De Val Dynamics: Life isn’t A Sadist

Jarlath Uche Opara

Few days ago, I was awarded a Doctoral degree on Ceative Literary Thinking.
I posted some of the convocation pictures on my Facebook wall which of course attracted some goodwills from friends and loved one.

Though a great moment to relish . However, something happened that made me look at life differently, from the prism of humor.

There is nothing as relieving as humor or jokes.

Words spoken with humor and laced with jokes, however caustic and harsh, come to the soul igniting smiles, chuckles and laughter as the case may be.

He called me. As I picked trying to know the identity of the caller through the voice since the name didn’t pop up. So you don’t have my number eeh? No problem! He chuckled as tried to explain why didn’t recognise it was his number.

Jarlath which Archdiocese do you belong to ? Abuja Archdiocese I answered innocently. I saw you
in a picture with choir members. When did you join choir? Me choir? At a point I wanted to believe it. My mind instantly began to race around, to know if there was anytime I snapped with the choir . It was an endless race in magination, as hard as I tried, I was lost in the imaginary choir world he was creating around my mind.

We wanted to congratulate me, and appreciate the feat achieved. Instead of calling and going straight to say possibly a bland and prosaic congratulations, being creative about it was his beautiful fringe through the aroma of humor.

Humor is sedative. Humor is alluring. Humor has a great fragrance that wheezes through the stuffy nature of souls and gives it freshness. Good humor has the capacity to take depressed souls from the valley of pains, disappointment and sulking to a place of momentary bliss.

I knew he was humorous, I didn’t know there was some tincture of mastery in his humor. I knew jokes and humor run in his blood seamlessly, I didn’t know the deep spontaneity that his jokes and humor are laced with. Oga Val as I call him, took me off my comfort zone with his humor and nearly made me believe what I wasn’t- choir member. His humor brought out the obvious similarities between a choral gown and my academic gown. Of a truth don’t they look alike?

Iife isn’t a war or a battle that needs to be confronted with every sense of seriousness one can muster. It isn’t a game of chess that leaves one with no choice than to look on the board, the movement of the
pawns, Bishop, etc with sterness and deep concentration with less or no fraternal exchange of
humor.

Until we begin to see life from the lenses of humor regardless of the overwhelming challenges that make one forlorn and stressed out, it would be very difficult to breathe while in the valley .

When the bible said the joy of the Lord is your strength, it was a subtle way of saying, look at life from the rays of joy, humor and jokes however complex life appears.

Life isn’t A sadist. it is neither a fada Christmas. It is rather what one makes out of it.

I have known Oga Val long enough to understand the dynamics of his philosophy of life, which of course isn’t far from looking at things however complex and challenging from the lenses of jokes and humor.

Such approach doesn’t suggest irresponsibility, unseriouness and lack of commitment. On the contrary it makes life easier, creating a relaxed mind for great musings that would possibly solve whatever jinx life throws at one.

Don’t carry the world’ challenges on the head, life is not a sadist. Carry it with humor and jokes, deliberately smelling roses of amazing fragrances as one walks on the road of life.

Tinubu’ administration has given us enough of harsh baggages to carry about. Don’t add to it. Use humour and jokes to ligthen up the burden and pains in people’s life. .

If you can’t be creative with humor and jokes go meet Val Mgbeahuruike, he seems to me a czar and a doyen of creative humour. He made my day today and caused me laugh as I have never did in a long while.

Life is not a sadist. Not even pepperish. Life is simple and a jolly good fellow once one approaches it with humour and creative jokes.

When next you meet someone or in a conversation with someone, regardless of the thorns and heat of life, spray fragrance of humour and jokes not insecticide of sadness, anger and pale disposition.

Life has no duplicate, make the best use of it by being that source that gives joy, smile and laughter not the inverse. We can’t kill ourselves!

Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com