The 10 Star Life: Mystique – Tribune Online

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, that a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him: Blessed is the womb which bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suckle. But he said: Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. — Luke 11:27

It was sometime in 1984, two years before he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. The hot late morning sun was relentless in its intensity as I made my way to his residence in the Staff Quarters of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). Public transportation was not allowed into the Staff Quarters; so if you didn’t have a car you would pull or hitchhike if you were lucky enough to get one. On this hot day I was not lucky enough to get a lift. So I pulled the long piece. The eerieness that greeted you as you approached the house’s grounds only underlined the mystique surrounding the man himself. The sprawling bush that greeted you practically obscured the house to the extent that you could miss it if you weren’t sure where you were going. It was a radical departure from the manicured lawns of the other houses around it.

A day earlier, I left Ibadan to go to Ekiti State for my late mother’s funeral ceremonies. I decided to make a stopover at the university to see few friends and spend the night in Ile-Ife. I graduated from the University of Ife a few years earlier and I was no stranger to Professor Wole Soyinka, whom I fondly refer to as Uncle Wole. Although I did not study Drama, I was part of the University Drama Troupe from my freshman year. For my NYSC year, at his request, I was transferred from Bauchi State to the University’s Theater Arts Department, where I appeared in some of its major productions. Personal discipline, especially with time management, was a trait I learned more from him than anyone else. You didn’t dare to be five minutes late for an appointment with Kongi.

When I visited the Theater Arts Dept to see some old faces, he stepped out of his office and saw me.

‘Hey Top, how are you? What brings you here?”

‘Good afternoon Uncle Wole, I’m actually passing through. I’m going to Ekiti tomorrow morning. I lost my mother and we are going for her funeral”

“Wow! Have you lost your mother? I didn’t know you were so careless!”

We both burst into loud laughter.

“I’m Sure You Need Some Money”

“Certainly uncle. You’re so right!”

He took out his wallet, opened it, took out two hundred dollar bills and handed them to me. I was ecstatic and speechless for words. At that time that was a lot of money with which I could pay for a lot of the costs of the funeral. The next day I thought it would be a great idea to see him and express further gratitude before going to Ekiti. I went to his office but was told he had not arrived. So I went to his house.

On arrival I knocked on the door and waited for an answer. No. After a few minutes I decided to give it one more try before leaving. Then he came to the door with a distant look that seemed to wonder who this intruder was. I gave my best smile that looked stupid in the face of his indifferent look.

“Yes what can I do for you?”

‘Uncle, good morning. I came to express my gratitude for yesterday’s kind gesture.”

“I didn’t know you were so unemployed. You came all this way to thank me, for what? OK, I heard you. Bye!”

And he promptly slammed the door, leaving me transfixed on the porch, wondering if I had just been part of a cast in a movie! That was the loudest message I could have gotten about the conundrum that is Professor Wole Soyinka yet!

Mavericks are characterized by a mystique that is at the heart of their magical effect on the rest of society. Greatness never comes by being as ordinary as everyone else. It comes from a distinct flavor of thought and character that never fits a general mold. Your mystique is the awe of distinction and its discipline. A life on track is on a trajectory that baffles the average person.

The only predictable thing about highly successful people is their sometimes curious unpredictability. There is no anonymity in meaning. Iconoclasts are not called icons for nothing. They are so called because they indicate a uniqueness in a particular direction that goes against the general trend, but which points away certain skills, values ​​and/or virtues for a significant number of people.

The biblical character Joseph would have been unmistakable in his “coat of many colors”, not because his father had given it to him, but because of the array of colors and attendant brightness that bordered on the gaudy. Like his coat, he had inherent gifts that made it impossible for him to blend in with a crowd.

Whenever you demonstrate the pronounced magic of your life, people will always try to explain, doubt and restrain you. This is the real reason why many people want to befriend you and be familiar with you when you succeed. The examination is usually not for honor, but only to examine your mystique. As with Jesus, the real question on their lips is, “By what authority do you do these things?”

How does a “healthy” man suddenly go from talking about physical bread to offering the bread of His flesh to the people? Who spends all day working miracles and the next day rejects every needy person who had gathered before Him to continue what he had begun the previous day? Who sleeps through a storm, and when awakened from sleep stretches, yawns, and promptly commands the storm to be still? The Pharisees just couldn’t fathom Him.

What people cannot grasp, they try to explain away. When they couldn’t figure out how Jesus worked miracles and cast out demons, they said He had a demon and cast out demons by the power of Belzebub, the prince of devils! If they can’t explain to you, they despise you. They said about Jesus, ‘Is not this the carpenter’s son? Aren’t his brothers and sisters here with us?”

Thank goodness the common people to whom He was sent listened gladly!

The “Waoh” factor of your life is in your mystique, not what you do like everyone else! You were made with and for distinction. Never surrender the steam or direction of your life to those who try to keep you within the confines of their puny mindset! Let them guess.

Do you remember the story of Moses and Pharaoh’s magicians? When you walk and work with the discerning authority of your “staff”, the wizards of Egypt will soon declare a “no contest”!

Remember the sky is not your limit, that is God!

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