Friday, 15 February 2008

HEEDING THE CALL, THE JOY OF FOLLOWING MY DREAMS.

Guess you read my post about my birthday? I was a year older on the 22nd of January 2008. I am an Aquarian and I 've discovered that most Aquarians are very strong willed and creative. It is not as if I believe in Horoscopes or Spritism. However, I feel there are certain truths about those signs. Back to the topic of my post. I am happy that I discovered my calling early in life. I can still remember those days when I used to write stories and poems on sheets of paper. A great feeling of satisfaction usually descended upon me anytime I wrote in the 8o's and 90's. Sometimes, I wrote things I did not understand myself. I wrote about Cowboys and Indians in the United States. I wrote about Secondary School thugs, Junior students and their adventures. I wrote about people in other lands and their activities. The more books I read, the more my horizon widened.

It was after graduating from Secondary School, that this strange feeling came upon me. It was then I realized that I was born to be a writer. The easiest thing I could do was to write. I discovered that my friends respected me for my writing skills. To most of my High School mates, I was not important except when they needed me to write something for them. I wrote a lot of love letters those days for my mates who wanted to date some girls in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. I remember that one of the girls actually fell for Goke Solaja. Goke was my Junior. He approached me and told me to craft out a letter that would touch the girl. We called the girl 11-11. She read my letter and fell for Sir Solaja. Those were the humble beginnings.

From 1999, I started writing for a living with National Encomium Magazine. Though I was paid peanuts there, I made an impact before I left for more education. Before working for Encomium, I bagged a diploma in Journalism from NIJ. At the University of Ibadan, I joined Zikpress Organization and bagged some awards on Campus. My pen name as a Campus journalist was REDMAN. In 2004, the course of my writing career changed. I was introduced to the St Patrick's Missionary Society. I am happy I followed my dreams.

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