Favvy_Okwans🖤

"There's a level of kindness you experience and you just know you have to be kinder." X I've had a day today. From barely getting enough sleep last night, to leaving school and heading all the way to the Sapele Road axis in Benin just to rectify an issue that turned out to be far more stressful than I expected. Somehow, I still made it back to school in four hours for a practical session that almost dragged till forever, and then I got drenched on my way home. There was no emotion I didn't feel today. Fear, sadness, anger, hunger, frustration,, you name it, I felt it. But in the middle of all that, I also experienced a level of favour and kindness that genuinely melted my heart. It all started in a UNIBEN shuttle on my way to Ring Road. My phone was on one percent, pure tragedy. My power bank had conveniently chosen today to stop working. I didn't know what to do because I needed my phone for what I was going out to do. I swallowed my very large pride and aske...

I don't think people talk enough about how powerful second person POV is. You know those stories written with "I"? It feels like someone is telling you what happened to them. Then there's third person, which I totally love by the way, where you're following the characters around like a quiet observer, watching everything unfold. But second person? Guyyyy, you're not being told the story, you are the story. I just started reading "A Broken People Playlist" by Chimeka Garricks, which is a collection of short stories, and the very first one, Lost Stars, is written in second person POV. Mehn!!! When the male lead died, I actually cried. Not that "this is sad" kind of cry. It genuinely felt like I had lost someone, it was as though the story had borrowed my heart for a few pages and decided to break it before giving it back. That's the thing with second person POV. It doesn't just invite you into the story, it hands you an identity and s...

You see that award for "Best at Working Close to Deadline"? I deserve it, because the stunt I just pulled is actually crazy. I have this essay writing competition I've been planning to enter. I've known since the beginning of June that the deadline is the 30th of June. So tell me why it wasn't until this week that I even started thinking about it, and that's just thinking o. Given the topic I picked, I knew for a fact that I was going to spend hours researching before I could even begin writing. But what did I do? I kept pushing it forward with the confidence of someone who had all the time in the world. Not until today did I finally tell myself, "You know what? Let's get to work." Three days to the deadline.  Ladies and gentlemen, it was not easy. You know that moment when you keep postponing a task because you've convinced yourself it'll be a walk in the park? You're like, "Shey it's just research. Give me three hours and I...

The highlight of my day was a frustratingly fun argument. It started because of the "olodo uprising" statement made by the musician Ycee. I was firmly on his side, but a friend of mine wasn't buying it at all. And just like that, the debate began. We tried everything to convince madam, but she stood her ground. Her argument was that Peller is not Nigeria's problem, and honestly, I agree. Peller, as a person, isn't the problem. But that wasn't even the point I was trying to make. The idea of Peller goes beyond one individual. It represents a culture, an ideology, a worldview, and eventually, a lifestyle. People rarely become concerned because of one isolated action, the concern is what happens when that action is repeated, celebrated, copied, and normalized. That's how cultures are formed. Sometimes we're so determined to defend a position that we never climb down from our own mountain to look at the other side of the coin. Every action has a ripple eff...

One of the best parts of my day was a stranger stopping me on my way home to tell me about Christ. It was so beautiful because, guyyy, I had the day. You know how much of a crybaby I am. I'd cried like twice already, and there were still heartbreaking rejection replies coming in from the cold DMs I sent. Everything just seemed to be going somehow. Earpiece on, blasting one good jam so I wouldn't cry again, while quietly thinking about my life. Then this finnnnnnnnnnnnnne girl stopped me and asked if she could walk with me. My first thought was that she probably wanted to advertise her business or something. But when she asked if I knew God, I was like, "Okay, evangelism... but where's the church tract or flyer?" Long story short, we had such an interesting conversation as we walked to Backgate together. It was such an amazing time. It didn't feel like somebody preaching at me. It felt like two friends gisting about the latest trending news. Dearest reader, it ...

Before wine becomes wine, the grapes must first go through fermentation. In other words, allow your life to "spoil" and watch it get better. You know those seasons when it feels like your brain wants to explode? The seasons where it feels like you're at the very end of yourself? Hold fast. You will be shocked by the level of growth and progress waiting on the other side. A friend of mine is trying to launch something grand, and she was complaining about the pressure and stress. It got me thinking about how tough this season is going to be for her, yet how worth it the result will be. In the same way, grapes go through fermentation before becoming wine. The process is uncomfortable, but the outcome is far more valuable than the original form. Pressure is often a sign that something is happening beneath the surface. Growth is taking place. And honestly, if you're never feeling stretched, challenged, or uncomfortable, you're probably not moving very far. Progress isn...