Don't ask me why, but I've been thinking a lot lately about expectations. Just in general. And the more I think about expectations, the more I'm convinced that perhaps the fewer we carry, the better off we'll be. Does that make me a cynic? I don't think so. Actually, I've always been told I'm an optimist, and I'd tend to agree. I generally assume the best about people. I flirt with being naive. I look for the silver lining in difficult circumstances. I try to find the good, even when the good...

I spent five days at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Damare, Girei Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria. My first time in Adamawa. My first time in the Northeast. Northeast Nigeria… Boko Haram… You can imagine the thoughts running through my head! On the airplane, I made the acquaintance of two wonderful people whose hometown happened to be where I was headed. The lady was more than happy to arrange an exchange of phone numbers between her male cousin and me. “He’ll...

Life. I turn 39 this month, and as I knock on the door of 40, I find myself thinking more deeply about both life and death. I am continually reminded that we are not guaranteed 85 or 90 healthy years here on this terrestrial ball we call our temporary home. Maybe I’ll live through the rest of today. Maybe I won’t. Same for you. There is something deeply sobering about the fragility of the heart beating inside our chests at this very moment. It is something I am trying to think about more...