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The Curse - Literature - Nairaland

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The Curse Of Contentment / *The Players Curse* / Our Fathers Have Failed Us, But Our Children Would Curse Us (2) (3) (4)

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The Curse by StephenP(m): 7:38pm On Jan 30, 2009
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.

1 Like

Re: The Curse by Tgirl4real(f): 11:44pm On Jan 30, 2009
The quest for success is insatiable undecided
Re: The Curse by Epi: 3:56am On Feb 02, 2009
I'll keep you in prayer for sure

1 love

StephenP:

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.
Re: The Curse by DaPhoenix(f): 5:18am On Feb 05, 2009
Re: The Curse by spikedcylinder: 2:49pm On Feb 05, 2009
smiley smiley smiley
Re: The Curse by Epi: 2:40pm On Feb 18, 2009
StephenP

I hope u are ok

1 love
Re: The Curse by olulu(m): 3:55pm On Feb 18, 2009
@stephen P



cool,
it like i
i like it
i it like
it i like grin grin grin grin
Re: The Curse by clemcykul(f): 5:04pm On Feb 18, 2009
thats quel.
kudos man.
Re: The Curse by StephenP(m): 11:36pm On Feb 22, 2009
Thanks guys.
Re: The Curse by bluespice(f): 8:14am On Feb 24, 2009
undecided
Re: The Curse by princesa(f): 12:41pm On Feb 24, 2009
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
Re: The Curse by meexteriox(m): 1:14pm On Feb 24, 2009
The depth of your writing is awesome.
Re: The Curse by princesa(f): 3:58pm On Feb 24, 2009
That’s true too
He’s a very expressive writer
I wish I could write like him smiley
Re: The Curse by StephenP(m): 11:17pm On Feb 24, 2009
bluespice:

undecided

Oh dear!

princesa:

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

meexteriox:

The depth of your writing is awesome.

Thank you sir.

princesa:

That’s true too
He’s a very expressive writer
I wish I could write like him smiley


Oh wow! Thank you so much.
Re: The Curse by bluespice(f): 6:14am On Feb 25, 2009
lmao princesa grin
Re: The Curse by princesa(f): 9:27am On Feb 25, 2009
cool
Re: The Curse by ravenzord(m): 3:19pm On Mar 11, 2009
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 ur choice 2 make.
Re: The Curse by StephenP(m): 4:47pm On Mar 18, 2009
ravenzord:

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.

ravenzord:

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 ur choice 2 make.
Tgirl4real:

The quest for success is insatiable undecided
You guys got it.
Re: The Curse by Joan4427(f): 9:36pm On Apr 20, 2009
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!

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