Four years by four minutes.

This is a four minute read, I promise you, again.

Four years ago, I was a boy with a pen, a misunderstood heart, and an Itel phone with access to the internet. Oh, yes, and dreams. Dreams of writing that I wanted to realize as soon as possible.

Four minutes ago, I was a rasta with a keyboard, a full heart, and a laptop with access to the internet. Oh, yes, and dreams. I dream of starting my writing journey afresh on a new and improved website as soon as possible.

If you are reading this, this is the last story post on this website; we have gone full circle and what better way to end a journey than from the beginning?

I have to say, there are many differences and similarities between these two people. I’ll call them Lesley, and Chacha respectively.

Lesley was my best friend. Lesley was someone I protected with everything I got. Lesley was someone I loved and I didn’t want the world to hurt. Lesley was rigid- he saw the world in black and white; in binary. Lesley was also mysterious.

On the other hand, Chacha is an experience. Chacha sees the world in all colors, pockets of grey included. Chacha is grown. Also, Chacha is a rasta!

If I were to talk about my growth, that would beat the point of this story. So, I will talk about it another day. In the meantime, let me cringe as I update the post from four years ago. You might know me from them, but that doesn’t mean that I have not changed, because I have. I have met people, had experiences with them, left them, and met other people. I believe that life is to be experienced, and by doing so, I experience people, because they also experienced people. Sonder, of sorts, but with a positive (and sometimes negative) outlook on life. After all, I am an amalgamation of everyone I have met, every book I have read, every media I have consumed, and every thought that I have ever had.

And if I am to be honest, such a perspective on life has made it way easier for me to be in the moment, and I would recommend it to you over and over again!

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Here’s the link to my beginnings. Read it first before coming back here.

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I have read it and I saw it as an attempt by Lesley, for Chacha. Let me update you now. In four words, I have experienced life.

Since that publication, I have not grown an inch, I have maintained my muscles, but my brain has evolved. I am more socially, emotionally, intellectually, and mentally mature. My empathy levels have gone through the roof, and yet my tolerance for most things has taken the opposite route.

I have been intentional with my friends, I have made new ones, I have lost a couple, but that’s life, right? I tried the afro but it did not work so I embraced rastas. I never call them dreadlocks but rastas, because of something Anto Neo Soul said on an episode of the 30% Podcast which resonated with me. If you haven’t listened to that episode, you should, ASAP. I am still a melophile, but I listen to more Kenyan music than international acts. Did you know that as of 2023, only 30-40% of music being played on Kenyan radio stations was Kenyan? Such a bummer that we cannot support our artists, no wonder they give up music. So, in a way, I advocate for playing Kenyan music. There are a couple of people who strive to make Kenyan music more accessible and to push for playtime like Sharon, and she is doing a great job at it; Doba Nation; and of course, Sam and Afam at The 30% Podcast. I’m also joining the bandwagon. I’ll tip the scales, one person at a time.

I am no longer a student as I have finished school, and I also ditched CPAs. I am a marketer now, a copywriter to be specific. I love my job, but at times all I want to do is complain about it. I wrote a little rant on it on Doomed.

I still love animations, movies, and series. That will never change. I love FIFA, or rather, EAFC as it is now called. As for food, I am an avid eater, if you catch my drift, so my favorite food is my woman, followed a close second by burgers. Have you seen me eat one? Give me a call and you will. However, I rarely bake nowadays because I have tiny sufurias, but that will change by June, I promise.

I still find solace in writing. I believe everyone has a story to tell, and writers are lucky because they actively control their narrative. Since then, I have been published by Qazini, an online magazine; in an anthology of holiday stories by Brittlepaper, another online literary platform; Qwani in their second installation; and by my writer’s group, the Inkwell Collaborative in their upcoming anthology. However, let me put it out there that I aim to be published by Somanami, The Kalahari Review, Isele Magazine, Qwani 3.0, several Inkwell publications, to be guest featured in a thousand blogs, Commonwealth Short Stories, Adda, in major newspapers, and of course, severally here. I intend for my work to go out as much as possible, and if you have any hits or ideas, please let me know!

Here’s Qwani 2.0; I was featured!

My thinking of writing has evolved. While it still offers solace, I find writing to be the best avenue of expression. When I write, I can be honest and true to myself. I write for the people who might not have a voice; for the people who have experienced similar things to what I have and don’t know how to pen them down, or don’t have the time to write them. I write for the adults who are doing their best every day; for the children who feel they are misunderstood; for the hopeless romantics because I am living proof that there is hope; for the young adults who are feeling confused with life; for the melophiles; for the cinephiles; for my children; for my children’s children; for my lady; for my friends; for myself.

We all know what happened with COVID-19, that asteroid scare, and World War III, which might or might not happen in our lifetime.

As I finished off, I asked if we were happy. I have to say, that happiness is a feeling that comes and goes. I was happy four minutes ago when Nyx called me for my 1 p.m., but I wasn’t four hours ago when I woke up to my house almost being robbed. Or four weeks ago when I was robbed. I might not always be happy, but I will always be content. Content? Satisfied? Sounds strange, but give me a moment, and allow me to be selfish.

To fully understand my perspective, think of it this way: at your deathbed, would you say you are happy or you are content? For the record, I am not suicidal, but I am okay and content with the thought of dying. Hear me out:

I am satisfied with the life I have experienced. I have experienced the love of a beautiful woman; I have loved work, resented work, and hated work; I have had three jobs concurrently just to pay the bills; I have had a Spider-man cake; I have been published & published myself; I have created a corner of myself on the internet (read my stories); I have a Coke addiction; I moved out before I finished school; I met like-minded people over and over again; I finished school; I have built and cherished friendships to my heart’s content; I am more organized in life generally- I know where I want to be and where I’m going; I have started over from scratch several times; I have allowed someone else to pick me up; I have picked myself up; I have been punched; I have spent half my rent on a date and enjoyed it; I have listened to Mutoriah; I have met a celebrity in person; I have made my bed over and over again; I have slept on the couch; I have gone to a colour festival and enjoyed it; I have had a bald head, an afro, and rasta in one lifetime; I have been on top of the world; I have been at rock bottom; I have eaten two double cheeseburgers; I’ve been sick; I have been healthy; I broke a couple of hearts; mine got broken a couple of times; I have used drugs; I have driven drunk; I have had lots of sex; I’ve had a broken penis; I have baked; I have organized a wonderful party; I have had and lost a sleeping schedule; I know how to write; I’ve had critical acclaim of my writing from my peers; I have taught and learned; I have loved and lost; I have experienced grief; I have enjoyed music; I have taken pictures; I have stored memories; I have done things scared; I have missed my shots; I have scored my shots; I have drunk beer; I have started and finished internet challenges; I have emailed myself; I have been broke; I’ve had too much money; I have written a book; I have been cut off and cut off people; I have paid for my lady’s plane ticket and picked her up from the airport; I have loved fully; I have watched to my heart’s content; I bought myself a laptop and gone broke in the same minute; I have done all that and then some that I can’t remember. And if I were to go to the other side now, I’d be at peace.

So, are you happy or are you content?

If you are not content, make sure to subscribe to my blog, maybe my stories will fill you with warmth and a little more happiness, sadness, and contentment.

Disclaimer: This is an updated version of the former blog on my old website- we are shifting content and moving things around to a new site! See you there!