The Curse

Welcome. Please Login, Register, Or Activate! 
type your username and password to login
Date: November 23, 2009, 05:02 PM
431391 members and 298421 Topics
Latest Member: LESTER75
Nairaland [Nigerian Forum] Home Help Search Who is currently online? Login Register
Nairaland Forum  |  Entertainment  |  Literature/Writing (Moderator: StephenP)  |  The Curse
Pages: (1) Go Down Send this topic Notify of replies
Author Topic: The Curse  (Read 437 views)
StephenP (m)
The Curse
« on: January 30, 2009, 07:38 PM »

I know, I know, it's been AGES since I last posted something and I am ashamed of myself but see what happened was, it's a really long story and I'm sure you don't want to hear it.  Grin

The Curse

Disguised by my easy-going persona, Nigerian accent, and pasted-on grin, hidden like my eyes behind black NY baseball hats, beneath my often bearded visage - is a gnawing ache. Sometimes mocking me; sometimes pushing me toward my limit; sometimes silent, but always there, always present. The ache lives and breathes. It grows as I grow, feeding on my accomplishments and replacing them with uncertainty. And when, for a fleeting second, I am able to adapt to the ache, reinforce my defenses, build up immunity, the ache adapts to me. The ache is a virus and I am the host. The ache is a parasite and though it is seemingly harmful, it is in actuality benign; for it is not the ache itself that kills but the quest to rid oneself of the ache that is problematic.

The ache needs me to survive. In my pursuit to gain relief from the ache, I feed it the only thing that satiates it – accomplishment. Every passing grade I ever earned, every acceptance letter I ever received, every cent I ever cashed, every tackle I ever made, every success I ever experienced no matter how remote, worked to satisfy the ache, not me. And for those fleeting moments, I felt relief. But just as sure as the night, the ache returned.

I wonder if all mankind is cursed with the ache. I wonder if the ache is hereditary, passed down from parent to offspring; or if the ache develops independently of any parental input and is self-imposed. Is the ache a product of capitalist society, or do even mankind’s most ancient people, unspoiled by the modern world, also experience the ache? I wonder if it can ever be cured.

Many say that what I feel as an ache in the recesses of my consciousness is nothing but the esoteric fear of failure. Others say the ache is my ambition, my drive towards a goal. They say the ache will always be there until the bright glow of success anesthizes it - but until that day comes, it will be my cross to bear. But I have my doubts, for as soon as a man earns a million dollars; he aspires for 10 million more. As soon as he learns to walk, he aspires to run. He who is truly driven is never satisfied, and thus the ache is eternal, always transforming to fit the host’s reality.

To have a goal, is to have the ache, and to have the ache is to never know contentment. This is the curse of the driven.
Tgirl4real (f)
Re: The Curse
« #1 on: January 30, 2009, 11:44 PM »

The quest for success is insatiable   Undecided
Epi
Re: The Curse
« #2 on: February 02, 2009, 03:56 AM »

I'll keep you in prayer for sure

1 love

Quote from: StephenP on January 30, 2009, 07:38 PM
I know, I know, it's been AGES since I last posted something and I am ashamed of myself but see what happened was, it's a really long story and I'm sure you don't want to hear it. Grin

The Curse

Disguised by my easy-going persona, Nigerian accent, and pasted-on grin, hidden like my eyes behind black NY baseball hats, beneath my often bearded visage - is a gnawing ache. Sometimes mocking me; sometimes pushing me toward my limit; sometimes silent, but always there, always present. The ache lives and breathes. It grows as I grow, feeding on my accomplishments and replacing them with uncertainty. And when, for a fleeting second, I am able to adapt to the ache, reinforce my defenses, build up immunity, the ache adapts to me. The ache is a virus and I am the host. The ache is a parasite and though it is seemingly harmful, it is in actuality benign; for it is not the ache itself that kills but the quest to rid oneself of the ache that is problematic.

The ache needs me to survive. In my pursuit to gain relief from the ache, I feed it the only thing that satiates it – accomplishment. Every passing grade I ever earned, every acceptance letter I ever received, every cent I ever cashed, every tackle I ever made, every success I ever experienced no matter how remote, worked to satisfy the ache, not me. And for those fleeting moments, I felt relief. But just as sure as the night, the ache returned.

I wonder if all mankind is cursed with the ache. I wonder if the ache is hereditary, passed down from parent to offspring; or if the ache develops independently of any parental input and is self-imposed. Is the ache a product of capitalist society, or do even mankind’s most ancient people, unspoiled by the modern world, also experience the ache? I wonder if it can ever be cured.

Many say that what I feel as an ache in the recesses of my consciousness is nothing but the esoteric fear of failure. Others say the ache is my ambition, my drive towards a goal. They say the ache will always be there until the bright glow of success anesthizes it - but until that day comes, it will be my cross to bear. But I have my doubts, for as soon as a man earns a million dollars; he aspires for 10 million more. As soon as he learns to walk, he aspires to run. He who is truly driven is never satisfied, and thus the ache is eternal, always transforming to fit the host’s reality.

To have a goal, is to have the ache, and to have the ache is to never know contentment. This is the curse of the driven.
DaPhoenix (f)
Re: The Curse
« #3 on: February 05, 2009, 05:18 AM »

spikedcylinder
Re: The Curse
« #4 on: February 05, 2009, 02:49 PM »

 Smiley Smiley Smiley
Epi
Re: The Curse
« #5 on: February 18, 2009, 02:40 PM »

StephenP

I hope u are ok

1 love
olulu (m)
Re: The Curse
« #6 on: February 18, 2009, 03:55 PM »

@stephen P



cool,
it like i
i like it
i it like
it i like  Grin Grin Grin Grin
clemcykul
Re: The Curse
« #7 on: February 18, 2009, 05:04 PM »

thats quel.
kudos man.
StephenP (m)
Re: The Curse
« #8 on: February 22, 2009, 11:36 PM »

Thanks guys.
bluespice (f)
Re: The Curse
« #9 on: February 24, 2009, 08:14 AM »

 Undecided
princesa (f)
Re: The Curse
« #10 on: February 24, 2009, 12:41 PM »

double  Undecided Undecided

just a  write-up that got no connection with heading and topic
but cheered on by the cheering squad, cos its one of their hunky baseball team player who made his victory speech Cool


meexteriox (m)
Re: The Curse
« #11 on: February 24, 2009, 01:14 PM »

The depth of your writing is awesome.
princesa (f)
Re: The Curse
« #12 on: February 24, 2009, 03:58 PM »

That’s true too
He’s a very expressive writer
I wish I could write like him Smiley
StephenP (m)
Re: The Curse
« #13 on: February 24, 2009, 11:17 PM »

Quote from: bluespice on February 24, 2009, 08:14 AM
Undecided

Oh dear!

Quote from: princesa on February 24, 2009, 12:41 PM
double  Undecided Undecided

just a write-up that got no connection with heading and topic
but cheered on by the cheering squad, cos its one of their hunky baseball team player who made his victory speech Cool

lol

Quote from: meexteriox on February 24, 2009, 01:14 PM
The depth of your writing is awesome.

Thank you sir.

Quote from: princesa on February 24, 2009, 03:58 PM
That’s true too
He’s a very expressive writer
I wish I could write like him Smiley


Oh wow! Thank you so much.
bluespice (f)
Re: The Curse
« #14 on: February 25, 2009, 06:14 AM »

lmao princesa Grin
princesa (f)
Re: The Curse
« #15 on: February 25, 2009, 09:27 AM »

  Cool
ravenzord (m)
Re: The Curse
« #16 on: March 11, 2009, 03:19 PM »

That was deep,seemed like d write-up was talking 2 me,u've really got a talent nd I know this cos I feel what U feel but I couldn't express it d way U do.Big Ups



P.S: I'd say d only alternative 2 d ache was living life without a drive,just a piece of debris floating in d large ocean called life, it's your choice 2 make.
StephenP (m)
Re: The Curse
« #17 on: March 18, 2009, 04:47 PM »

Quote from: ravenzord on March 11, 2009, 03:19 PM
That was deep,seemed like d write-up was talking 2 me,u've really got a talent nd I know this cos I feel what U feel but I couldn't express it d way U do.Big Ups


Thank you, sir.

Quote from: ravenzord on March 11, 2009, 03:19 PM
P.S: I'd say d only alternative 2 d ache was living life without a drive,just a piece of debris floating in d large ocean called life, it's your choice 2 make.
Quote from: Tgirl4real on January 30, 2009, 11:44 PM
The quest for success is insatiable   Undecided
You guys got it.
Joan4427 (f)
Re: The Curse
« #18 on: April 20, 2009, 09:36 PM »

Not bad, actually pretty good.  Wink I would have loved to rework the opening sentence, it seems like a conjunction is missing, but since you've already received a great many adulation for this piece, I'll let it pass.
Good Job!
 Tom Clancy  All Russian Literature Fans Where Una Dey  Nigerian Writers Wanted  Page 2
Pages: (1) Go Up Send Topic to Friend by E-mail Reply 


Sections: Autos/Cars (2) Jobs/Vacancies (2) (3) Career Talk Education General(2) Politics Romance Computers Phones Travel
Sports Fashion Health Religion Celebrities TV/Movies (2) Music/Radio (2) Books Webmasters Programming

Links: Page1 Page2 Page3 Page4 Page5 Page6 Page7 Page8 Page9 Page10

Nairaland is owned by Oluwaseun Osewa. See also: Nairalist Classified Ads
Nairaland Forum | Powered by SMF 1.0.12.
© 2001-2005, Lewis Media. All Rights Reserved.