Hello!

Happy new month. I was going to send this letter on my birthday, and then I was swamped with work. I was also going to send this yesterday, but quite unfortunately, I left my house. That put paid to all my plans.

Regularly Scheduled Programming

Do I have a lot of thoughts about the new presidency and how we’re irrevocably screwed? I do. But seeing as it’s just day 2 and we’re seeing a different flavour of shege than the Buhari era. Good luck to all involved.

My roommate and I were talking about work and how to actually enjoy this capitalism ride while we’re on it. And she pointed out that I’m able to do all the work I do because I see them as passion projects because I actually like them. This was something I hadn’t realised, but it tracks. As the resident neurodivergent, my brain quite literally refuses to work if it’s not interested in something. There are some days I hate my jobs and want to give up but dare I say, those are less than the days I assume normal people have.

I am aware this is a privilege, seeing as everything I do is in the creative and media space but I think maybe if we all liked our jobs a little bit, work wouldn’t bring such a groan in the mornings.

To be clear, I mean the actual work, not the useless meetings that really could have just been emails or Slack notifications.

As you’re running to Indeed and LinkedIn to look for work that will take you out of this country or something to help you survive, keep in mind that you need to find something you can actually stomach. What kind of life is it if you do something you hate for a good part of your life?

On Life

I up and travelled to a new city, temporarily but nonetheless. I tried creamy pasta properly for the first time, and eh, the Yoruba in me is rebelling. I did get a surprise party, though. My friends, the best of friends by the way, took the ‘Surprise me’ in my wish list to another level.

Being thrown my first-ever party, no, my first birthday doesn’t count, made me realise a couple of things;

1. My friends have money and I should bill them more often.

2. I actually do have friends that have sense and maybe I should ask them for help.

I know. There are multiple letters from me saying this exact thing but it’s easier to give advice than it is to take it.

On Music.

Nonso Amadi has finally, finally dropped an album. I think it’s really neat. My personal favourtie though, is this song:

On Books

I’m going to be honest, the only things I have read, except the book of the month, were Draco Malfoy fan fiction on ao3.

The book of the month was pretty interesting, though. The definition of indefinable things by Whitney Taylor. I chose it because, well, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there are very few books that describe depression the way this book does.

In June, I might torture myself and reread Song of Achilles. Who knows?

Lemonade.

May was May. There’s a reason my birth month is my favourite month of the year. May helped me form a clearer picture of the person I want to be. In all the rogbodiyan that Nigeria is throwing my way, I’m holding on to that.

Since I’m doing things. Maybe I’ll finally stop ignoring my therapist and get back into helping myself. This is your sign to do that thing you’ve been ignoring for a while.

xoxo,

Zia.