“So he tasted the deep pain that is reserved only for the strong, just as he had tasted for a little while the deep happiness.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, All the Sad Young Men
I am one of those people who sit in a crowded room, look out the window, and disappear until they call my name three times. I live inside myself, in my mind. The billions of people walking this planet, the cars lining the road, the tall buildings obstructing the birds; I do not see any of them. I sit in a room with humans and disappear to be with my thoughts. I am always thinking. I am always thinking about something, someone, someplace where I do not have to choose between the chaos within and the serenity of my thoughts.
It’s peaceful in here, and chaotic too. I feel like I am in this world where I am trying to reason with these flesh-eating zombies, these wights, these monsters; sometimes we understand ourselves. other times, we are just fighting each other.
My mind is a fireplace: so many things are burning in here. Sometimes you put meat inside hoping to bring out suya, but something else jumps out. Other times, you get the suya.
My name is Michael Inioluwa Oladele. Some people call me Oriade of Lagos. I like it. I like the name. I am a writer and a Community Manager at Cowrywise, a fintech company in Ikeja, Lagos. When I am not managing a thousand campus ambassadors, I am writing, reading, or thinking about life and its many unanswered questions. I have been running this blog since 2016 when I was just a 100 level student at Obafemi Awolowo University, studying History and International Relations. I have been published on The Naked Convos, Brittle Paper, and a few other literary magazines.
I share my thoughts here on Twitter. Please follow me. Put a face to my name on Instagram. And catch up with the professional me on LinkedIn.
Here is something I do not say often:
I want to travel out of Nigeria. I want to study how nations work. I also want to get an MFA. I want to teach writing. I also want to teach Global Politics. I want to write as many books as I can write before I die. I want to write many novels. I want to write thousands of poems. I want to write essays, memoirs; just tell stories. I want to travel the world. I want to have one of the largest personal libraries in the world. I am a Christian and I want to share my Christian thoughts. This is me. This is who I am. This is what I want to do, to be. One of these days, I will wake up, open the door of my mind, step in, and throw the key away.
Till then, let’s be friends.
My inbox is always open: mikeinioluwa@gmail.com
Mikeinioluwa 