Ruth Nwachukwu @bethel

I always wanted to spend time with John, but we lived far apart. When I heard he was coming for Christmas, I was so happy! I decided to plan a picnic for us.

I thought about a nice spot by the lake, with tall trees around. I made a list of things to bring: a warm blanket, hot cocoa, and snacks. I even packed a small speaker for our favorite songs.

The day finally came. I woke up early, feeling excited. It was cold outside, which was a perfect weather for a perfect picnic I dressed warmly and took everything to the lake.

When I got there, I saw John walking toward me, all bundled up. His cheeks were red from the cold. We smiled at each other and hugged. It felt great to finally be together.

We sat on the blanket, drank hot cocoa, and shared stories. We laughed and talked about good times we had. As the sun set, the sky turned beautiful colors, and I felt really happy.

I played our favorite song on my phone, and we sang along. In that moment, I knew this was what I wanted a fun time with John, without any distance between us.

I had become very much uncomfortable with cooking for myself. This was unusual, as I typically only enjoyed food prepared by my immediate family. Before, I wouldn't even consider eating food made by anyone outside of my nuclear family.

However, my busy lecture schedule had disrupted my eating habits. I often found myself skipping breakfast and waiting until afternoon to eat. This had become a normal routine for me, and my body had adapted to it. Sometimes, I could even go a whole day without feeling hungry.

But when my friend visited, she expressed concern about my eating habits. She took the time to educate me on the potential health consequences of my actions. She warned me about the risks of stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal problems, which could arise from irregular eating and poor nutrition. Her words makea a whole lot of meaning, and I felt remorseful for my actions.

I decided then and there to make a change. I resolved to resume cooking my own meals, ensuring that I eat regular, balanced meals. If necessary, I would buy food that's easy to prepare, rather than relying on irregular meals or going hungry. I was determined to prioritize my health and avoid developing ulcers or other health problems.

When I got the invitation to the church conference, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sounded like an interesting event. I didn’t fully remember the theme, but I figured it would be a normal gathering with praise, worship, and a few sermons. When I arrived, everything started off fine—uplifting music, warm smiles, and a lot of people who seemed genuinely happy to be there. Most of the attendees were students, so I blended in easily. For the first hour or so, I felt pretty comfortable.

Things took a turn when it was time for prophecies. A young girl approached me confidently, saying she would prophesy to me. I was open to hearing what she had to say at first, but her "revelation" didn’t sit well with me. She said I was a student, which was an easy guess given the crowd, but then she started talking about struggles in school—stuff that felt like pure negativity. It wasn’t anything profound, just a list of generic bad things. I felt uncomfortable and took my hands away, signaling her to stop. I didn’t come here for doom-and-gloom predictions.

As if that wasn’t enough, a man came up next. He moved to stand in front of rows of people, and to my shock, everyone in the row he faced fell to the ground as if struck by an invisible force. I was frozen in disbelief. It wasn’t something I’d ever seen before, and I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. Was it faith? A performance? I had no clue. All I knew was that I didn’t feel at ease. My instincts told me this wasn’t the place for me.

I decided to pray quietly to God on my own, seeking clarity and protection. I prayed for strength and wisdom to handle whatever spiritual atmosphere I was in. The environment was overwhelming, and the theatrics around me didn’t feel right. After finishing my personal prayers, I made up my mind to leave early. Staying for the full event didn’t seem wise.

I left the conference about two hours before it was supposed to end, feeling relieved to be out in the fresh air. As I walked home, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I ended up there in the first place. It was an eye-opening experience, not just about others but about myself. I realized the importance of discerning invitations and protecting my own spiritual peace.

I've always had the habit of buying my Christmas clothes very early enough because I know by December things will get very expensive and then considering the traffic and the stress of going to the market by then. So yesterday I left for a pre-market survey, checking for the latest designs and possibly what will be the reigning fashion for the ladies for the season.

Trust me, we've got so many designs in the market, and I felt like going for all. One of the biggest issues I had all through my tour was the problem of choice. They were all looking beautiful, that I couldn't just define what I wanted for myself, but at last I was able to lay my hand on a few of them, and was very much okay with my choice.

The moment of truth let's hear the prices, I knew things have become very expensive, but with the prices in the market, I doubt if I will be able to pay for any at the moment, and besides, I only came for a survey. On the other hand, I had wasted both my time and energy going to the market, so since I couldn't pay for any of the clothes, I decided to just buy a few foodstuffs. Anyhow, I needed to survive first before going for clothes.

Cooking that stew was like a win, and stepping out to buy bread was the finishing thing. My friend and I had eaten noodles earlier, and while I tried to convince him to stay and eat the stew, he refused. He said it was already late and with Sunday coming, he couldn’t hang around. I didn’t push too much. At least he wasn’t leaving on an empty stomach.

On the way to get the bread, we saw a rat struggling for its life in some really dirty water. It was swimming like crazy, but it was clear the poor thing wasn’t going to make it. We stopped for a bit to watch, and I told my friend, “This rat is done for, no hope at all.” He nodded and then said something that got me thinking.

He said, “That rat is just like all of us in Nigeria right now, struggling to survive in a mess we didn’t even create.” We both laughed, but his words hit deep. It’s true that life here feels like a never-ending hustle with no guarantees. Even when we laugh, it’s like we’re just hiding the weight of everything we deal with daily.

By the time we got the bread, his words still stayed with me. Nigeria is in a tough spot right now, and it’s not just about politics or money, it’s about everyday survival. Some days, we’re just like that rat, trying to stay afloat, hoping we don’t sink further into the mess. It’s a lot to process when you think about it.

After I escorted my friend home, I headed back to enjoy my stew with the bread. But deep down, I couldn’t stop thinking about his words. Just like the rat might find a way out somehow, I hope we all do too. Survival might be hard, but as Nigerians, we’ve learned to keep pushing no matter what.

The journey of a thousand miles will always begin with a step, I'm sure you're quite familiar with that phrase.

It will interest you to know that it's actually my first time trying to withdraw from the website, and to my biggest suprise the money landed in my local bank account.

It all started when I was invited to this wonderful platform by a friend. I never knew a day like today could actually come but I was determined to make it happen.

I made up my mind to save up for my Christmas expenses from this website it looks crazy though because at a point it was like one of the hardest decisions I've ever made in my entire life but as God will have it it become a reality

Going by my planes i was supposed to make this withdrawal by December but one of my biggest fear was mindviewers coming up with different forms of verifications. Honestly the thought alone made my heart so heavy that I can't continue.

My special thanks goes to mindviewers for being a major support to us especially those of us that are students.

It's been ages since I last bought potatoes. Ever since prices started skyrocketing, I just stopped buying them, thinking they’d be way too expensive. With how things are in the market these days, you can never really tell what price to expect. So, I kind of avoided it altogether, thinking it wasn’t worth the stress. But today, I suddenly had this strong craving for some cooked potatoes, so I decided to take my chances and see what I'd find.

Honestly, I walked to the market expecting the worst. I was already prepared to spend 1000 naira for maybe four or five small pieces at most. I had already accepted it in my mind as I made my way there. But to my surprise, when I handed the seller my 1000 naira, she packed way more potatoes than I expected. She gave me about eight big ones, and I was still in shock, wondering if she misheard me or if I’d somehow lucked out.

Before I could say a word, she even tried adding more potatoes! I quickly stopped her, saying, "Aunty, it’s just 1000 naira o!" She looked at me and laughed, saying she knew and that it was fine. She even tossed in an extra piece just to be nice. I couldn’t believe it. With how expensive things have been, I never thought potatoes would be one of the more affordable items. I left the market with my potatoes, still surprised and a bit amused.

Maybe potatoes are the only cheap thing left in the market these days. It’s funny because you’d expect something as basic as potatoes to be pricier, especially with everything else being so costly. But today, I left with a small victory, a bag full of potatoes, and a satisfied smile. Guess I’ll be making potato dishes for the next few days

For a while, I’d been procrastinating washing my clothes, only doing enough each day to get by. It had become a habit, but yesterday, I made a mistake. I washed my towel and forgot to clip it up on the line.

When I got back from the market, I found it on the ground, dirty and covered in dust. How could I have been so careless? I really didn't think I'll spend a long time in the market but too much bargaining later paid off for me.

Instead of just rewashing the towel, I decided it was time to do everything. I brought out every dirty clothes in my room and they were enough to make a big pillow.
Next, I filled my bucket with water, ready to go through each step. It wasn’t easy, just imagine starting something you never planned for but did it in anger and frustration 🤣

A few hours later, my roommate came back and she was shocked to see the amount of clothes I washed. I was more shocked that I was able to go that far.