The Tellrhodes Blog

BROKEN COOKIES By Hamz Little Dylan had always been bullied; had always been at the rock bottom of the class pecking order. Even the bullied bullied him. He was small for his age and what he lacked in size, he made up for in complex. He had a very huge inferiority complex. With a big nose, dark spots all over his skin, and shabby clothes, his self-esteem lived under the sole of his battered shoes. Every Sunday school, Teacher Betsy would open packets of cookies and empty them into a large tray. The tray was passed around to the kids in the class. Somehow, Dylan always happened to be the last kid to have the tray, regardless of where he sat in the class- which was, almost always, invariably at the back of the class. If he wasn’t at the back of the class, he wasn’t in the class. And by the time the tray got to him, what was left were the broken bits and crumbles of the cookies. Teacher Betsy noticed this and decided to do something about it. She made him sit in the front of the...

TOUCH NOT MY ANNOINTED  By Hamz The line above has been ringing a bell for the past two days on this street, and last night, I was forced to research on the origin of it and found out that it was made by King David of the Israelites  while rejoicing about the return of the Ark of Covenant, He sang a psalm recounting the power of God as shown through a thousand generations. One of the sentences he made was the command of God, “TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED AND DO MY PROPHETS NO HARM.” Fast-forward time to several millennia later to the 20th and 21st Century and somehow, certain people have taken the line  in scripture quoted above quite out of context, twisted them extremely out of shape and intended meaning and set them up as a bulwark for the ever-increasing nefarious excesses of the clergy. They give the impression that clerics are God-substitutes here on earth and that to dare to question them would be to risk having the 21st century upgraded version of leprosy visited ...

PROCRASTINATION; THE OBSTACLE OF GROWTH By Hamz There was a link on the site. It said ‘the dumbest procrastination joke’; I checked it and couldn’t believe my eyes. Two words- only two words- stared back at me.  "COMING SOON" It took me some seconds to fully appreciate this joke but when I did. I laughed out really loud. It summarizes, succinctly, the state in which many live their lives. Doubtless, every one of us, at one point or the other, have suffered the effects of procrastination. However, only those strong enough to conquer it have a great story to tell in the end. Procrastinators have one of the worst diseases in the world and many of them don’t know it. For the few that know it, their response to it is similar to what one sufferer said. ‘Procrastination is my weakest link. It has brought me so much sorrow. I think I’ll have to change my ways. I’m going to start  "TOMORROW" Procrastination is probably the worst of the habits because die-hard procra...

FAMILY;  THE TIE THAT BINDS. By Hamz I grew up in one of the rural parts of Nigeria. Where most of the houses were built with mud and the roofs were thatched; where malnourished children ran around the streets naked. We walked distances to fetch water from the stream and the roads were not tarred. And, when it rained, the roofs to our house leaked and destroyed some of our belongings. And when it shined, the giant trees that surrounded us did little to shade us from the scorching African Sun that was a perpetual angry, giant ball in the Sky. I lived with my elder brother, younger sister and parents. I was the dutiful son: when it rained and the roofs leaked, I placed buckets in all the positions where it did; I focused hard in school and studied as much as I could. Mother and father had big dreams and expectations of me. I would go to the big city one day, and I would study to become a doctor. I would get rich and emancipate the family from the state of impoverishment. Th...

BLOODY COMPACT (Short Fiction) By Hamz On one of those  when friends decided to act like bums and ladies refused to come over to your place because they were clairvoyant enough to suss you’d be up to no good if they stepped in, I found myself in a shoddy, sordid pigsty of a bar run by an apology of a lady who was as fat as one could be without bursting. The stale air hung heavy with the thick odour of smelly armpits, the unpleasant combination of the reek of cheap beer and month-old tobaccos and the fetid, stomach-churning smell of something quite in distinct semblance to the stench of horny male goats. The faulty speakers screeched and blared out ancient music, like loud-mouthed implacable vermins throwing tantrums. Every now and then, a brawl broke out and the fighters, languid from their excessive intake of beer, were thrown out, but not before their pockets were searched and the little money they had, stolen. The ladies, well versed in the ways of sin and incorrigible i...

TAKING ACTIONS WITH PRIDE. By Hamz Hello leaders, have you been accused of exhibiting pride in what you know you know how to do best? Have they told you before that pride goes before a haughty fall? Come with me and how to get reverence irrespective of how prided they say you are with this true life story below. He called himself 'Joe'. They called him 'Frazier'. He stood tall and imposing and his stature cast shadows of doubt and fear on his opponents. He could take the hardest of punches and never go down. Socking him was like slamming into a sack of bricks. This Joe dude packed one hell of a punch that he not only frequently had most of his opponent's front teeth embedded in his knuckles when he threw his usual sucker upppercut, but also broke noses, punctured eyeballs, cracked cheekbones, shattered jawbones and knocked nearly all of his opponents senseless. The 'nearly' could've been 'all' if he hadn't met the one whom they call...

WHEN YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH by Hamz. "I am sick and tired of my life as it is. I don’t like the state of my relationship. I hate my job. I abhor where I live. I detest the grades I get at school. I detest my business. I loathe the country I live in. I don't like this. I don't like that…" I know a number of people who have said times without number that they have had enough of where they are; they are unhappy with where they are; they want to be somewhere better, someone better, something better, somehow better…only better. Let me quickly share a story. Several years ago, when I was younger, a memorable incident occurred that I have not forgotten since then. On a particular day, after some heavy rains, a young man went about his daily business hawking fried buns. Then something happened… just as he was passing by a puddle of water, a beautiful jeep raced by, heeding neither puddle nor passers-by. The immediate result was that this young man took his bath a second ...

A Tribute To Pius Adesanmi By Hanz He left, Yet his presence still felt, He may not be around, Yet his tremendous achievement still abound. I don't think it bad, That he left  so soon, I don't think it sad, That he left us so soon. He always taught everyone around him, Do not just dream and hope, He always told everyone, Put them to reality by striving hard to achieve them, Hold on to education, That's one of the key that can liberate you from the shackles of societal misdemeanor. Your body is gone, But your impact remains, With you it was great, With God, you've touched base. Rest On Sir Adieu Prof Pius Adesanmi ©Hamz

IN QUEST FOR GENUINE VALUE. by Hamz Never more in history have we been more inundated with so huge a deluge of materials on self actualization, self-esteem, The Brand Called You, and countless other similar messages than at this time. So, Dear readers, let's talk about the brand called and your value today. Self improvement teachers, quality assurance coaches, motivational speakers, psycho-analysts, brand consultants, all seem to be smiling to the banks after dishing out corny, well-worn quotes to thirsty souls. "The picture of your future is featured in the scripture" "Trial and error will land you in trials and horrors" "Your confession in your confusion will affect the conclusion of your condition" "The you in you is the you that makes you the you you are" "When you often blow your top you likely never get to the top" And some downright absurd ones like, "If you’re going to Ilorin in a lorry, do not be in a hu...

IF MY KIDS GET TO READ THIS. (A muse into the future) by Hamz. If my kids get to read this... I hope it will be in a country where mother-tongue will not be placed above father-land I hope it will be in a country where we have moved beyond mere tolerance to genuine appreciation. I hope it will be a country where the gap between the rich and poor isn't so wide and intraversable. I hope it will be in a country where true and real integrity occupies our political offices and dishonesty is a plague. If my kids get to read this... I hope it will be in a country where fishes aren't killed in oil-polluted rivers and people have to row farther only to catch less. I hope it will be in a country where families don't gather around empty bowls to the rumbling sounds of hunger in their bellies. I hope it will be in a country where kids don't get to yell at fathers, "WHY DID YOU GIVE BIRTH TO ME IF YOU COULDN'T TAKE CARE OF ME?!" I hope it will be i...

CAMERA FITTED PHONE; A CURSE TO SOME PEOPLE. Hello Leaders of thought, welcome on board to Hamz's Musings this week. Today we shall na talking about about the gadget you're using in reading this very piece right now; Camera fitted phone, Shall we? In recent times, I have had reason to think that camera-fitted phones might be a curse to some people. Who would have thought it would be a curse to be blessed with a touch that turned anything to gold? King Midas found that out first hand, quite literally. Just the same way I found out that a ‘blessing’ might be a curse in disguise. When a son of perdition left an unwanted gift of a locally made explosive near a market place in northern Nigeria, disaster was waiting to happen. Thanks to someone with a camera phone, we were able to see a police officer from the bomb disposal unit, fully armed to the teeth and ‘well equipped’ with a common stick approach the bomb in the bag. We heard the shouts of approval as he ‘professional...

REVERBERATION 14th March 1990.   He was folding his clothes, humming happily to himself when she hit him with the question. He thought aloud, chuckled and turned to her, "'What are we?", She drew the covers of the blanket to her chest and assumed a better position to contain the dreadful feeling that had slowly begun to rise in her. 'Yes. What are we!' He threw his head back in harsh and mirthless laughter. That was perhaps, when she knew, no longer assumed that something was wrong. "See", she stammered, unable to contain her alarm, "See eh, this is,no laughing matter. What are we?" He stared at her in surprise, like some horrible mandrake root, had sprouted out of her ears. This trusting little bitch, he thought rather guiltily, had the temerity to think of asking him that question? She didn't already know? "Hey!", she banged the mattress with that anger that anticipation brought, "What are we?" He twirle...

Hello leaders of thought, The long hiatus is over and we are back and running. Isn't that beautiful?😊 What are the memories we create the previous year and hope to reflect on?😀 How many of us are still keeping to our new year resolutions or have most us like myself discard that idea of keeping to some of them?😂😂 The yuletide season has come and gone. The chickens and the goats meat had long digested. So, it's time to move on. And Oh Yes!  Hamz's Musings is back to keep you on your toes throughout the year with his thought provoking articles, inspirational talks and creative short fiction to soothe the desire of it teeming audience. Was 2018  good to you? Make this year better! Was 2018  horrible for you? Make this  year better. Let's Bid last year good-bye. It has come and gone forever, never to be seen again with all its successes and/or failures, victories and/or defeats. Let's Move on with the determination that the maximum of your yesterday sho...

ON INTERNATIONAL GIRLS  DAY 2018 A very good day to you thoughtful leaders and welcome on board to Hamz's Musings this bright Thursday morning. Today is World International Girls Day. What does that signify to you? That's why today, I  decided to write this very short letter below to fellow men out there. So, grab yourself a sit and have a read. "Dear Fellow Men, Let us be a little more blunt today, shall we? What do you see females as? Walking sex tools existing for the sole reason of satiating your sexual perversions? When you see a lady, what are the very first things that occur to you? That she is okay or not, depending on the size of her breasts or the sheer volume of her butts? Do you reduce her to her sexual organs? Do you plot the shortest way between her and your bed? Mr Man, is this all you see? Then you are blind. Is this what you do? Then you are despicable. Shame on you! You should have a brain and it should be in your head, not down there. ...

CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY. A very beautiful morning to you thought leaders, Welcome on board to Hamz's Musings this bright Thursday morning. What are you doing at the moment? What are you seeking for now?. Pause! And ask yourself this question; Are you ready or can you keep it if it eventually come at your disposal? That's why we shall be talking on Capacity and Capability today. So, grab yourself a sit and get ready to be educated. You see, People often make the mistake of asking for things they have not built the capacity to keep. It is like a teacup asking for a tanker full of blessing. It is not likely to get it. Not by a long chance. If you are a teacup in ability, you will get a teacup-size blessing. That is what you can handle. That is what you can keep. And that is what you will get. If you get more than that, ultimately, it would come to waste. Last Night, while on the Internet conducting my usual research, I read about two folks that left an indelible impre...

SHALL WE? A very good day to you all leaders of thought and welcome on board to Hamz's Musings this week. Today, SHALL WE talk about treading the path of purpose? Firstly, picture these story below. "A blind man once stood on the side of the road. He was waiting for someone to take him across. Then he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. A voice said, 'I want to cross the road. Shall we go across together?' The blind man replied, 'Yes, please.' And they proceeded to cross the road. No sooner had they stepped into the road than commotion was let loose. Loud car horns and screeching brakes dodged their every step. They were nearly deafened by the shrieking motorists and shouting pedestrians. The general ruckus just served to make the men more frantic. The blind man clung tightly to the other man until they made it to the other side of the road. Immediately, the blind man disengaged himself and screamed above the din at the other man, 'Do you ...

LIFE MOMENTS. A very good day to you thought leaders and welcome on board to Hamz's Musings this bright Thursday afternoon.  What are you doing right now? What are your target before the day runs out? Are you working passionately towards reaching your goals? You see, life is all about the moments which we create by ourselves now that tend to be memories later. I have lived recklessly. I have made reckless decisions. I have taken reckless actions. I have had moments when I think I am indestructible and that there are no consequences to my deeds. These are sad moments. But I have had beautiful moments too. Like when someone I do not know walks up to me and says, “Are you Hamz? Thank God I have finally met you! Because of you, I have learned few things about life and principles, My life is testimony. Or those moments when, after a hard day’s work, all stressed and tired, I can mentally look back at my achievements and proudly say, “The boy I was would be proud of the ...

GROWING UP Good day leaders of thought and welcome on board to Hamz's Musing. Today, let's talk something that thrive among us an individual. You see, when I was a child I got to understand that, eventually, I would become an adult. Growing up is an inevitable process. Not a conscious process. As I grew, however, I realised that real growth into manhood and maturity isn't an inevitable process. It is a conscious decision. Becoming a man didn't start on a physical level. It began on a mental level. It began with THINKING like a man. And thinking like a man began when I realised that I had been thinking like a child and that these kinds of thoughts were incompatible with the new place I wanted to assume in life; that these kinds of thoughts needed to be discarded and exchanged for better ones. You see, in some areas of my life, I remained a child, even till I got to 20. It wasn't a matter of age. It was a matter of thinking. In essence, my inability or un...