After two weeks of not sending letters, I'm back! It's September and it's always a good time to listen to Earth, Wind and Fire's September to start your day, every day.

Regularly Scheduled Programming.

My friends, talk about how self awareness is a scam. Not a scam in the way school is a scam but in the way that it's often unfulfilling work because the world is filled with people who'd rather not be self aware. I think this tweet explains it best.

Self awareness, emotional intelligence, I'm using them in the same context here. Personally I think I'm an average person, not too selfish, not too selfless, just existing in a state of neutrality, the way I like it. That's where my own self awareness stops, and I'd like for it to stay that way. No, not really but we can pretend can't we?

Being self aware/emotionally intelligent is less a place you get to and more of a journey you're always on. Because you would do terrible, awful things but you'd owe yourself the responsibility to recognise when you're being an absolute ass and apologize to the people who love you. That in itself is hard and painful work.

So yes, it is a scam. Because very rarely would people extend to you the same grace you give them. That's just the way life works. You can always go back to putting your head in the sand though, I find that's a nice way to live. Stress-free too.

On Life.

It's September! Almost done with this year. On one hand, I'm glad this year's almost over, on the other, it feels like I haven't accomplished anything that I set out to. My new year's resolution is laughing at me.

The thought that we were almost at the end of the year threw me into a spiral during the weekend. Add that to the other problems I have at any given time, I now hold the groupchat's award for best in dissociation.

Dissociation for me is feeling disconnected from my body and environment usually caused by anxiety. I rarely notice what's happening until it's over and I settle back into my skin. It's a jarring feeling to realize that you were moving through a fog in your mind.

Anyways (obvious change of subject, can you tell I'm uncomfortable talking about my mental health?), there's a lot of overwhelming feelings accompanying the Ember months so here's hoping I can sort through them like a semi-functioning adult. Or I get my act in order and go to therapy.

I was supposed to go on a mini-vacation this month but Buhari's economy is laughing at me. I need 2023 to come quick so they can vote that man out.

I restarted The Litverse series again, I might be depressed but I'm sure as hell going to tell the stories that need telling. Side note: If you know someone who can be interviewed for Litverse, please let me know, I'm running out of people in my circle that I can interview.

For last week's Litverse, I talked to Success. Funny story, I met Success at Abuja Comic Con. There was this section with Nigerian comics and I had to at least check it out. He has ten other co-founders. 11 people running a company, seems like a recipe for disaster but they seem to make it work.

49th Litverse: Success, the CEO building an African comic company. | The49thStreet — the49thstreet.com

From reading Marvel and DC Comics as a child to studying Fine Arts in university, Success Ikupolati was very interested in comics. Together with his ten

On Books.

I read last week! Three books in fact. Two are sapphic books which might now be my new favorite genre. The first book is Icebreaker by Hannah Grace which involves an ice hockey player and a figure skater, sports romance books might be where it's at.

The two sapphic books are The Romance Recipe; about a restaurant owner and a chef, and Home Field Advantage; a fluff high school romance about the quarterback of the football team and a cheerleader.

This week I'm going to be reading The School for Good and Evil (Netflix drop the series fgs) and Lore. Two Fantasy books, it's going to be a rollercoaster.

On Music.

NAMJOON DROPPED MUSIC!!! I'm a huge BTS fan and leader Kim Namjoon, more popularly known as RM is my favorite man. On Thursday, a song featuring RM dropped. It's called Sexy Nukim and it's by the alternative group called Balming Tiger. Balming Tiger is how I imagine if the alte kids in Naija formed a band would sound. Omega Sapien, please call me, I'm ready to risk it all for you.

You can listen to the masterpiece here:

Balming Tiger - 섹시느낌 SEXY NUKIM (feat. RM of BTS) Official M/V — www.youtube.com

Balming Tiger - 섹시느낌 SEXY NUKIM (feat. RM of BTS) OUT NOWStream/Download: https://instabio.cc/balming-tigerDirected by PennackyCreative Director San YawnPro...

Lemonade.

In the lemon fest that has been my life, my lemonade is that I downloaded the AliExpress app. Hear me out, I might be ₦2000 poorer but I have sunglasses and a pretty butterfly necklace coming on the way. I think that's fair no?