2017: Such A Beautiful Orchestra

Just some days ago, I was talking with my friend Dayo, and we were gisting about how 2017 was. I was going on and on about how I had already started writing a depressing article about it and how I will not post such negativity on my blog, but will send it to him (because obvs, I don’t care very much about him).

But then I went to church on Wednesday and during prayers, I talked with God about my year. The intention was to thank Him, but as I was recounting events in the year it turned out to be a session of revelation. By the time He was done revealing, I  felt so silly about writing my initial depressing article and I could not stop saying, ‘Wow! 2017 was a beautiful Orchestra’

And it was!

I should do an in-depth study on orchestras or something, but I know by heart that some tunes played in an orchestra would sound awful / off-key as solos. I know that some sounds, although will not sound awful on their own, would however sound more beautiful with musical accompaniments. I also know that in judging an orchestra, it’s the overall big picture (I know I know, ‘picture’ is not a very apt word to use) that matters.

2017 was that beautiful orchestra for me.

Now, the first sound you’ll hear listening to my 2017 is the sound of breaking, like a heart breaking, because a heart was. Yes, it was the contra-melodic sound that breakup brings that opened up my Orchestra of a year. In the audience seat, everyone was looking in horror, ‘Did the orchestra begin badly! Oh My! This is a new show, should it really be starting off like this. Does the Conductor know what He is doing.’ But the Conductor was smiling and nodding and conducting the breaking. It sounded like sniffing, worrying, not sleeping, not studying, questioning, stalking and so on. Even the instrumentalist herself was like, ‘Yo, what the hell, Conductor? This is hell.’ But just when the audience is giving up on the show and people are picking up their bags to leave, the sweetest sound fills the open air of 2017 and fills in all the harshness of the breaking, which by the way, was still going on.

‘What is that?!’, the audience asked in hushed tones, unconsciously trying not to adulterate the beautiful sound the of the now two-Instrument orchestra. The name of the second instrument is called, Celebration Church. The Instrumentalist was a young-looking pastor in a neat suit. It was the way he rightly divided the Bible – with so much confidence and so much precision. I, in particular, was in the audience seat for this one. I sat at the edge of my seat at Silverbird Cinema on that Sunday Morning thinking, ‘Wowza! Where has this been all my life.’ It turned out that he had other instrumentalists with him, there was his wife also with her amazing melody and then his congregation with all their beautiful and pure music that just soothed me. They all drowned the initial solo sound of breaking with their undiluted truth of God’s word and their love. As I dropped my Breaking instrument and joined them in their beautiful melody, the Conductor smiled and winked at me. I heard Him say, ‘Now you know why the first horrific solo was necessary?’ And I knew.

After this melody, things were pretty easy…on the ear. There were loads of tough instruments but the aforementioned melody softened every harsh tone. And boy, were there harsh tones here and there.

There was the intense and upbeat jam called ‘Law school’, and then there was the discouraging feedback called ‘Law school result’. There was the rock jam that somehow fit in called, ‘Deciding to get a second piercing’ and then there was the corporate job beat called, ‘Getting a corporate job in Abuja’. But before that one came up, there was a really draggy solemn scary part called, ‘Creepy September: Family Issues in G Major’. My My, it was crazzzzzzzyyyyy. Anyway, almost immediately after that, a short gig played called, ‘Media Personnel for the Federal Minister of Trade’. It was so viby and short-lived, but it was nice while it lasted.

All the while, my Conductor kept smiling. Not a single beat was out of place. Even though I had to shuffle between instruments and, sometimes, take the audience seat, He remained on his stand called, ‘Throne’, not missing a thing, never surprised, never tired. He was so confident of how this was going to end with an applause. Even as sick beats were produced (I really mean that literally. 2017 was the year I fell sick the most), even to the point of doctors recommending HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis tests carried out (lol, my Conductor probably chuckled when I took the tests). Even as dead beats were produced (I really mean that literally as well. I had an accident this year that could potentially have taken my life). My Conductor stayed confident. And, you see, all the confidence I exuded this year was merely from looking at Him.

The orchestra is ending and while those still left in the audience stand can testify to it being the most eventful Orchestra with mad twists and turns, I am personally grateful to my Conductor. This is what it means when we say, ‘We give all glory to God’, because really, my 2017 would have been one hell of a solo Breaking instrumental, if not for Him.

Also, as this Orchestra went on, I was able to squeeze in meeting AMAZING people who I love so much and calling them friends, I was able to write a book to gift myself on my birthday, I was able to turn 22 years old, I was able to discover that I am innately a bad-ass football player (kindly ask David Rotimi or David Odunlami, my Middle Man partners), I was able to survive my uncountable road and air trips. I was able to heal. And I do not take any of these things lightly.

As the orchestra ends tomorrow, I want you all to know that I have the awesome-est Conductor EVER. And that a thousand songs won’t be enough to express my gratitude for the heck of an orchestra 2017 was!

I cannot wait to see His Music sheets for next year.