First off, Juma’a Mubarak to you all.
I had to ignore all the ‘happy new month’ greetings on my phone and concentrate on all that’s important.
But on the subject of new months, one of the missing aspects of North American life is the absence of official calendars or almanacs.
Growing up in OK-City, a home without a calendar or almanac was a really poor one. It used to be a struggle to get one, and they came from community associations, religious bodies and by the time I left home, they were used as commemorative posters on mud walls and the few plastered ones too.
I don’t know if this is universal, but these calendars/almanacs did not end their cycle when the year ended. They did not end up in the latrine or as wraps for Suya, guguru and epa. No, they just transited into the next year ad infinitum, always there to help us remember the days. This was such a decorative part of homes that on some walls, you will find 18th Century copies hanging behind the latest ones. The almanacs were usually one page long with small numbers and fairly recognizable pictures or artwork piled one on top of the other.
They were usually released at least a month before the end of the year such that they had the last month of the new year. It was as if the printer wants to compensate for any lapse that might inhibit early printing even though that hardly happens. That way, you were in the new year ahead of the real date and could still remember how the last one ended.
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We were one of the few homes that didn’t have a regular calendar. Pa and Ma Asaju had eight voracious mouths to feed and they were working themselves to the bones to fulfil that obligation. May Allah be merciful unto my parents and all those who diligently work to keep little mouths fed, clothed and housed. I miss them.
Back to calendars, I became obsessed with them that I would struggle to bring one home before the year ended. If I managed to bring two home, Dad in the generosity of his heart, would give one to the local church – the Church of God in Christ, CGC. That was after he converted because we were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
That way, whenever I strayed to the church on my rare visits, I would see my gift hanging there and feel proud to have contributed something to Jah’s house – àbí 😂😂😂❤️
So, when I came here, I was surprised that the government of Canada did not print calendars😭😭.
How was I to live without one? I asked around and discovered that local corner shops usually print them. I would make sure I reserved a few dollars to buy yam, gari or whatever so that I could get a free calendar or two.
I also discovered that I could buy one from bookstores and I would rush there when I couldn’t get a free one. If I bought a current one in February or March, it’d be at a discount and you know that Tunde loves discounts.
I am the only one with a calendar on my wall at home, in my workspace and in my bedroom. This picture is taken in my sitting room, this calendar I picked up from my dermatologist’s office brings me sweet memories. I discovered that I have Canadianized because apparently, I didn’t remember to turn it over throughout June and July. I promise it won’t happen again – puts finger on the floor, licks it and raises it to the heavens as sign of a covenant.
I have another village obsession – clocks, and of course cheap watches. There is a clock in my sitting room, basement, bedroom and in the dining area.
Maybe I am still a village boy living in Ottawa but with his heart in OK-City. I hope to keep it going for as long as possible.
Can anyone relate or is this a Kwara/Kogi thing?
