BN2020Epilogues: Ogechi is Acknowledging Every Little Blessing of the Year

For many, 2020 has been a year of ups, downs, and many in-betweens. We know you have a lot to tell us and have asked that, as one big family, we all share our joy, pain, wins, losses, and successes through the year.

Ogechi Ahanonu had a good 2020 and he is hopeful that 2021 will be better.

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If I was given a dollar for every time I said “Omo” this year, I would have been filthy rich. Notice I said “filthy”. That kind of wealth that you can’t hide, the one that precedes you. The one that even before you enter a room, everyone in there can sense that you’ve made it. That’s how rich I would have been: filthy! But of course, I am not filthy rich. I didn’t get a dollar for all the times I said “Omo”.

2020 has been that year, you know? The year that would be talked about by other years admiringly, out of envy, or out of pure distaste. That is if years could speak. One thing we are sure of is that a child who wants to get into secondary school in the coming years would sit in an exam hall full of other children answering questions like, “in what year did Coronavirus cause the world to go on lockdown?” or “How many months was Nigeria on lockdown due to COVID -19?”

Of course, there would be no mention of 20-10-20 in the coming years, why mention something that did not happen? I mean, why burden children with the thought that thousands of young people took to the streets daily to fight for the end of an already “dissolved” arm of the police, shouting #EndSARS at the top of their voices, fighting for their right to live. It would be silly to make them think of the possibility that something good could come out of a country that has continuously failed its own. God forbid the kids get wind of what happened and decide to take a stand too. Anyway, my name is Oge, meaning time. More than ever before, the significance of my name became more pronounced because God knows that this year, we needed more time to catch our breaths.

This year tested me to the last and I am certain it tested a good number of us – mentally, physically, emotionally, and every other “ally” you could possibly think of. I cried hard, I worked hard, I played hard, I prayed hard, I lost hard, I got weak and I hurt hard. This year was the year I got the full weight of adulthood; I understood responsibility, and I hated being responsible. I just wanted to sleep for the most part. I am not going to lie, it was a tough year for me. I lost a job, lost a friend, lost a relationship, lost money, lost my will to just exist (this didn’t last though).

Omo! This 2020 has been insane.

The year had its moments but it wasn’t all bad though. There were some pretty awesome moments – those tiny moments that the craziness of the year tried to make us blind to: family time, phone conversations with friends, hangouts, one of your best girls getting married, the release of a new season of your favorite series, hearing God’s voice reminding you that He is still here, your nephew turning one, your sister marrying an awesome man, getting your article published, paying off your debt, meeting new people, listening to your favorite podcast, getting that email, making your first TikTok after the 100th trial, helping your sibling out, your crush saying hi or holding your hand during prayers in church. I saw and acknowledged them all.

This year was cray cray but, omo, I choose to acknowledge the little things because if I stick to the crays, e fit turn ment.

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Have a story to share? We’ll love to hear it. Send in your essay to features(at)bellanaija(dot)com with the subject: 2020 Epilogues. Let us know all the twists, turns and successes 2020 came with.