30. This is a big number, a significant number and more importantly, it is the age I turn today. You know what I just realized? I am still young. There is a lot that has been done, there is a lot to be happy for and there is a lot to be accomplish. My life has always been one of goals and accomplishing those goals, shifting goals and being flexible to accommodate those shifts. I am happy, hopeful and my outlook on life is bright. There is a lot to accomplish and I am itching to move on with what lays ahead of me.

Important to me in life – 2F. Friends and Family and believe me, they are not mutually exclusive. Family and friends keep you rooted in reality, everyone in this group play a different role. There is the person I discuss life with, another books, another problems, another crazy ideas, some all ideas, some everything in my life, some, certain things in my life. I get feedback, good feedback, you mix all the advice, ideas and suggestions in a pot and mix it with my decision making skills and the result is me. My friends and family are dear to me, I know I don’t call or email everyone everyday, or every other week, but for the most part, when I call, we continue where we left off. To you all, I say, thank you very much.

I have gotten calls from all over. Chisom called me at midnight but by then, I was already knocked out by Constitutional problems. When you read Equal Protection cases or as my professor calls it, Reverse discrimination cases where all the Supreme Court Justices feel like they have to give an opinion thus making it a 20 page read rather than the regular 5-10 pages for one case, then you get the picture of why I had fallen asleep. I also have to say that sometimes, my wife outdoes herself, the rice, beans and stew I had for dinner last night contributed to bringing on the sleep. The stew was something else, this is the kind of stew that after you are done eating, you want to drink some of it and eat more rice and beans just because of the stew. It was that good. Yesterday, my cousin called me from Nigeria, that was cool. My daughter and my wife gave me a card each, I didn’t realize I was the best daddy in the world, this child already knows how to network and kiss-up. I am now obligated to take her to Disney world.

This morning, my friend from high school called me from Nigeria. She works at Total-Elf in Lagos. It was certainly a surprise call. After wishing me a happy birthday, we started catching up from the last time I saw her. FGC Kaduna is having their annual party on May 2. Too bad, cos I will be in the throes of finals then but as my friend Mezu would say, “Nothing spoil” While I was talking to Jumoke, what caught my attention was when she asked me to hold on: someone had called a second line in the office and she asked the person “Are you Perfect?” In my mind, I said “Sho, what kind of question is that to ask someone who has come to your office” She came back on the line and I posed my question to her. She said “oh, I think that’s the guys name” Yeah right, what kind of name is that, must be his nickname or a mispronounced name. She protested and said she really thinks it is his name. She then asked someone to call Perfect from outside. While the “Perfect” was being called in, I said, “hmm, if that is his name, he must be a Calabar man.” She agreed. Perfect came in and she asked again “Are you Perfect?”

I could see the guy now, chest puffed out, head held tall, standing on his tip-toe: “Yes, I am PERFECT”

“Where are you from” Jumoke asked.

“I am from Abia State”

“Dozie, na your brother oh”

“Shuo, I denied immediately, he must be from a remote part of Abia near Calabar”

(Oge, did you hear that, Perfect is from your place)

It reminded us of all the Calabar people we went to school with. I mean, what is it with Calabar people that they all seem to have these reflective names such as Perfect, Peace, Charity (this is even simple), Happiness, Comfort, Joy, Promise and Precious. Calabar diamkpo!! I sometimes wonder if it is for lack of imagination? Actually, sometime last year, at the same Total office (always at Total), two brothers came to see someone at that office, get this, once was named Genesis and like joke like joke, his brother was named Exodus. I kid you not!!! Anytime you hear one, you think you have heard it all, my friend Oge has a lesson teacher (I think it was a lesson teacher as opposed to a QC teacher), the guy names his child “Thy will be done” Seriously!! In this case, he blew my Calabar man theory out of the water. I think the guy was Yoruba in this case but it does not matter now, cos you can see I digressed.

Didi called me while I was on the bus about to get off at my stop, Chisom, Chidi Chuke, Oge and Dalu called but it went to voicemail. Chisom and Eunice (ooops Uche I mean) called again, voicemail. Oge called again, voicemail. You can see that at 30, I have become a hard man to reach. J “Where is Dozie?” “ He is not on Seat.” Chidi called and tried to sing but couldn’t quite pull off the Sinatra. He actually asked me what I wanted for my birthday, hmm, that Ferrari is looking good right about now. Oh, but he said it had to be within reason. What do you guys think? What should I asked for? Ladi and Nwando emailed me. I am in class now – being very productive obviously – and my phone is off but I get out in a couple of minutes and I will be checking my voicemail. Amara called and I could tell she had a big smile on her face, happy birthday with a big smile is good. Chinelo also called, her usual bubbly with Life is good.

Before I get off my high horse, let me say this, life is short, have a blast and enjoy it, Life is hard, don’t make it harder and quit complaining. You know the saying, you tell me you have no shoes and I will show you a guy with no leg. I actually mentor a Sudanese guy, a refugee in America, does not know where his family is or friends, the roommates he has now are the guys he crossed the desert with on their way to the refugee camp in Kenya from where he was brought to the United States. So for us who have family but prefer to quarrel with them, for us, who have friends but don’t call because he or she does not call, give that benefit of doubt, pick up the phone and say hello and No, MCI is not paying me to promote friends and family, anytime I type that word, it feels like Déjà vu to me. To pervert the slogan by the folks at sprite, “Life is short, drink it up”

My friends, family, you are all Precious to me, I may not be Perfect but I can Promise you that I will stay in touch and you have my hear when you call. May life bring you Comfort and Joy, Peace and Happiness will be yours all the days of your life and as the days go by and you pray, may Thy will be done.