Gratitude in Nigeria- where do you feel thankful?

 

First experience is always inspiring, makes one rethink religion and respect science/ technology. It thought me to be adventurous and try things in life just for the knowledge even if you are not really freak abt it. I never had the opportunity to travel by flight several times but I’ve enjoyed the road so much. I’m not even freak about the plane just like I’m not about travelling abroad, gagets, and things that freak people in general. Although I’m freak about women and making money! I don’t even look like someone that makes money at all.

You’d think I just came from the village! So I got a lady at the airport to handle the ticketing for me since I have missed my initial flight and she came back with myb oarding pass in no time. And I needed to be in Abuja (nnamdi azikwe airport from muritala airport, lagos) as soon as possible for my training class. So while I was on my way to board, I didn’t know what to do. Instead of me to just pass through to where the airline bus will convey us to the aircraft area, I went to join a long queue of people waiting to get their luggage checked. While going to get my boarding pass stamped, there was a lady I saw which I really liked and I wanted to approach. Her eyes caught mine as well, and she smiled. But she noticed shortly that i was a JJC with the way I was fumbling with the processes. She saw that I was confused when one of the airline staff announced that those who were boarding should go a certain way and I didn’t know what that was about. The lady I thought I was going to ‘toast’ then said “you should go there”, asking me to leave the queue. I was ashamed of myself honestly.The next passenger said to me this is your first flight and local.

Your first international flight will be rewarding as the plane will be flying in higher altitudes and also changing altitudes on the course of the flight too. I suspected the man saw the first timer look on my face.Another experience I had was the seat belt. Not that I expect buckling a seat belt should be an issue, but over the years I’ve heard people talk a lot abt a plane’s seat belt. So I was scared it must be really that hard. So the first thing I did when I sat was to try practice the buckling the seat belt to avoid another embarrasment. I found out I did it well, but I was stil scared I might be wrong. So I went on google to search ‘how to fasten a plane seat beat’ I was hoping to find a step by step pictorial explanation, but what I saw were what could happen if you did not fasten it well. Before I could search further the pilot had announced that we switched off our fones, nd fasten our seat belt, so I did. The hosteses where beautiful and nice, and I could have ask them questions but I was seating by the window so as to take pics that will indicate I was indeed in a plane. If I ask the hostess a question from that angle,people will notice.

So there was this Deeper Life woman beside me. She seems nice. So I asked her in Yoruba, if I fasten it welll, she nodded smiling and said ‘yes, very well. Good’. I noticed she looked at me again some moments later before focusing on the Deeper Life book she was reading. The first timer ways continues till we reach the fin destination…ooops! I forget to mention earlier the airline is named ARIK airline. Their plane looks new and everything looked profession, even the way the pilot spoke and all. I’ve heard so many bad things about Nigerian airlines. The experience went great. So thankful to all the experience because now am no more a learner.I like this qoute by Abraham Lincoln “I may be slow walker, but I’ve never moved backward”. I can say that of myself as well.

One thing about my life is that every new step I take, I get better with it almost immediately. When I was making a certain amount of money, I wanted to change, just recently, my digit changed and it has been consistent. Even in the areas of my academic pursuit from Primary school to my university days. When I catch up on things, I do it with such a great speed and regularity. That’s why I don’t like to drink and smoke cos once I start, I don’t know what will happen. What I’m saying now is that from today onward, I’ll travel by air more often than even many many people who have been doing it way before me. I’m going to travel out soon…I’m going to learn to swim, I’m going to try so many new good things.

My name is OLAJIDE USMAN BAYONLE ND 2 student of Yaba College of Technology, studying surveying and geo-informatics.

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