Best's Blog

My Biafran Eyes What Nigerian writer, Okey Ndibe, sees when he recalls the Biafran War. By Okey Ndibe As part of our commitment to book reviews and literature across the globe, we have decided to delve into wartime stories and other stories that portrays the futility of war. The first among the book reviews is "My Biafran Eyes" Enjoy! My first glimpse into the horror and beauty that lurk uneasily in the human heart came in the late 1960s courtesy of the Biafran War. Biafra was the name assumed by the seceding southern section of Nigeria. The war was preceded—in some ways precipitated—by the massacre of southeastern (mostly Christian) Igbo living in the predominantly northern parts of Nigeria. Thinking back, I am amazed that war’s terrifying images have since taken on a somewhat muted quality. It requires sustained effort to recall the dread, the pangs of hunger, the crackle of gunfire that once made my heart pound. It all now seems an unthreatening fog. ...

With my few years on this earth, I have wine and dined with loneliness. Or rather, with the thought that I was lonely. I was not actually lonely, rather I felt that I was lonely. To me, loneliness is a state of mind. Most people use the word "loneliness" without knowing how it relates to their situation. Loneliness is an ambiguous concept and one needs to understand what loneliness or being lonely means. With my little experiences I would state perceived strategies on how to combat loneliness; Understand what loneliness is There's a difference between solitude and loneliness Both mean a person is alone; however, the mindset is different. It's a typical feeling someone has when they believe the validation of others [and their company] is needed to feel worthy and at ease. Solitude is rooted in choice and peace. When someone revels in their solitude, they appreciate their connection to themselves first. They may enjoy time spent with others but don...

A boy says to his mom, “I’m bored.” The mom replies, “Then you should stop being boring.” This lesson applies in different variations. If I’m lonely, then I should stop being alone. In my early teenage years, I thought loneliness stemmed from feeling disconnected, and that disconnection was caused by having no people in my life who really understood me. So fixing my loneliness was about fixing the disconnection. I spent years finding people who understood me. However, when I did find a handful of people who I felt really got me, I still felt lonely. It took me a while before I realized that we don’t feel lonely because we’re disconnected. We feel lonely because we’ve made a habit of being alone. We can stand alone among other people. However, standing alone keeps us from connecting to those around us. I was trying to fix the wrong problem. I was working on the disconnection when I should have been working on what kept me alone. With the coming days, I would be shari...