BORROW-BORROW

I was thinking this morning... The 2024 Paris Olympics have come and gone, but one incident got me thinking deep. It was the incident involving Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye. She was called up at short notice to represent Team Nigeria in the Kerin & Sprint event. Unfortunately, she had no bicycle to race with on the tracks. In the spirit of sportsmanship, the German team came to her rescue by lending her a bicycle.

As I read the account of what happened, I recalled my experience as a student in Uniben. We were preparing for an upcoming exam and all I had were my class notes. At some point, I realised I needed the textbook to study. I couldn't afford it at the time. I approached my buddies to lend me their copy, but they all said they needed it to study. I was left with no option than to approach Jane, one of the young ladies I liked but had 'no liver' to 'toast.' 'Hello Jane. I was wondering if I could borrow your textbook,' I asked trying to sound confident. Instead of the expected yes or no answer, Jane gave me this snide look and said, 'You want to borrow my textbook? Again? Hmm! Borrow-borrow.' I felt my face heat up and literally heard an explosive sound, as my ego shattered into a million pieces.

Chai!!! Calling me borrow-borrow was bad enough, but coming from a love interest was a killer punch. I thought about promising myself never to borrow again, but deep down, I knew it wasn't feasible at the time. I consoled myself with the fact that I wasn't borrowing for vanity. In other words, I wasn't a 'Borrow-Pose.' While I felt slightly better, the 'borrow-borrow' label? 'O enter gan,' in the voice of my Ijesha friend.

It is not a shameful or bad thing to borrow. What will be shameful is to borrow to satisfy your lust. Borrowing to invest or develop oneself is actually good. While some persons borrow clothes, cars or even money to show off, the smart ones borrow to invest. Ese borrowed a bicycle to become the very first Nigerian cyclist to participate in the Olympics. I borrowed textbooks to study to become a graduate. What are you borrowing for? If you must be called a borrow-borrow, what will it be for? Borrowing may not necessarily be a bad thing, but you can live a life free of borrowing. Remember Deuteronomy 15:6.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey