The Lavender Chair

      Kunle sat on the only chair in his living room, an armed chair torn at strategic places, dirty and old but having the lavender color, it was a parting gift from his late father many years ago, the furniture seem to be the only valuable thing in his living room aside the rusty kerosene stove which he rarely use this days; spends every penny that comes his way on burukutu; the local gin sold by a rather thin woman within his neighborhood; a dirty old pot bent out of shape from frequent dropping was at the far left; beside it was a small wooden box already infested by termites, it housed his few clothes and certificates.
 
    A worn out mat was spread at the opposite end. A few frames hung strategically in the one room apartment, most of which were photographs of honorary achievements. And close to the window was a writing table.
 
It wasn't always like this, he used to live well, had lots of decent furniture, a high taste for good things, but that was then, now he barely cared if the floor was swept.

   He moved to the shabby dilapidated room as a destitute seeking refuge, a roof for just one night and now he has spent several nights... 20 years in fact.

   It wasn't always like this, he used to be comfortable, Kunle had lost several great opportunities he termed 'his big break,' he got disappointed at work, swindled by his best friend to his last penny, lost his house and properties to fire and Jilted by his love. Forgotten by friends and with no family to comfort him he had been left to live the world barely sane.

   Those times when he used to have friends calling in, they always made a mockery of the lavender chair and the choice of colour, whether they did it on purpose or not, no one knows, they no longer come around.

    The last time anyone came around was a few years back after he had lost his job, and his position given to someone else. It wasn't his fault though, he really didn't mean to disappoint his family. He had been so disheartened by the disappointments that he pushed all his friends, the people that ever mattered to him and cared, away. He pushed them far and maintained a life of loneliness. Him alone with his lavender chair. He spends most of his day sitting on the chair staring at nothing in particular.

    Today, He had been in that position in the last two hours and chances are he wasn't getting up soon
Who would believe he had two degrees both distinctions yet he could barely boast of decent utensils, most of his possessions were inherited from his father.

    He clenched his fist at intervals and mouthed words too faint to be heard or understood. Occasionally he screamed out gibberish, as though he was having a heated argument with someone, but we all know he was all alone in the room.

    And many are like Kunle. .. Who Settle to a lavender chair when faced by disappointments.
You know what, lemme shock you, disappointment is inevitable, every single day of our lives we are faced with a 50% chance of being disappointed in one way or the other.

     What matters is how you deal with the many disappointments, do you seat put or get up and press forward, give it another try or try it another way.

    Recently, I found myself today seeing a promising end and been handed a disappointing reject. Funny enough I was disappointed in a rather polite way. So I know how disappointment can be and instead of sitting in my lavender chair I chose to think of a way out, find the tiny fragment of blessing buried within it.

    There is no special way of handling disappointment, You just have to get over it and channel that energy towards doing something better, making a better presentation, searching for that job in a better place or you can preferably, seat in your lavender colored chair or whatever colour it is and brood, brood about your pathetic life. The truth is no one is going to help you get up... You have to give yourself the lifting hand. Encourage yourself out of it, Make the first move, take the first step.

    And should you get too disappointed and decide to end it fine, no one cares that much, they are just
 going to cry for an hour or a day and get on with their lives... And probably remember you
occasionally.

    Disappointment is inevitable, it's part of life's lesson and training.

    Don't settle at that spot where you have fallen, get up and try again, and keep trying until you get it. 

   The world doesn't celebrate those who give up, only the die-hard determined ones get celebrated.

culled from: www.julian7blog.wordpress.com