Dear Dad,

Compliment of the season. I bring you greetings from the forgotten corners of Ibadan.

Though we've had some voice calls and video calls recently, but it's been a long time since I wrote you a letter. In my last letter we talked sufficiently about ASUU/federal government face-0ff and the tragedy of the Nigerian educational system. Well, the bad news is that the strike is still on-going. How much more insensitive and reckless can a government be?
Their last meeting didn't yield anything, ASUU president Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi had to walk out on the minister of labour alongside his cohorts.

But today, I've got other stuff I would like us to talk about. It's Christmas season, a period widely celebrated and marked by christians for the commemoration of the nativity of Jesus Christ. What I'm simply saying is that it's a time set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by mostly christians globally.

Is it proper to celebrate Christmas? Is it necessary to investigate whether Jesus was actually born on December 25 or not? Is the celebration morally justifiable or not? Yearly, most christians, pagans and even atheists do argue, if Christmas is ought to be celebrated or not.

However, that's not the main gist for today. But my utmost concern always, regarding this matter is that, people worry more about "when" christmas should be celebrated than "why" it is being celebrated.

I want us to talk about happiness today. I am not happy, I've not been recently. I'm not happy with the state of our nation, I'm not happy about the environs of the current city where I dwell (most parts are littered), I'm not happy about our educational system. I'm not happy about the ways things are going in my country. I'm not happy that the two old recycled politicians will be contesting for the office of the president come early next year. I'm not happy that my most preferred presidential candidate Sowore, seems not to stand a chance. I am not happy that the crypto market has been bearish for a while now, it seems like the dip is forever or has come to stay. I am not happy with myself. It's obvious, I'm not happy about many things.

What is happiness? Is it a mystery to be solved? Does it lie within one's self or in another? Is it an action? Or an event or possession? Or a person? Or is it a rich crypto wallet?

What is happiness?

I feel a bit relieved and much better that I'm writing to tell you that I'm not happy. So maybe I could say that, I'm happy to write to tell you that I'm not happy (complicated right). When we spoke three days ago in a video call and you saw my face, you told me that I was looking charming, healthier and more handsome. You spoilt me with sweet words, which made me blushed and laughed, that I forgot the heavier matters I wanted to share with you.

I don't want to be charming, I want to be happy. I'm grateful for pen and paper, and for the gift and art of writing, because it helps me share with you both the pleasant and unpleasant things of my life.

Actually, I feel that's what the art of writing should be about. The ability to convey both pleasant and unpleasant thoughts for others to feel and being 100% honest with it. Let me start with self-happiness.

Why am I not happy?
This is not about my haircut, or food, or friends, or girls or God. This is about time. I am not happy that time is passing by. It seems faster as the day goes by. I feel the only thing that is against us is time. As fast as time passes by, yet the events of my life seem to be on a slow motion.

I know you will tell me not to worry, that I'm young and still have so much life and years ahead. But I'm not that kind of "young" anylonger. And don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rush life or my dreams. I admire the growth process but I feel this is beyond that. The events of my life have seldom or kind of on a pause, that's why it looks like time has ran fast really ahead of me or even wasted.

How much time do we have left? How much have we spent?

What is Time?

Time is the only reconcilable difference between life and death, hope and despair and between failure and success.

The authenticity of any idea, event or plan is determined with time. Time reveals it all! Time is what reveals the potency and viability of an idea. Time is everything!
However, time is relative, and relativity itself depends on time. Even space and the speed of light is dependent on time.

Time has no uniformity. As we move across the globe and other planetary bodies, time changes. 103 years on earth could be just 24 years on another planet. A country's time could differ from another with an hour difference or more. Time is needed to achieve anything meaningful or foolish in life. Time is needed to achieve everything, yet we have no control of time.

myself giving back to the society through steem with the help of POHI project

We need time to start a story and reach where we can write, "The End!" We need time to start and finish a project. We need time to travel hundred of miles to see a lover, or family or friends. We need time to fix time for other things that need time. Dad, the year 2018 has come to almost an end, it has been such an eventful and adventurous one. Yet I carried out an evaluation and assessment of my goals and self and felt like I didn't hit full accomplishment. However, I'm grateful to God for all the blessings, failures and successes. But more importantly, I'm grateful for life and time.

One moment, I do feel like I'm quite close to the zenith of my dreams, another moment I feel like I'm far away from it. Sometimes, it gives me a roller-coaster feeling, other times, it's like I'm all alone. Time is what connects us to our past, present and future. Time reminds us of our childhood, adulthood and what old age will be like. Now, I'm an adult and I miss when I was 6. When I had food prepared for me, and my dirty clothes washed, and would have dad pick me up with my kid sis after school, and we'll stop by an eatery for lunch before finally getting home.

I'm sure when I get old and have grey hairs, I'll miss when I was 22. When I was in NYSC camp and felt like all the fine girls in my platoon wants to talk to me, when I tied wrapper to my waist and joined the cultural dance troupe, when I rocked girls at carnival and parties and drank with the boys at mami market. I'll miss when I used to jog on weekend to cover a distance of 7km in 25 minutes and less.

Is it true what people say about being an adult, that "adulthood is a scam" and that they would like to go back to childhood? Hahaha, as much as being an adult could be boring at times, with all the serious expectations that accompanies it, yet we can't turn back the hands of time with any slightest hope of enjoying childhood again. Where we had zero-worries, and food was always on the table. And as we eat breakfast, plans for lunch and dinner have already been made for us. And we had freedom like little birds in the air, and we would play in the rain and roll naked on the sand. Well, we can never turn back the hands of time except we are trying to repair it.

Let me stop here dad, it's already 11:25pm, how time flies? I've got to go to bed now, so I can wake up early tomorrow morning for cardio. It's weekend already! We'll continue from here in our next discussion. Let me know your thoughts and reactions.

I love you forever dad. Bye!

• Your Son, Josh