A Wonderful Family

We are different
From backgrounds diverse
And even in times
Described as terrible
And from a place
Labeled as corrupt
We have a bound.

We are generation today
Tomorrow to make
A better place
We strive towards
Because in us
Determination is defined.

From near and far
We came a family to make
In a place called blogville
Where freedom is born
And identity is discovered.

Dear blogville,
Before I found you I found me
But of you I know
My life wouldn’t be same
Had I through life
Past without an encounter

Different identities
You brought me across
Friends you found me.
More than in reality
I have in blogville,
Friends.

Dedicated to you reading this post.

© Uzezi Ekere
Oct. 3rd 2008

Telling the story of how blogging became a part of my life isn’t important anymore. In those first times, I use to wonder why people don’t read my blog and leave comments. It was sometime late last year and early this year that I began to discover other blogs and others began to discover me. You could imagine my excitement then when I see: ‘2 comments need moderation’, which means I probably wet my panties if the comments were higher.

And then I did the stupid short post about deleting my blog and got over 20 comments and nodded: ‘yes, I have arrived’.
Then I use to wonder how bloggers did it to get over a hundred comments, and concluded that just like life and business, only the tough survive. You just have to be so interesting and worth reading and blah blah blah.

This business of only the tough and interesting survive blogville even led me to create another ‘bad’ blog that only two people knew the truth about the author. The blog plus its name plus its post were so bad and (x) that me as Uzezi couldn’t go there to leave comments for other bloggers to see (and the post were all fiction incase you start calculating ok).

Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that, blogging today for me, has become another way of expression. A place where I can share whatever and get various views. In many blogs, I have learnt stuffs that I never would have learnt in a hundred years. In this place I have developed friendships that will last a long time.

It touches me a lot, the care and support we show when one of us is down (illness - uzezi, jarrai, fantasy queen ……………………- depression……………………….., heart broken ………………………….. etc), the joy we share when one of us is happy (getting married – oluwadee………………………, engaged – florida………………………, birthdays – bumight, aloofar………………..promotions – afrobabe……………………… etc) the advices we offer when one of us is confused (too much money as salary – doll, too many toasters – Aphrodite). The list goes on and on (the dots are there for you to fill in the gap. I want to post this now, so I can’t think).

How do you describe the kind of support we have in blogville? I don’t have the words. Just recently, I blogged about YPI (Young Professionals Impact) and the fact that we were doing a fund raising for an event.

You guys surprised me. From within and outside the country. Every kobo I raised came from this family of people I have never met. And because of your charitable effort, and other good Nigerians, the educational responsibilities of three orphans (all 5 yr olds) have been picked up by YPI’s Project Desiree, and by God’s Grace, these 3 will be the first university graduates of Project Desiree.

I am so proud that I belong to this family. This is a family that will become an institution tomorrow. An institution that will give our country and continental role models that we will be proud of. This is a family that is ready to change the perception of Nigeria and Africa. We will make it.