost ‘fell inside”. Now a sex video of her planking different Alhajis has now gone viral. You have also become viral from her infections.

Or would you rather time-travel to 2003 to major in music in school, rather than banking and finance? I mean Tuface and Don Jazzy are cleaning out almost as well as the Jim Ovias and Pascal Dozies of these world (key word – almost).

 Or you may choose to go back to 1992 to buy 20 plots of land in Lekki Phase One and Wuse, when these were worth half-a-penny. My uncle was offered land in Banana Island in 1996 for 2 million. He decided to invest in Festac instead, and now his house has appeared in many Nollywood movies, as opposed to Fortune 500 or MTV Cribs.

Now don’t get me wrong, I prefer not to dwell on mistakes I have made, or wrong choices when I was younger.
Whatever happens has happened, and what  is done, is done. People espouse that philosophy of life where you look forward and regret nothing including past mistakes, writing them off as life experiences. It is even embodied in the French term “Regrette Rien” which means “Regret Nothing”

In Pidgin English parlance, it is called ‘E don happen” so why you wan kill yourself?

However, sometimes, you do reflect on your journey through life, and  try to imagine how much different your life would be if you had passed the right or left fork on the road, and had gone straight instead. Here would be my choices, if I could start again:

I would have become an engineer. I was a proficient Lego brick builder as a youngster. I may have made a good civil engineer though a civil child I was not.  In Junior secondary, I was initially great at Introductory Technology, but the teacher put me off because he was always hitting students with the T-square.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the legal profession but there are too many insincere jerks and old school monuments dogging the institution. Besides try watching one of those World War or invasion movies – lawyers are always the first ones to be killed or imprisoned in concentration camps when a dictator takes over a nation. Doctors and lawyers are spared because they can provide anciliarry services.  Nuclear physicists are spared too because of their technological prowess. But lawyers don’t have anything to offer because their talk talk is too much. I put it to you that you cannot kill or imprison me. I will invoke a wreath of Habeus Corpus and have you reprimanded forthwith. 
Even people who studied Yoruba Education in school have a better chance of surviving in an invasion or dictatorship than a lawyer. They could prostrate and plead for their life: Ejo o, e ma bi nu.Ma pa mi, iku mi o wulo fun e (Please o, don’t be angry. I am useless to you dead). The person would be more successful with his plea, if he impersonates Jide Kosoko’s facial expressions.

The worst people are those who studied Philosophy. They would try to rationalize with the arresting soldiers by applying logic: You arrest and kill some innocent victims. I am an innocent victim. But it does not mean you have to kill me.

So engineers are indispensable. They have the pick of the choicest positions and benefits. When I worked at Nigerian Breweries as an intern, I once overheard a manager sigh as he guzzled a huge mug of Harp “The most important people in this company, and the only ones immune from sacking are those who oversee production – the lager engineers. All you analysts, business administrators, interns are on borrowed time here”

Dude, we are all on borrowed time. Nor be you papa company na.

Engineers have all the advantages. There are different kinds of engineers – civic, petroleum, mechanical, electronic, marine,, aeronautic etc etc. There are only 3 kinds of lawyer in Nigeria – charge N bail, baby lawyer and the erudite ones (Gani, FRA Williams, Babalakin etc). Aim to be among the last category.

Engineers rise to the top of their professions, and get to wear jeans and nice yellow helmets even in corporate settings. They use terms like “rig, petroleum, platform,  crank, production.”

Lawyers rise up in the profession, but always usually wear a black wig and gown in a hot court-room. They use words like “adjournment, frustration, lapse, laches, statute of limitation, I put it to you, sue,  please be advised..”

Anyway  I still ended up being an engineer regardless – I am a social engineer, building blocks of hope.  My bic is my spanner. In fact sometimes I introduce myself as Architect Harry at public gatherings. At one recent gathering, the other person looked at me interestingly as I introduced myself as an architect. He was one himself, so he inquired further:  “Interesting stuff. What buildings or projects have you designed.”

I wanted to reply “Mumu designing mansions in water logged Lekki, I help rebuild and rehabilitate people through the medium of Nairalanding"

Instead, I pretended like I had just received an international call, and excused myself “Ehnn, sorry Joe, the line is breaking. What time is it now at Singapore? It must be MTN’s network, please let me go outside for better reception. Please excuse me, Architect Dagbaru”

I would have made better choices in my relationships earlier on. I would have bitten the bullet, been bolder and hooked up with Chineze. I would not have stood up Damola on Valentines Day to hang out with the lads. I would have treated Oyin differently and not have taken her for granted. I can remember taking a train all the way from Borehamwood to Swiss Cottage to meet Oyin who was meeting me all the way from Edmonton for a movie at the O2 center. After a huge meal at Weatherspoons, I embarrassingly fell asleep during the movie. Don’t blame me, it was already around 8pm, and besides the movie showing had musical bits in it. It was Gerald Butler’s “Phantom of the Opera.”
Oyin was pissed that I dare fall asleep during our date, even spilling our popcorn all over the place as I shifted in my snooze. My excuse was let me sleep, so I can dream of you.

 Oyin, I apologize. I am also sorry for taking you to my new girlfriend’s house and making out with her in front of you, because I stupidly thought you were over me. Now that I am older and wiser, I realize that girls have a secret radar and no chick would like to see her ex with another hotter chick. Sorry, I meant another chick equally as hot. Please accept my apologies for 2014.

I would have started a business a long time ago. I guess it is never too late, but I am inspired by the life stories of self -made men like Richard Branson and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs who started really early in life. The former had a paper route when he was barely in his teens and the former was a record company “A and R” by his early twenties, and formed Bad Boy Records when he was just 23.
On a side note, a friend of mine wants to start a clothing company, and has started importing tee-shirt printing and embroidery machinery. He hired me a design consultant because he felt I had a creative spark. His vision was for a urban wear line  with designs that could make a statement, sort of like those Che Guevara revolutionary tee-shirts, or Doc Marten boots with grunge or punk rockers, or how Ben Sherman shirts were popular with U.K chavs, or how college kids like Abercrombie and Fitch and snap back hats. Or like Hawes and Curtis and pudgy Nigerian bankers.

He wanted a line of tee-shirts with a range of designs peculiar to the Nigerian hip fashionista. It had to be cool, but distinctively naija.

My first few suggestions were wide off the mark, and I am sure he is seriously thinking of asking me to resign.

I suggested a T-shirt with an inscription “I am the bomb”. He looked at me like I was crazy. Ha, make Boko Haram catch you.

What about a shirt with the PHCN logo, and then the phrase “I got the power…Not”

I wish I had learnt a special skill. Like I had taken up lawn tennis classes, or learnt how to play the piano, or the Yoruba talking drum. My father really wanted me to learn how to play tennis, as he felt it was a good form of keeping fit and networking for life. I really always wondered what the racket was all about. Besides there were few places to practice in Lagos. I am Igbo, and imagine the ill looks I would  get if I waltzed into the Yoruba Lawn Tennis Club. I wish I could play chess as well as draught. I am a champ at Ludo though. When I throw the dice, I am fairly proficient at getting 2 sixes. Siki one, siki two…oya carry ya seed.

Infact my friends,as it's always said: 
Let the sleeping dog lie,let's not cry over spilled milk.

As Oluwa is always faithful to his people,
NEXT YEAR MUST PAY!!!!

Cc :Seun
Lalasticlala 
safarigirl
Larrysun
Chistar01
Tgirl4real
Beennkumar
naijaboiy
Tallesty1
missterious
missmossy
Kachiebarbie
Iceberylin
Jennimma

I would have asked Glory out ,didn't know she liked me too then, now am in the friend zone & she's dating my best friend .

MODIFIED: funny albeit long, it was worth the read

CrazyScientist:
I would have asked Glory out ,didn't know she liked me too then, now am in the friend zone & she's dating my best friend .

MODIFIED: funny albeit long, it was worth the read

Ouch,all I can say is Sorry.
Don't worry 2015 got new goodies in stock,but Hey! You've got to Mann up!!
If you love something,GO FOR IT.

B/w: am sorry,but my works are always long.but I love the outcome though,cos you loved it

Wow! There was a part this piece started getting emotional. I learned a lot from this.
I suppose you don't have a college degree. Do you?
Ayamlaykorn

This gotta make FP! Wow! No ask me for summary, just read..

It's a nice article, Ah swear!
I'd love to add these: "Though we've seen places where we should make corrections in 2014, we can't just live without mistakes, hoping 2015 regrets will be little and minimal.

laykorn:
Wow! There was a part this piece started getting emotional. I learned a lot from this.
[size=44pt]I suppose you don't have a college degree[/size] Do you?
Ayamlaykorn

please, I'd love to understand this your comment.

Harrychocoberry:


Ouch,all I can say is Sorry.
Don't worry 2015 got new goodies in stock,but Hey! You've got to Mann up!!
If you love something,GO FOR IT.

B/w: am sorry,but my works are always long.but I love the outcome though,cos you loved it

Your Profile reads JWitnesses sentiments.

tempem:

please, I'd love to understand this your comment.

Lol. No offence. I'm just curios.
Ayamlaykorn

laykorn:
Wow! There was a part this piece started getting emotional. I learned a lot from this.
I suppose you don't have a college degree. Do you?
Ayamlaykorn

Nicceee! It's good to know you learnt something worthwhile.

But is the question for me?

tempem:

It's a nice article, Ah swear!
I'd love to add these: "Though we've seen places where we should make corrections in 2014, we can't just live without mistakes, hoping 2015 regrets will be little and minimal.

All I can say is;Thanks for atleast getting a bit of your time to enjoy this piece of mine and still put in that lovely Add of yours.
I hope all well in 2015

laykorn:

Lol. No offence. I'm just curios.
Ayamlaykorn

I mean no harm(talk trash) brother.
But do you mean if he's gotten any degree or he didn't acquire one? Just wish to understand the statement.
pardon my persistent. To God I mean no harm..

ShakurM:
This gotta make FP! Wow! No ask me for summary, just read..

I love your spirit man,let's advocate for fp.

tempem:

Your Profile reads JWitnesses sentiments.

Hahaha..
Funny enough..I SPEAK THE PURE LANGUAGE.
Do you?

Harrychocoberry:


All I can say is;Thanks for atleast getting a bit of your time to enjoy this piece of mine and still put in that lovely Add of yours.
I hope all well in 2015

I should sent a Huge thanks to you for that compliment.
[size=90pt] THANKS SO MUCH! [/size]
Maybe you should still check your mentions; You have some
from me.

Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? It essentially means that if the slightest thing is altered in the past, the entire future of the world would come out differently. In my imagination, it's like this: use the time machine to visit the prehistoric past, step on a butterfly, returnt to the present to find that there would be a devastating bomb explosion at the Ikeja cantonment in 2002. Whoops! So I think it probably would be a bad idea to tell myself in the very New Millennium that on the night of January 27, 2002 I should stay at home, thereby avoiding meeting a person that would break my heart. Or I shouldn't go out in the afternoon of the same day to avoid sleeping on a bomb that would detonate. I mean, who knows what might happen, really? Because the future itself will always have a future, and it goes on and on till the inevitable mortality.

Thanks, Harrychocoberry, for the mention.

Harrychocoberry:


Hahaha..
Funny enough..I SPEAK THE PURE LANGUAGE.
Do you?

Of course, I do. Am so much happy, how was field today?
It's nice meeting you here my, brother.

Harry, the epistle writer

Sorry to say...
But i have no 'I wish'
no regrets.....
Thinqs worked out fine,except..............
I wish I had clunged to been a jwithness and had closed my ears to my parents and family heated arguements.
I wished I had also attended this years convention like i had attended 'God's word is truth'convention of last year....

Nice one bro...
Though I wasnt mentioned

Chinweblinkz:
Sorry to say...
But i have no 'I wish'
no regrets.....
Thinqs worked out fine,except..............
I wish I had clunged to been a jwithness and had closed my ears to my parents and family heated arguements.
I wished I had also attended this years convention like i had attended 'God's word is truth'convention of last year....

Nice one bro...
Though I wasnt mentioned

Then your story MIGHT be about your brother??

tempem:

I should sent a Huge thanks to you for that compliment.
[size=90pt] THANKS SO MUCH! [/size]
Maybe you should still check your mentions; You have some
from me.

Thanks once more

LarrySun:
Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? It essentially means that if the slightest thing is altered in the past, the entire future of the world would come out differently. In my imagination, it's like this: use the time machine to visit the prehistoric past, step on a butterfly, returnt to the present to find that there would be a devastating bomb explosion at the Ikeja cantonment in 2002. Whoops! So I think it probably would be a bad idea to tell myself in the very New Millennium that on the night of January 27, 2002 I should stay at home, thereby avoiding meeting a person that would break my heart. Or I shouldn't go out in the afternoon of the same day to avoid sleeping on a bomb that would detonate. I mean, who knows what might happen, really? Because the future itself will always have a future, and it goes on and on till the inevitable mortality


Thanks, Harrychocoberry, for the mention.

And someone says I write plenty.

But hey Man,the story of your heart being broken,is it literal or just a 'prefixed' liner to buttress your point?

I love guys who reason and write constructively,and you Larrysun is not an exception.
Thanks for taking your time to read.

tempem:

Of course, I do. Am so much happy, how was field today?
It's nice meeting you here my, brother.

The field is good.
Though we are building a new KH.

Where are you based Bro.
Inbox me.

OmolodMilkman93:
Harry, the epistle writer

Lol..My man,My man.
Tuale

Harrychocoberry:


The field is good.
Though we are building a new KH.

Where are you based Bro.
Inbox me.

Done.

Chinweblinkz:
Sorry to say...
But i have no 'I wish'
no regrets.....
Thinqs worked out fine,except..............
I wish I had clunged to been a jwithness and had closed my ears to my parents and family heated arguements.
I wished I had also attended this years convention like i had attended 'God's word is truth'convention of last year....

Nice one bro...
Though I wasnt mentioned

Wow..Chinwe.your ordeal can be solved. Am saying this because I know it can.
But,you have to make an adjustment which starts from now.
I don't know how it may be to you but I can gladly tell you that if you're willing to talk to any matured mind/brother you can make an improvement.
How about you inboxing me let's hit it from there?

tempem:

Done.

My connections are bad can you just send your mail directly to those email acct; harrychocoberry@gmail.com

Ok

.

From the way I view it, what has passed has passed. Personally I have some regrets but if I could go back in time, I don't think I'll make different decisions because I understand that a different decision might and would most likely alter those events that I don't regret therefore changing everything.

Before I get carried away and write and epistle, the summary is this... Its Dec 26, five days to the end of the year and I'm still alive, happy and comfortable so why try to change this?

[quote
author=chistar01 post=29206049]From the way I view it, what has passed
has passed. Personally I have some regrets but if I could go back in
time, I don't think I'll make different decisions because I understand
that a different decision might and would most likely alter those events
that I don't regret therefore changing everything.

Before I get carried away and write and epistle, the summary is this...
Its Dec 26, five days to the end of the year and I'm still alive, happy
and comfortable so why try to change this?[/quote]


I Sometimes Flow with your line of thought.

and since you're Comfortable and Happy,thats everyone's wish.

You know,the reality of life is that it does little good to worry over things that you cannot control.
And in reality,things do not always happen as fast as we wish,cos time moves at the speed of time & not at the speed of OUR expectations.
And I call it PATIENCE.

LarrySun:
Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? It essentially means that if the slightest thing is altered in the past, the entire future of the world would come out differently. In my imagination, it's like this: use the time machine to visit the prehistoric past, step on a butterfly, returnt to the present to find that there would be a devastating bomb explosion at the Ikeja cantonment in 2002. Whoops! So I think it probably would be a bad idea to tell myself in the very New Millennium that on the night of January 27, 2002 I should stay at home, thereby avoiding meeting a person that would break my heart. Or I shouldn't go out in the afternoon of the same day to avoid sleeping on a bomb that would detonate. I mean, who knows what might happen, really? Because the future itself will always have a future, and it goes on and on till the inevitable mortality.

Thanks, Harrychocoberry, for the mention.

You just said my mind LarrySun my padi.

i wish i know what i know now 3 years ago. Nice one Harry. Got me thinking deep.