The Juggling Prawn

A New Dawn

Memoir

***The countdowns*** ***The fireworks***and it is finally a New Year. The last two years were filled with all sorts, with coronavirus taking centre stage.I personally just wanted 2021 to end.I was eager to glide into 2022. Thank God we are here now.   The number 2022 has a couple of 2s in it and that is a clear sign it is going to be a year of double achievement –everything doubles. I panicked a little bit when I read in the news about a case of fluorona in Isreal -A double infection of Covid-19 and influenza.I was close to withdrawing my wishes for double of everything.I want double the goods and not this. It is too early.I just want to believe this is a one-off, or better still, unreal. But this won’t kill my vibe for the new year.I am double excited for many reasons which I intend to unfold as we progress into the new year.Also, The Juggling Prawn will clock two (2) this year.  💃🏻🕺🏽   I am not all about the New Year resolution scheme. However, I plan to explore new grounds and actualise some failed plans from previous years. It’s a new year, but the same ME.   To those with new resolutions, I wish you all the very best.I hope you all achieve your goal this year.Just make sure you dont put too much pressure on yourself.   The Juggling Prawn has loads of exciting content for readers this year. So don’t forget to subscribe to the site for update alerts.Please follow @the.prawn on Instagram.I hope to give out some goodies this year.And It is going to be a wonderful year.   So I say, Happy New Year and welcome to a NEW DAWN

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Did that job make you come?

Blog

Satisfaction is the endpoint of all actions, isn’t it?I have never come across anyone who would trade satisfaction for frustration – That’s if you agree with me that the extreme opposite of satisfaction is frustration.   People start businesses with the sole aim of making a profit.Upon achieving success and profitability, they feel accomplished, and accomplishment is the cousin of satisfaction.  Do you dig?I bet you do.😉   Imagine getting yourself prepped for an important meeting.You’ve fantasised about how you intend to wow the person you’re meeting.You got every part warmed up.All nice and clean… and shaved. You put on your best outfit.Sprayed your favourite cologne.Checked yourself out multiple times in the mirror.Gave yourself a wink,And you’re set to go.   Then you got in.Set the right tone.Pushed hard, bounced harder.Nailed it.The job was very creamy and the offer was juicy.You screamed.   Work began.You continued to put in your best.Always on your best behaviour.Everything seems rosy and smooth.Jolly rides all the time. …   Disappointment starts to set in. You no longer feel appreciated.Everything seems to come with complaints.You’re no longer happy.And you begin to make your next move to the next BIGGER alternative.Something big enough to push you to climax. That’s it.   We all might have found ourselves in frustrating situations at one point in our life –except you were literally born under a lucky star.That point is when you begin to think about the next available options.Your current dedication begins to dwindle.So you start to divert your strength and focus to the next big thing. But what’s the assurance this next option won’t turn out to be like the previous one?What is the guarantee you are not jumping into a worse situation?   The truth is that you can’t be so sure.Because contrivances can  disappoint too. I have found myself in jobs I wasn’t satisfied with, in terms of policies and modus operandi.I always ask myself if leaving that job would be the best of all wonderful options in my head.I have come to realise that leaving is not always the best choice, but it is good to keep the option on the table. I devised a technique that has always worked for me.The technique entails, and in that order; It is very easy to get discouraged at your workplace, especially when things are not going the way you imagined them to.You tend to build up negative energy.You get frustrated.You wake up in the morning and feel sad about going to work.   You can reform and redirect that energy.Push to be the best while you canBe the best even though this is not guaranteed because there would be other people better than you. Dominate your nicheDon’t get disturbed or carried away by what happens in your presence, but make your absence felt. Gradually, you will see some form of satisfaction building up.That is not job satisfaction.It is personal satisfaction.   You will smile when you see how well you’ve built yourself.Set personal goals and go to work to achieve those goals.Your goal might be to put smiles on your patients’ faces if you work in a healthcare firm.Or it might be to cheer your colleagues up.It could be anything.   Remember, this is different from your assigned role and responsibilities. That job is going to start making you come… to work.Now you are ready to make your move. Many times, managers are reluctant to let an indispensable worker go.If they are sensible enough, they might call for a sit down to discuss what the issues are. This is your chance to let it all out.Things might fall your way.If not, you’ve built a champion for your next job.   PS. Dear employers,Normalise treating your employees well and listening to them. They might leave your establishment and you lose the best hands when they feel unappreciated.Don’t create a situation where your employees will use your internet to apply for their next job.

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our love bond

La Promesa

Memoir

People who truly know me will understand when I say I don’t make promises.My words have always been enough, and they always will be. If you’re looking for something more assuring, you’re barking up the wrong tree. My words are my bond, and I stand by them with full confidence. So, take my words at face value, and you won’t be disappointed.But sometimes, we break our own rules, go against everything we believe in and do the opposite of what we stand for.I suppose whatever the reason may be, it’s a personal matter. I know what can make me bend my rules. But there are some rules I don’t break. I highly value family and relationships, and anyone who falls under these categories can influence my decisions. Note how I said, “anyone under these categories”. So don’t go about assuming your position in my life 🤣. You might be disappointed.   This piece is about promises I want to make to certain individuals in my life.   To my Dad:Sometimes, I want to address you formally and call you ” Atanda-Obalakun Snr. (Well, that’s who you are, Senior man). The patriarch of the Atanda-Obalakun clan. 🙌I look up to you in every way and you have been my go-to mentor.I promise to maintain the reputation of the family name and never to do anything that would damage it.I promise to carry on the name you started without tarnishing it.   To Mum:The Mama.Thank you for your love and care. I can’t thank you enough. Mama like no other. You’re simply the best.I want to whisper my promises to you because there are so many. However, I will write some of them down.Your concern for me is much and I promise to bring you that happiness and calm and you’re gonna have big celebrations.I also promise to bring you the best daughter-in-law. 😉   My siblings:Whenever I think about us, I remember a verse in the Bible.Ecclesiastes 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. We are 3 and that’s for a reason. The bond we share will never be broken.I promise to always be there. We’re the winning team and even when I’m far away, I will always be your number 1 fan.   My Lady:I know how many times I’ve said I’ll go to seminary to avoid heartaches.But the truth is that I love LOVE.I want LOVE.And I crave LOVE. This lady shall be my Queen, the love of my life, my soulmate, my partner, and my confidant.One day, when I take that walk with you down the aisle, I’ll make the whole world know the lady that’s gonna share a last name with Mum. Dear Future Mrs. Atanda-Obalakun, I promise to be there for you through thick and thin. I promise to always support you and show you all the love in the world. I promise to give you joy peace and the best family you can ever dream of. I promise to spend eternity with you and our love shall be Always and Forever. My unborn kid:I will leave my plans out of this but trust me, those plans are huge. I promise to give you the best Mum in the world. And when you guys come around, we shall explore all the love together.   My friends:And by friends, I mean the true and real ones. It’ll be my joy to see us all at the top, doing great things.I want my team to always succeed and I’m certain we will.I promise my support.And we are gonna be celebrating soon.   Life can be great with the right people in your cycle.But what do I know?I just want to build a winning team and be surrounded by those I can call FAMILY.

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Half-full, half-empty.

Memoir

They often say that situations in which we find ourselves can either make us or break us.This is true and it took my stubborn self to come to terms with that.Don’t get me wrong,I can sometimes be stubborn,But I am still the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. 😎Even though some bad belle individuals in conjunction with people of the world will try to make you think otherwise. 😉One day, you’ll get to read about me.Then, you can be the judge.   Imagine a very beautiful and sunny day- not the kind of sun that shines on the streets of Nigeria, that will always assume you’re some sort of barbecue and just continue to grill your skin. Maybe going on a date or something just to make the day great.You are filled with so much excitement and already imagining how the event will turn out.You turn on the car stereo to listen to some cool music.The views look different, even though it is the same road you’ve plied countless times.You even smiled at the Police. This rarely happens, but studies have shown that you automatically get a fair playing ground when you smile at Nigerian Police officers.Please don’t quote me.I don’t know who did the studies.I don’t even know if there was a study at all.It could have been a mere cruise   The traffic light goes RED, you stop, and you tap on the steering wheel, singing along to the music from the stereo.The light turns amber… then GREEN.Time to move.And the sweet Google Maps voice says, “After eight hundred metres, take the right turn, and your destination will be on the left“.You’re feeling excited when suddenly, someone from another car calls out to you…   “you’ve got a flat tyre.”   That announcement can change everything.You just have to stop and think of a solution.You can either attempt to fix that problem by yourself if you have a functioning spare tyreOr, if you are lucky, there could be a vulcaniser around the corner.   Here is a reality,Ladies may not need to stress much before someone stops to helpAgain, don’t get me wrong. I have seen a lot of ladies change car tyres themselves, and they did pretty well.And before the feminists start getting their titties hard over this, I should state here that this has nothing to do with gender privileges.   When you have a flat tyre, you have a decision to make there and fast too.You either allow the situation to ruin your day or you just look for the next option and move.You either become the glass-half-full or the glass-half-empty guy.Whichever you settle for, will be significantly influenced by your level of patience.   I was once caught in a decision quandary. A friend came to me with a piece of exciting news.Apparently, she got a positive response she’s been waiting on for a long time.I took my time to read through the attached terms and conditions and some things didn’t feel right- they felt like traps.She’s been very excited and she’s been passing the good news around.I didn’t know how to burst her bubble and be realistic with her.Should I tell her immediately or just let her enjoy the moment?It is a dilemma because I have had friends call me ‘buzzkill’ for being realistic.And even though these things don’t usually get to me, over time, I have learnt to mind my business, while drinking a lot of water.   That aqua therapy works. You should try it.   But this time, there was no water in sight.So I replaced water with air.Took in loads of it, got hyperinflated and I told her how I felt about the news.I think I must have killed her joy instantly because what I got was, “Why are you always like this?”   Weeks later, it turned out I was right after all.But our relationship already got strained.I wish she were more patient with me.And even though I always want to be a true friend,I also hate to be the bearer of bad news.I guess we can’t always have it smooth.   What would you do?   Do you face life as a realist, or do you deal with life as an Idealist?As for me, I go with the former- REALIST.That way, I can maximise my expectations and minimise disappointments.It all depends on how you choose to see life.   That you’ve-got-a-flat-tyre situation shouldn’t ruin it all for you.Just step out of the situation and if you’re my friend, we can fix it together.You can choose happiness when everything is going south, and this is not the same as suffering and smiling.You can choose love and light because love is beautiful and light is bright,Even though we sometimes prefer to make love in the dark. 😍   But what do I know? I just want the love of my life to live through this life with me while turning lemons into lemonade.     Thanks for your feedback. I love to hear from you guys.  

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Did it Bang though?

Memoir

I’m happy that 2020 didn’t end up being too crazy for me, despite everything that happened. I’m grateful for the good things that came my way and the lessons I learned. I’ll take these experiences with me as I move forward and make the most of what’s to come. We have all been through a lot this year, and we can all agree that COVID-19 is the main culprit.COVID shook the whole world. Although not everyone contracted the virus, we were all affected in some way.It changed our lifestyle all through the year.I never would have thought face coverings would be part of our lifestyle. But here we are – all masked up. Many people lost their jobs. Others got a pay cut. Some lost their lives. Others gave birth.Some got engaged and married. Others screamed ‘God when?‘.Some got new boyfriends/ girlfriends. Others got their baes snatchedSome got new jobs.Some relocated.But CORONA shook us all. With all these, we should still take a moment to say THANK YOU to GOD.Because it could have been worse. I had a good year.Not the greatest, but it was good.I crossed some things off my bucket list, and still crossing.Yeah, Vision 2020 came through.I met new people I will forever be grateful I made friends with.I am still meeting friends and hope to make more before 2020 finally runs out. 2021 has no promises yet, but I am hopeful we are going to have a smoother ride than we did (still having) in 2020. To all my readers, I want to say THANK YOU.This hobby only existed in my handbooks before 2020.Thank you for making The Juggling Prawn become human.We are going to do better together in the coming year. At a point in my life, Funky Dee’s Are you gonna bang doe was my anthem.I can’t explain how that happened.I just have a feeling whatever stimulated that is coming back in 2021. But what do I know…maybe I can still end 2020 with a BANG. WISHING YOU ALL AN AMAZING NEW YEAR!!!

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The Unintentional Heartbreak

Memoir

I am backSo there was a brief hiatus. I guess we all need breaks once in a while.I took a break under the sea, swimming with sharks.And now I am back.     There is recent news about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, suggesting they may not return to the UK again.What a Royal heartbreak. If you spend much time on social media these days, you are likely to read about heartbreak stories and it just seems like heartbreaks are suddenly taking centre stage.But what do I know?     The other day I saw a tweet asking people to share their heartbreak experiences.That tweet took me on a trip down memory lane. I smiled, laughed and then smiled again.While growing up, I did a lot of stupid things.Well, I believe making mistakes and learning are parts of growing.   I might have been exposed to my inner emotions very early (whatever that means, don’t ask me to explain it).All I know is that I started liking members of the opposite gender and that might be the reason my emotional being got traumatised so early.   I had my earliest heartbreak in JSS 1.Don’t tell me that it’s too early because some of y’all had boyfriends/girlfriends from Elementary school. I was sent to boarding school to study and instead of concentrating on books, I started looking at Tosin (definitely not her real name). Tosin was in my class and even though I may not understand the concept of attraction back then, I knew she had a portable physique.And I loved ‘portable’. One spirit (which I may not be able to classify as a good one) kept telling me she liked me too.I remember I kept hearing voices in my head telling me to observe how she slowed her pace whenever she walked past me.The truth is that she wasn’t going with a slow pace. It was all in my head. Whenever motivational speakers say “listen to the voice in your head” and you see me shrugging, this is the reason.God no go shame us… but He has to punish the devil for all these things.Sometimes, don’t listen to that voice in your head.E fit be setup I wrote several anonymous love letters which I always drop in Tosin’s desk locker every week.My seat wasn’t too far from hers and I always stole glances whenever she read those letters.The first time she read, I noticed a startled look.The next one came with a smile.I was enjoying the flow and the suspense.Boy, I was living in a fool’s paradise.     If I had watched a couple of Hollywood high school movies back then, I would have known how creepy my anonymous moves were getting.  I knew it got creepy because she tore the last letter I had written to her right after reading it. Boy, oh boy, it was as if she was tearing my skin.I almost screamed.     A Yoruba adage says “oo l’ogun arinya, o lon je ayon” (You don’t eat cockroaches unless you have antiemetics close)I wasn’t prepared for that at all.My heart paused.I was sick for almost a week.The Sickbay staff said I had malaria.I told them I was homesick.We were deceiving ourselves.     I came back to class after my malaria had subsided.Tosin was still there. The skipping heartbeats never left.Little did I know that my trouble had only just begun.There was a rumour about another guy in the next class (still my mate) was showing interest in my secret lady and had been making moves. Truthfully, the new guy’s moves were smoother than mine.But hey, I was just in JSS 1 and it seemed like you lot had been toasting babes since kindergarten.Life has never been balanced.     I saw them together at break time. Upon reflection, that was my first exposure to the concept of quality time.I saw my girl smiling and playing with another guy.And that was when I decided to ruin everything.At that particular moment, I suddenly realized that I had become the villain. One day, the new guy came into our class and dropped a note on my girl’s desk.I saw the love inscription on the note.My girl smiled at him and he left.I wanted to run mad.What I did next shocked me too.     Those were days I didn’t know how to say a proper prayer.It seemed like various entities had access to my mind and interfered with me to some extent.In those days, I was unaware of the concept of ‘letting go’.I just wanted to ruin everything.I couldn’t understand why my letter was torn while she smiled at another man’s love letter.I must have told myself “Today, we die here”. As soon as I saw the note in Tosin’s hand, I knew I had to act fast. Without thinking twice, I snatched the note from her and made a run for it, hoping to avoid any consequences.“Emi villain”.   Tosin ran after me, telling me to stop.But I kept on running.I slowed down at some point and read the content of the love note.Each line I read was like an arrow shot at me.The wordings were enough to sweep any juvenile babe off her feet.I continued reading, but the content weakened me like poison.She caught up with me and sent a hard punch to my tummy.The letter and the punch both delivered a heavy blow, leaving me unsure of which one hurt more. The words on the page cut deep, while the physical pain lingered long after the impact. It’s difficult to say which one caused the most damage, but both left a lasting mark on me.I wanted to die on that day. It was a really good day to die.I was hurt.     Tosin and I pretended to be enemies for the next four years.We started talking during our final year of high school, and we discussed what happened back then. After that, we became friends.But not for a long

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Hang In There.

Blog, Memoir

Through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep your head up and handle it. Tupac (Me against the world; lyrics) At some point in life, you must have asked yourself at least one of these questions; why do good people die?why do bad things happen to good people?why do good things come to an end? Life is an exhilarating adventure that can bring us joy, excitement, and unforgettable memories. However, it can also throw us unexpected curveballs that challenge our resilience and adaptability.One moment, a man can be jumping with excitement and the next few hours, he gets interred.Two extremes, isn’t it?It feels like nothing is certain.Take a look at what is happening globally – COVID-19.Late 2019 was filled with loads of merriment but here we are – LOCKED DOWN. When I think about the uncertainty of Life, the Biblical story of Job comes to mind.It is a good motivation to trust in God (apologies to those who still don’t believe there is GOD).He was a very wealthy man and he was righteous too.Job was living his life and God was pleased with him. Pleased enough to use him to show off to Satan.Satan, being good at what he does best, told God to take away all that Job had and see if he would still be faithful.God permitted Satan to take away all Job had – his wealth and children. He was even afflicted with a terrible disease. This got me wondering.Why does God allow bad people to succeed in doing bad things to good people? He definitely has His reasons, yeah? Just know that when your village people* are scheming on your matter, you won’t be there. And their plan can still go on.But let’s leave the talk about village people for another day. To be very honest, I don’t think I’ve been able to build my faith to the point where I would have to say amen to every prayer said by a man of God. I can’t be the only one who analyses statements of a prayer before saying amen.I have been told several times not to apply logic when dealing with GOD. Well, I am trying. One day, I was in a church service and the pastor told us to pray. He dropped quite several prayer points but the one that struck me was;“Dear brethren, tell God to use you to do whatever he likes”.   At that moment, I opened one eye slowly and scanned the whole church.I was looking for someone having the same thoughts as I had going through my head.I found none.Or maybe some were using other subtle methods to analyse, without opening their eyes. It’s a good prayer, yeah. After all, we are supposed to live for God’s purpose.But all I could think about was the story of Job.Don’t ask if I finally said that prayer. It’s between God and me. Job was living a good life.  And he didn’t bargain for what happened to him. He was not even aware a decision was being made on his life.This is why we always pray against every evil plan by the enemy on our lives, isn’t it? So, Job lost everything. But he remained faithful.In the end, God restored everything to him in multiple folds.Yeah, shame on the devil. Bad things happen to good people. Good things come to an end.But bad things end too. So how do we live through all the uncertainties of life?I think we can only hope (for the best) and have faith. HOPE?Yeah. That should do. Hope is simply keeping the flame burning.I believe hope should be the kernel of life.It is not going to keep bad and notorious things from happening to us.It just conditions our mind to wade through those bad things so we don’t become miserable before the good happens.It increases our chances of surviving hard times.It helps to knock out the negatives while creating a positive mindset. It will be hard to act blind to all the troubles of the world but when you have a positive goal, you try hard to ignore the current rough paths and forge ahead. Life will throw a lot of things at you: You can use those things to your advantage and ignore those that can cause hindrances. You know what they say about the world throwing lemon at you and you make lemonade out of it. I wonder what one is expected to make out of bitter kola. Just make something. You have to believe in your goals always. This will strengthen your hope in your journey.We don’t know for sure how life is going to be after COVID.But we can decide how we want it to affect us. So live your life. Be happy. Pray against the devil.Wash your hands always and sanitize them.Maintain good hygiene.And always remember that bad things come to an end too. But what do I know?I am just a prawn trying to maintain positive vibes while I juggle through life. *village people: the antagonists (bad belle people).

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What to expect, while expecting.

Blog

So the weather is the type suitable for making babies.You look at her sheepishly and she gives you that shy look and blows you a kiss with her tongue pointing to the side.(Ladies, you all know that pose).The atmosphere is dehumidified but the room is getting hot.Heartbeats are racing like some type of coronary horse race.You both start to exhibit the behaviour a magnet shows to a metal. It’s sweaty with several pumps.The grounds are fertile.Episodes of JIZZ and the egg (I hope I never have to explain this)The seed is planted.And…BOOM!!!A baby is expected… soon. Do you think you know where this writing is going?NO. I bet you don’t This isn’t about what you’re expecting. This is not some erotic case file. We all expect something all the time. Well, most of the time.Christians expect Jesus to come soon and then, eternal life.Muslims expect to go to Jannah, the final abode of the righteous and Islamic believers. Benjamin Disraeli has got to be the most realistic man on earth when he said, “I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best”.Some people will say he’s a pessimist. But, I’m not here to judge what is right or wrong.‘He was clearly expecting something while expecting’. Now let’s back it up a lirru bit. …okay.Wait!, let’s take it back to the beginning. The beginning of creation, according to the Bible. God created the heavens and the earth. He saw it and they were good.He went further to create Man. That was good too.God gave man the free will to choose between wrong and right (I know someone who would ask why I put wrong before right).God expected man to be sensible to do the right thing.God knows everything before it happens, yeah?So maybe while He was expecting Man to choose right, He also knew Man coulddecide to do ‘things men do’. I keep wondering if the apple Eve collected from the serpent was the green or the red one.’I also keep wondering if it was the same apple Eve gave Adam to bite from or another apple entirely from the forbidden tree.If it was the same apple, you can’t tell me that wasn’ t the origin of “Love insharing”. So, Man made his choice and we know where that got us.Remember the story of the jism and the egg? (Please, don’t ask me still). A man and a woman copulate. They know what to expect- Pregnancy.They also expect a baby to be out in about 40 weeks.The baby might decide to sneak out before the 36th week or just chill and continue to throw kicks for a few more days after the 40th week. Several pushes, (God bless our women) and the baby is out- beautiful daughter or fresh boy (or both).Our baby is expected to turn out good (well, all kids are good, ain’t they?).You want an ambition for him (or her)… that’s your expectation. But he could be nursing other ambitions.Don’t be dismayed, just support him with prayers and hope he doesn’t become a drug addict or the kind that will see the house with the occupants in it. We voted for our leaders because we expected them to deliver.Whether they did that or not, you be the judge of that.I love the fact that we expect something good from them. I also like how we put in some shock absorbers with statements like “our leaders are useless still”, and “they are all the same”. Now you get the point. You have expectations and you also know they can screw up. Dear Kings, the doctor will always tell you not to stress your wives when they are heavy with the unborn baby.That shouldn’t be a problem at all. It is expected.The doctor will not tell you that your wife can wake up and start craving roasted corn and coconut at 2 am during agbalumo season.Frustrating, they say it is but, I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been in that situation.If it’s true, I know I will experience it someday. Leonard Snart (aka Captain Cold), a character in the TV show, The Flash, stated four rules of planning. I won’t subscribe to the last rule.That last rule shouldn’t even be an option if you were already expecting while expecting.There should have been a backup plan.So I will replace that last rule with; executing the backup plan. In life, we have to take the good with the unpleasant.You just might be lucky to have it all good.Keep expecting and back it up with hope… and prayers. Enjoy what you have. Don’t raise your hopes too high…or maybe you should.You might be part of the lucky few who have ALL their wishes fulfilled. But what do I know? I’m just a happy CRUSTACEAN trying to find my bearing amongst men.

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