The Writer's Pen

I’m sure you have seen Will Smith’s movie on the ‘pursuit of happyness’. I love that movie unlike many people. Come on I love thriller and blockbusters even horror movies but sometimes we need some movies to draw us back to reality and not remain there in fantasy. I believe that man is constantly searching for happiness. We wish to be in the state of happiness but so many of us ever realize that state. Why? We allow so many things to get to us. My girlfriend calls those blocks to happiness, “necessary evils” but those things happen I know but we have to look beyond that. Just Thursday I asked my girlfriend a question, “whether she believed that man could be happy all the days of his days.” I’m asking you the same thing today, do you think that’s possible. I read Norman Vincent Peale’s book, “the power of positive thinking” and one thing I learned is that to be happy you have to work hard at it.

Almost all of us allow so many things to get to us, we waste countless hours in getting out minds into thought processes that only weaken us and not strengthen us. I know things get difficult, it does for everybody. I know there are so many queer people that turn to get our nerves al the time and could draw out many reactions we would otherwise not have. It’s like the ‘evil twin’ – I hate that term.

Imagine a case when someone is shouting and yelling, just an argument. When you both yell at each other the fight continues until one person yells louder than the other or throws the harder punch. Good! Now picture this situation in which instead of yelling you whisper, the argument won’t go on…trust me, I know from several experiences. When most decided to argue things out with me, many times I know this would just be a waste of energy so I just whispers, “it’s fine, ok…I understand” It’s far better than continuing the long drag hurting you emotions. A man said that any time he was angry e would lie down; have you tried it before, when you re lying down it’s difficult to argue, you talk normally and cool off the argument. Another man also decided that when he was angry he would say in his mind, “For God so love the world that He gave,” about ten times before he reacted and by that time he was cool.

Why I’m I talking about this argument thingy; well so many of us get frustrated and angry about life and all the pressures we face in it. It read that way back in the 20^th century about 10000 Americans had to take sleeping pills to be able to sleep. Now I don’t even want to imagine that growth in number in the 21^st century, it’s crazily high. Why? Because people are running faster than their minds, rushing through this life, and then when they come to the end of it, or even right there in the middle they don’t know what they are looking for, they haven’t found happiness. Do you know that nothing comes easy? So being happy in a continuous state you need to put yourself in that mental state. Ok what I’m I even saying? I decided to resolve on it. A lesson learnt from Norman Peale in his book I mentioned earlier. I’d wake up and right there before I stepped out of my bed I’d tell myself that I’m going to have the best day ever, and I would go out there and smile and laugh at any mountain that came in front of me, it’s not easy at first but later you realize that the mountains begin to melt, because whatever anyone does can’t bring you down…nothing. Why? Because you decided to go out there since the morning you woke up and have the best of the day whatever came before you. There’s an example which Mr. Peale recounted in is book I’d like to share with you. There was this man who always woke up from bed always and he had to rush to work, he would come back tired and all worn out. Sometimes he would even miss his breakfast, I guess. One time he before putting his foot down on the floor, he notice a bed it’s nest near his bedroom window in the morning, the bird removed it’s head from under it wings, opened it’s eyes, took a look around and put his head back under it’s wings for some five minutes and got is head out again, shook his head and wings and starting singing flying down to probably look for food. The man saw and realized what many people never see and noticed before they die. You know what that is? He realized that even birds take some time to get out from their beds, they seem to take life easy and don’t allow things to control them, they take control of their own lives. He resolved to take his time when getting out of bed, relax and sing and he said that singing really helped him in the morning. I mean come on, what can stop a mind with a mental attitude to make himself happiness. Things will come, they always do. You ability to not let them draw you down is going to continue your happiness. Stop worrying.

Wake up every morning, and after saying you are going to have the best day ever day, ask God to move you through. If you encountered a problem during the day, I want you to say to yourself, “If God is for me who can be against me?” When the day ended, before you close your eyes, thank God for the best day he gave you, and hope that tomorrow will be better than the one gone by. Say this, “God, I know that those mistakes I made today were because I wasn’t listening to you. Help me Lord to listen to You all the time before I do everything. I know that those things that were so good came as a result of me listening to you.”

NO-ONE HAS ANY RIGHT TO MAKE YOU HAPPY THAT YOURSELF, I’D TRY BUT IT’S A CHOICE….DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY ALWAYS? IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, WHY NOT TRY BELIEVING IT, BESIDES WHAT HARM WOULD IT DO.

James Allen said, “A man is what he thinketh.” It’s you choice.

            I’m sure you now know that I started writing in Grade six, and the biggest formal meeting about my writing career at that time was in Grade Six, I was twelve. O the latter part you didn’t know. I had not dreamt yet to be a writer, why? I stumbled in class one morning before school assembly and then I saw my best friend and good friends doing some challenge in writing. I read about a paragraph of their works, because by then that’s all they had. I loved it and so I joined in, and then we would write and read each other’s work. Later in Grade seven, I hadn’t stopped, I harboured a passion for writing I didn’t know and somehow I got introduced to Mrs. Vera Arhin, an English Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s Language Centre. I didn’t know that then; all I knew was that she was going to help me in my publishing career, help me shape and put a more direct focus on that dream.

              Later on she told me that, there was a company a publishing company that was taking the scripts of people and publishing them if they found them good, for reading materials educational systems. I had a wider view at that age to make the whole world to read my work, I still do, but I loved to start from anywhere. So there was a meeting at the Publisher’s House with all other guys on board. Mind you I was twelve, didn’t know how to get around pretty much, so my dad took me to Mrs. Arhin’s house so she in turn could go with me to the meeting. Dad dropped me off, and left. I left nervous at the same time good, why? Because I was so happy that finally someone had decided to take my work seriously to the next level. Not that those who read it before didn’t like it, they loved it but I needed that next level.

             So we gathered at the publisher’s house only to be told that he or she couldn’t join us because of some illness. I didn’t know what was going on so all I had to do was join the party; the meeting was later taken to Mrs. Arhin office, a young, beautiful accomplished woman in her own way with amazing command over the English Language. I had sat in many of her talks during seminars the church organized for us. Anyways it was her office; I knew it was at the University of Ghana, but I didn’t know where we were, all I knew was that we climbed some two story building and her office was on the last floor. There was another woman in the group of five or six or so, later I was going to be introduced to Mrs. Beatrice Torto. Everyone was so nice, but I still felt nervous. Hey but I at certain intervals thought, “come on you are twelve you can handle this and be a man!” Funny the way kids can think and get ourselves around. When I was introduced to some others, I remember one person said, “Edwin, welcome on board,” and shook my hand. It felt so good seeing someone with the same passion I had. They were all older than I was. Later in the meeting Mrs. Arhin who the leader of this meeting said no one writes without any reason, but then it hit me, why I’m I writing at all. I was supposed to talk first because I sat next to the leader. I said, “I wanted to write to make children and people realize that they could also do what I do.” Stumbling a bit with the words I remember then Mrs. Arhin re-phrased what I said, “ohh ok, to unearth talent, right?” I just nodded in agreeing to what I didn’t hear properly. I didn’t have a reason like that anytime before that meeting. I didn’t know why I said that. Ask me today and it’s still the same reason I have today for writing. Sometimes if you don’t have a reason, make one, that’s what will drive you onwards.

            Mrs. Arhin had read my scripts and that’s why I was in that meeting that day. She told me I wrote drama. Honestly to when I didn’t feel like I wrote drama. Deep in me I thought I wrote in prose, because the scripts I gave to her were in prose so why was she saying drama. I felt hey, she’s the professional so I guess I would have to listen and make this work. Later in that meeting she introduced me to Mrs. Torto, her colleague at the John Hopkins, she’d help me write drama and when I had a beautiful script, it would go in print. Thing is, Mrs. Torto thought me a lot in writing. I was then a free writer, I’d pick up my pen and things just flew right out of it, I could write twenty chapters and so on without having to plan and actually have a beautiful story. She told me that writers had to plan their work, their characters and everything. I had planned my characters in mind I guess, and was moving them around in my plot, seemed well, but I guess with putting down my characters on papers it would help a lot. I tried it, but this whole drama thing was working. Mrs. Torto came around my house twice to work on the script…and then miraculously we lost contact till date. It’s mysterious looking at the whole event, I don’t know what happened, but the book didn’t happen till date. Still having published any story yet, but seven years down the line I till have that dream and I would move the entire universe to make it happen. It’s my passion.

              So seven years later, I‘m now in the University of Ghana as a student, the place I had my meeting when I was in Grade six. I could recall the building but as to whether Mrs. Arhin was still there I didn’t know. I asked and someone confirmed, but said probably she had travelled. So one time I was at the building to see my lecturer to present my assignment. I hadn’t climbed to the last floor before but as I got there I knew I had been there before, walking through the corridor with closed doors and names on the doors. Guess what? I saw Mrs. Arhin’s name on one of them. I went to my lecturer’s place first but the door was locked. Good! I went and knocked Mrs. Arhin’s door and there was a “come-in response”. I opened to there she was, I could recognize the voice from out the door. She sat there in her black seat and her brown attire, still looking beautiful and eloquent in speech. I could help notice that the room was so cool compared to the outside. I told her my name, she couldn’t make me out. I mean come on I was in Grade six, and now a fresher in the university. She asked me to help her recall then I recounted the day we had the meeting, Mrs. Torto and all. Then she smiled and said, “So yo were the little guy now so grow up and found yourself in the University of Ghana. You have a good memory.” I laughed. Then she said, “So where’s the book?” Well the question dazzled me a bit but I told her I lost contact with Mrs. Torto, so nothing really happened. On that note she told me to write down my number and contact info because some guys she was working with; a publishing firm needed writers and their works for publishing. I was thrilled, about seven years I was back in the same room it started, amazing. I prayed this doesn’t go around again, after that we talked after about her and where she had been and how God had helped her; she’s now starting little by little with her own company, a writing corporation definitely. I met her this week…and people I’ve got work to do…its back to the old drawing board. Not to suggest I stopped writing, I couldn’t. Just that God told me that I had to prepare before I met my publisher, not with one story but many.

                   Hey people…I need you help on something, very serious. I got some fictional material to publish. I had this dream since Grade 6, when I started writing fictional stories, and I need a publisher, you know that whole string of team players that will come together to bring books out to the public. Could you bring this down for me. People, I know I could look to you. Maybe you know someone, anybody who could help. Just hook me up and surely I’m not going to disappoint you. I don’t normally leave a number, but if there’s anything at all call me okay! I know you can make this happen for me. I know this sounds crazy and all but I believe you can help me.

Edwin Bonney

(+233)-24-3014525

Accra, Ghana.

Still waiting… Call me and let’s make this deal come through.

          Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I know, I know. Well, just like the title of this post suggests, I didn’t win the debate but I don’t call it a loss, because I learned a lot from that experience, I’ll tell you what happened.

           Something weird happened the two hours before the debate officially began. I took my diary to just check out the motion of the debate again. I don’t know why I did that but I did.  Somehow I wish I had done that many days later, I made a mistake in my research due to the idea of the topic I had in mind. In stead of the “Post- elections violence in Ghana, a near impossibility,” I had in mind, yeah that’s why I said I should have looked back in my diary…I thought the motion was, “Post-elections violence in Ghana, a near possibility.”  It was crazy, just mistaking impossibility for possibility took me to the edge of the cliff just two hours, I can still feel the pressure of that day; so all the days I had done the research was way over the cross bar. I was the 1^st Speaker for the motion, so if I hadn’t cross-checked my diary, I would have been speaking against the motion. I think I would have probably won or done much better I spoke against, that what I had mistakenly prepared on for days.

            Well, I realized it, time wasn’t on my side, I hadn’t debated formally, I just wanted to try my hands on debating, and it was fun though picturing me and all those gestures standing before people with all eyes fixed on you. I love talking to people, you know, like what I’m doing now, talking to you. You think you are reading, well sorry pal, I’m talking to you. Who else do you think I’m talking to? Ok! Back to the main story, so I tried re-adjusting my script but I knew it wasn’t too good. So I got there, in my blue stripped shirt and black-brown neatly ironed trousers, you remember what my momma said (sure you can’t you weren’t there ), “the way you dress is the way you are addressed,” so hey who knows, it could win something. Got there, there wasn’t a lot of audience; the program couldn’t wait for more people so it started. There were 16 other people there going to debate, I went, delivered. You know when you start a speech before an audience, there’s a little of nervousness even for the most experienced but when you get through the two sentences, you are fine to go.

               Ok long story, Edwin… the results were given for only the first three people, and I wasn’t included, but I enjoyed myself. Besides all those who won had debate formally before, so hey! Who said experience doesn’t pay, it surely pays. So if you got experience on something, pal one advice, don’t get complacent go all out and do what you do, you never know when people are watching. You could end up being my role model, who knows? Well, fine I’ll now tell you what I learned from that experience, some of which you would only know when you participate in events of these nature. The thing is I learnt a lot about myself, some of which was a confirmation to what I thought I was. I know, I’m talking too much… relax people what’s the hurry!

              After the program the former president of the University of Ghana’s debate society approached me to tell me his observation and comments. He actually told me that he knew I hadn’t debated before from the way I carried myself. I said, I was being too informal with the audience and that wasn’t the way debates were supposed to be, besides when you had only five minutes to make your point’s clear and I had a command over the English language and definitely had no problem with it. (If you hadn’t been time to you would think 5 minutes is a lot… I will live that to you test). Well I didn’t disagree with what the guy told me, I know I love to be so informal in speech with everyone I meet. It creates a bond with the people you meet even if they had bad impressions of you. I mean come on, if I met you somewhere would you like me to be formal, it sounds too tight, maybe we’ll both not to free to express ourselves and these formal conversation has a lot of pretense in it, do you realize that? I do and that’s why I don’t really like it. People just go in formal throw vocabulary you don’t understand and they just like you hanging. But hey! There’s time for being formal and that debate was for being formal. So I got to work on my speech formal delivery. That why I love motivational and business speakers who are informal in delivery, the most informal ones tends to stick better because of the way the speakers freely relates with the people, there’s this likeness for him or her even if you haven’t met him before. So hey not winning the debate wasn’t that bad, besides now I have debated formally, I’m sure if I meet you, I’ll beat you. Want a challenge? I know my flaw in terms of formal speeches; do you know your flaw?

Well let me cut the long story…hmmmm…actually I don’t think I could cut the whole story short. Did you say why? Because then it won’t make no sense. I can’t jump to the laying the bricks before digging the foundation. Jeeeeeeeeeees! It makes no sense to do that. Next time someone wants to cut the long story short…it’s HELL No!

              Well, definitely you know I’m going to talk about a she in here…pssssssh! We both know that! Well she’s called Rabi, a very good friend of all of us who started middle school together in my school. If you heard her full name you would think probably she is a muslim, damn no! She’s a strong Christian sister…at least trying… No hate Rabi, just kidding. Thing with her full name, oppps I have not told you that…she would kill me if I do, I think! Yea! Is a one wonderful family, her brothers are all muslims and her dad, but her mum and her sisters are Christians. Tell her, “That’s one kind of a crazy family.” She will go like, I know. Wow! All the guys muslims and ladies, Christian…unbelievable and there’s a strong bond and love between all of them.

We meet in school, actually we really got to know each other, call and stuff like that since grade nine…she was sitting in front of me in class. Always arguing, talking sense and nonsense…you know all that mixture. Right there on our row, it was one crazy bunch of people. We sat in pairs, Augustine and Vidal, Adwoa and Wendy, Rabi and Jessye, Alfie and I, Joel and Ama Serwa, Harriet and Ekua. Maybe I’m mixing the last parts up…LOL. But that row was crazy; we were always laughing and teasing each other about different things all the time. I remember they used to tease me about my school shorts. They claimed it was so short, pals you didn’t want to see but I loved it, right above my knee (look like some girl trying to you know…ewwwww…things like that all got us turned on right from morning till 1400.

             We used to always talk about Rabi and her eating habits for dinner at that time. The girl loved to take tea. Almost every time like after 1700 when you call her, she’s telling you, she’s taking tea. You know at that age there’s nothing necessary to talk about on phone, you just want to get on the phone and talk to somebody about nonsense, and with Rabi anytime you found out what was up she was taking eat and probably a meat-pie if me memory is right. I think now the meat-pie with the tea is a bit out. Jeeeeeeeeeeeees! Enough with the tea already Rabi, believe me after so many years she hasn’t still stop. How could she? It’s damn sure a habit now….LOL. Rabi didn’t leave far from the school, probably a three minutes walk from home…so most of us went there so times, she lived in the flats, and many of the others too in the class. You get to the flats you meet so many known faces back in school, miss those times, people..come on I know you do too.

So we all left for senior high in different schools, and goodness most of the old crew are back together in the university I’m in. Glad seeing that we all pulled through the tough Ghanaian system and seeming very strong. Rabi and I are in the same university, actually I didn’t know till I call one day and she told me she’d also got admission. Before we proceed, I got to let you now that most of the old crew moved out from around the old school area, Rabi and I saw each other not much but at least I know I could decide to walk up from my house and within fifteen minutes I could be there. We always said, I’d take her to my place but till now she doesn’t know there. We decided maybe during the Christmas holidays. So we kind of bonded a bit as time went on. Not bond like bond nut we got close. (people come on now! trust me, if something was down I would have told you. ) So we are in same university, where I am now. We practically see each other almost everyday expect for the weekends if we both go home or something. Thing is we hang out…she’s now like a soul sister or something. I got her back she’s got mine. I eat at her place almost every evening on campus. When she needs something she hollas, if it’s within my reach it’s a deal. I do the same thing I would do to my sisters with her. Sometimes when she talks about some other guys and goes on and on, I go like, “ok! Ok! Rabi, I told you not to talk to strangers,” jokingly then we all laugh about it including her roommates if they’re around. I just worry all of them, teasing them. I can almost imagine her saying all the time I make a mistake with a woman’s behaviour and reaction or speech. She says, “Edwin…don’t do that, you have to learn so that no woman at all comes to our family.” When its food and I say Rabi that’s too much, “Edwin, I’m trying to let you know that when SHE comes, she’s got to do more.” I’m like, “yes mum.” Sometimes she acts so much like my mum…omg! The raised voice and all she could bring on. Many times she always have to quarrel when she says I’m her junior brother. Just pulling her legs a bit, she’s a year older than me. OMG! I forgot her day…damn! I got to found out…thinking of it she hasn’t told me before.

            Recently she told me she’s singing in the church choir. Uh-huh, Rabi come now I know you sing but does it have to be the choir. Just kidding, I’m quiet impressed she’s progressing steadily at it, glad for her that’s she hapy with what she’s doing$. There’s a program coming up next week. I wish her all the best. In a nut shell she’s about the most mixed up person I know, but she’s a lovely person altogether.

          Ohhhhhh and before I forget, about her love life…should I even tell you? Hmmmmmmm… “Rabi stop fidgeting aight! I won’t say everything like everything…you know it within the family,” but she’s going strong, and hey any man that wins her heart should not lose it after the victory otherwise you don’t want to know… I know what goes on with her, at least she’s THE sister I got on campus, and we talk a lot about. Rabi I just want to say that hey I know you some ambitious heck of a woman, just go out there and give all your best. I know you won’t let us down. All the best! Ohh I forgot to tell you, she’s cute. She always teases that beauty is bought in a store… yeah right, like you bought yours in a store!

Before I forget I’m sure you met her best friend, Jessye…she’s the one I talked about in the other script, “Through her eyes” – you could check it out, if you haven’t. It’s a jungle out here and you need FRIENDS to pull you through, when you get them don’t lose them. One thing, you heard they said, “It is the survivor of the fittest out here”…actually to have it a lot less stressful…you need REAL friends like RABI. They are out there, you know!

           I have been a little off the blog these days. I’m very sorry but I had no idea that university pressure could really put me off certain things. Now that I’m about settled a bit, I’m sure I’ll be a bit into the blog more. Some thing happened a fortnight ago. I know, I know, I should have told you earlier, but you know why? University pressure, jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesss! You made me say it again. The more I say it, the more I feel it all around me, I know it is high time I stop it. I have now… Sooooo.. a fortnight ago, I met a senior back in senior high, now he’s in his third year here. It was strange after I thought about the whole thing that happened.

            I had for that week thought about the idea of joining the debate team. Maybe I should explain myself better. The idea had crossed my mind, maybe like twice, I didn’t really consider it, besides I don’t remember the last or first time I debated formally. I know it is not shocking…. But I love to debate; the word is, debate and not fight. I hate the latter. Then this guy, now I know he is the president of the Debate Team for the University. It didn’t surprise me at all, if my memory is still good I think he was a president back in senior high. He meets me and recalls my face and then straight away he asked me whether I had written my name to join the debate team. Ohh Blimey! That was a direct question, as if the guy knew I could debate when I myself didn’t really know I could do that. I said it crossed my mind, I didn’t really consider it. Guess what I said, “I told him I was still considering it.” You know I didn’t want to give false hopes. The guy then agreed to collect my number. NO he didn’t agree, he collected my number and then he said he will contact me to inform me on issues.

            Fine I thought that would be the end of that story, but on Wednesday I received a text message from him, going to members of all the debaters on campus and of course “new ones” like myself for a meeting on Friday. I said new ones though I haven’t said I agreed to join the team, I know okay. Sometimes I realize that certain things are not my decision to make. It was inevitable; call it an act of God. I remember praying a prayer before to God when I got to this University that God should direct me to where he wants me to go, because I don’t know anything, He alone knows my end. Still think it was my decision to make. Boy! Can’t you see that facts! Fine read again…   

              The meeting went well; I met other “new ones” who were interested in joining the debate team. Then guess what it was thrown in my face? There was going to be a Fresher’s’ Debate, where all freshers could be given a general motion and balloting would be made, to decide whether you would speak for or against the motion. I hadn’t taken part in a formal debate before, and the first time I join a debate team, they already expect me to debate. Wow! Other people came to this campus with the background and experience in debating, I had nothing, I had only read a few books on public speaking which I won as a price for being the overall best senior high student in General Arts. Of course I had seen debate being held, but that didn’t guarantee I could debate or could it? Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

                 You know the thrill and excitement, maybe nervousness too… of this whole Fresher’s Debate; during the balloting I picked the paper which said, “Speaker 1, FOR”. I couldn’t believe with all the mind battles on me not debating before I was to be the First Speaker out of sixteen, I think. I told myself and certainly my girlfriend and a few group of people that, I love challenges and risks. Well, Edwin this was one stirring at me right in the face where all logic could prove that things weren’t going my way. Guess what? Naaaaaaaaah… you were wrong in guessing, we haven’t had the debate yet so I can’t tell you who won. The thing is the first three people who score high points would be made a part of the university’s core debate team. I have done my research extensively. Even if I hadn’t participated in a debate before, I couldn’t mess this one up. Sources and talks from my dad, through the internet, through personal experiences, this one is certainly going to go my way, what else is missing? Tell me… yeah, yeah I know experience. You shouldn’t shout at it all over in my face like that. I’m going to make this happen. Besides, I didn’t make the call to join the team. God did.

                  Well the debate is on Friday, I’d tell you the results afterwards. If you are interested in the debate motion, it is. “Post-election violence, a near possibility in Ghana.” They initially gave us 7 minutes, now they are saying 5 minutes. What the heck? This is still going good for me. I don’t believe in luck, wish me all the best!!!

I’d always said that when the line was drawn

I’d be ready be go to all out

When the battle had come

My body, soul and spirit will be ever ready

Ready I was for the worst

So with peace I laid my head

Time seemed so fast when I was in my lover’s arms

Naked and vulnerable and comfortable my state lay

For the love of my woman was all I thought

One night when I was listening to the voice of love

The winds blew, the moon darkened

Ignored all those I surely did

For what was I to fear?

For she was near

Now time had changed

For our worst fear has come

Unaware my state was troubled

For the voice of my love was no more

Until a few hours into the OTHER DAY

The truth was made known

I said I was ready for war

IT’S WAR and I’M READY

To fight for a worthy cause,

LOVE