KINGS AND QUEENS!

Picture courtesy Simon & Schuster

Hey all,

Last night, I found myself unwavering and unwilling  to sleep. My eyes seemed to be too tired of sleep and mind too knacked to read the abundance of information in front of me which needed to be rapidly consumed into my brain for further dispersing.... but that wasn't happening, the only thing that seemed to be actively interested in something was my mouth, yep!😁....... all sort of food cravings came knocking...😂, from chocolates to sweets to grilled chicken and thankfully, fruits........yayyy! Who am I kidding right, eating all that at such hour of 3am in the early morning, and thinking some fruits will take away the calories?.... yeah, you can join in the laughter too😂😂😂😂. 

Anyway, I suddenly had this light bulb moment and thought I should watch a movie,......(I can't come and go and kee myself jare - for non local speakers, it just means "I cannot kill myself though" - knowing fully well am supposed to be reading than seeing a movies). It was not rocket science, but at this time and situation, it could be compared to it.......do you think?😂😂😂, oh my days...😂

So, I scrolled down my online movie store and after a bit I saw the movie "Queen of Katwe" released late 2016, a biological movie on the Ugandan child Master chess Protege-  Phiona Mutesi. I thought to myself, 'I have heard of this movie, am not sure it would be that great but it should be enough to make me sleepy'. Boy was I so wrong, By the end of the movie, I knew this was not the case of sleepy lane of course😀

The movie is an inspirational one, a movie that shows the differences in the varying diversity in Africa, the level of poverty and her strength,  and I as listened to all the various renditions of Nigerian music used as soundtracks and watched from one scene to the next, I was drenched in tears. Genuine tears of sorrow and joy...... why you may ask?

Well, because I could relate, You see I grew up in those  scums, in those tars, in those dirts as a young child between the ages of 0-10 years and more and as I watched the little girl "Phiona" performing so greatly in her role in the scum, I could see myself, from almost every angle, playing on  the streets, with other sometimes naked and hungry children, stinking too... if I may say😂😂😂, Bathing naked in the rain and wearing thorn clothing -- they didn't have these last 2 in the movie though. Facing tremendous dangers and accidents on those streets, one which need I talk on, it will be too long here and it will need to be a book.  But you see in the midst of all that, I felt invincible, perhaps thats why I conquered it? God was on my side.

The days were hard like a rock, nights stiff as poker. Rain came and washed away home, child labour stories will be an epistle, schools had no table or chairs, and bullies lined up the little corridor, who gladly took away some part of our uniform or your one slice of biscuit and kicked your butt home😔😔😔, stomach wrenching with abject hunger, walking barefooted to school or church(am not Jonathan, 😁😁, inside joke)......

MBN 2013 - Anna Banner - Queening

See I wasn't playing Chesss, like Phiona in the movie, that gave her an escape from that world, but I had something else, I had an unrelenting, irrevocable hope and faith in the fact that I was leaving there and that I was not cut out for that place and so I did. Like Phiona also, at some point in school I was the oldest in my class but I didn't let that stop me, because I have a vision and I stayed up dreaming about it despite not knowing how it will happen or where an opportunity will show up.

It was tough and the battles not easy for tender hearts!!

But Yes, I survived that stage of my life, and am still doing that, thanks to God and my parents, on the way here to where I am I had some failures but at each curve they all made me stronger.....

By the way Lupita Nyong'o was in that movie and she performed her role excellently - keep going at it girl. All of the cast were so good including David Oyelowo.

My story is long and can't all fit here but the lesson is to keep Queening even if the journey seems too good to be real and lined with failure. Still Queen it. Have you ever seen any Gold that has not gone through fire to be what it is, cherished, expensive, bright, beautiful etc? You are Gold and much more, it may look terrible right now, but hold on and keep dreaming, shed the tears that come along with it gracefully🙁 and speak to your situation, dream grand - big is becoming too small😀..... pick up from where you started and dust your robe. Just keep Kinging and Queening. 

I am King Shirley H. Aipoh and while am still dreaming and becoming who God says I am, I am at the same time Queening with God on my side....😉😃, You may no longer be 10 years old or less, however you ought to stay "woke", by  holding on to your dreams especially when there is nothing to see..... xoxo #GodBless

#dreamers #Kings #Queening #QueenofKatwe #hope #faith #dreambig #sleeplessnights #reminicsing #childhood #Humblebeginnings