Olarotimi Olakunle Onayemis Acceptance Speech as Vice-President and Dean, Faculty of Arts of Chilfrens Home School, (Molete), Ibadan, Nigeria Alumni Association. I felt overwhelmed with the appreciation bestowed on me in our grand association; that how many vice is least important; that we will be more healthy for this; that I could hardly get up yesterday evening when I got the first of the two messages announcing the Dean of The Faculty of Arts part, because of the overwhelming in itself, because my reaction to such things are genetical. Let me explain this genetics by making an allusion to a brief piece about myself which I found out at 14 and prove it merrily. That Nigerians get smarter, more vigilant, caring and considerate when they have been to or just came back is generally and particularly true, sentiments aside, emotions welcome: It was Olawale Onayemi (b.1950), my elder, step-brother who pointed this condition out in a conversation with our late eldest sister, Yetunde, when he returned from the first 1969 - 1982 sojourn in the US (he has gone back since the same early 1980s; I was born in 1968), so its important to make this distinction especially since Ive become more vigilant of what he learnt in America while still at home before my sojourn: that his legs shake in a peculiar way when the girls he met in America are truly beautiful. La renaissance darts kommt gleich - The rebirth of arts is here (a combination of French and German languages rendered in English). Wont you learn a new art, learn another language. Ive found out more issues with those legs o mine that they also go stiff when Im admired naturally and not romantically. Ive been noticing such ever since, and on the day Broda Wale said it, he wasnt talking to me. Hes 18years older than I am. The condition is like a combination of being spellbound, starstruck and what have you? Whenever the speech, write-up or scenery is pleasant; however, it also gives the racing stomach when its simply unpleasant. All the more so because I was staying longer at a café when my friends had left, when the message of confirmation of appointment came, and stiff went my legs. So, I decided to write an appreciative remark in that solid state before the trance wears off. Whats more, my remark was poetic. Greater, before it melts away. This is getting more interesting since I write poems in a jiffy and glad if people read them. An untitled poem of mine had been published by Ben Leech of The New Stomping Ground Press, Chicago, IL, US in the year 2000 on handmade paper made by his father; on the advice of his friend and my friend Barrett Chaix from Portland, Oregon. That wasnt meant to be published, these guys published my email as a poem for the world to see. Greatest is Clay, sorry, Ali. This guy can punch even Parkinsons on BBC. Did anyone remember Ali on Parkinsons in the 1970s? When Ali replied to Parkinsons bland humour, I can defeat you physically and mentally. Was that where his Parkinson Disease came from? Johnny be good - Peter Tosh. My vision is to uphold the artistic, holistic and social, scientific values of CHS and I implore us to get used to cohesion experimentale as the English and French did sign an agreement not to fight anymore but they keep deleting official use of each others words from each others vocabulary for what contentment also expressed in the over-a-century old Entente Cordiale, which literally means that they have sworn to be contented with cordiality reciprocal, probably after the famed 100 years war. A vision to which I will add platinum, if I might, suggestions from anyone in this group (the reasons for this decision, I will elaborate later, here) is to draw from the Internet and memory, current affairs and history, the widest library in our world, in order to embellish our sense and sensibilities of the arts, in pragmatics (growing by the hour), therefore knowledge and ultimately, power. Arts are appreciated when you, upstairs, appreciate life. It must have worn off completely, concerning appointments into CHS Alumni Hall of Fame of Arts and not vices, because what happened when I got the message concerning my appointment into the CHS Alumni Academy as Dean of the Faculty of Arts did not happen when I got the one confirming my appointment as Vice-President of CHS Alumni. The third message, now, saying the appointment reserve an acceptance speech was deeper than genetics, it almost went into the domains of theoretical physics or rocket science to say the least as I could finally see the Biology of blood rushing through my veins (apologies to hypochondriacs) and that was when I knew I couldnt get away from fast-thinking, hardworking, benevolent Oluwanisola Onikoyi Esho Arogundade, moreso since Ive never been called upon to write an acceptance speech, ever. This is it. Finally, the reason why I would incorporate any suggestion from any member into mine during this tenure is evident, carry everyone along, let sleeping dogs lie as introverts do, fine, great! This conviction, however, is not original nor copyrighted in my genetics ha ha, since I gleaned it and adopted it from the texts of Irvin D. Yalom (Shalom) (b. 1931), a living Jewish-American existential psychoanalyst-psychiatrist first, writer second and celebrity third who wrote a book about his seances with a patient among others, which was definitely less significant to me than his other book; a book I read in 1999... We gonna rock like its 1999 - Prince. Irvin wrote a classic in my opinion in Everyday Gets A Little Closer, published in 1974, and I would like to switch you all over to our side of conviction, moreso since it was directed to the heart of irreverent conflicts like Xhosa - Zulu, East - West, Turkish - European, Turkish - Kurdish, Kurdish - Arab, Arab - Jewish, African - American (thats the funniest part), Dago - Yankee or Everybody (Dagos sounds like Nigger to Southern European, like people behind the endless Iron Curtain, Igbo - Yoruba, , Yoruba - Hausa, Hausa - Igbo (that was the one inappropriately referred to as The Nigerian Civil War, so, if Chimamanda Adichie does not get it in Half of a Yellow Sun, do you, in spite of the millionaire status? Dont meddle in them, appreciate your relative peace, like the impossibility or indigestion I have of the singular and eternal embarrassment to intelligence, like the Arab - Jewish war or peace process depending on the season of mores you tuned into, hmmm; like the unanswerable question whether Abraham took Ishmael or Isaac to the slaughter for Gods sake when the legendary Ram appeared , can you be more patient, arts need patents: anyway, in paraphrasing Irvin - I have Jewish friends and I have Arab friends. I see the nature of people who do not like me on their faces. My friends smile. Finally, my acceptance of CHS arts deanery and minds for a brief period would be incomplete if I do not make notes from Soyinka and Shaw, George Bernard. Arts Giants per se. Soyinka: Evangelism is a form of Aggression. G. B. Shaw: The Roman Emperor agreed to add Majesty to Excellence (this is just like perfection) as the early Christian converts about to be thrown to lions will not address him as His Excellency, which they reserve for The God Almighty, but as His Majesty. From Androcles and The Lion. Jesus Christ! Thanking you all for reading this and willing to meet you all live in camera; waiting for suggestions in order to grasp the modus operandi of this post, help me out, since ignoratia juris non excusat* is true uberimae fidei** * Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. ** In good faith. Complimentary Note: Permit me to tag Risi Bello and Olabisi Igbalajobi, my mates at CHS, to your health, to enjoy the good fortune, I say Bravo!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 18:37:37 +0000
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