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Nigeria: The Rougher Road Ahead
A revisit of Tai Solarin’s “May Your Road Be Rough”
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Curiosity was partly responsible for my launch into the Bluesky.
After five months of waiting, I finally signed on. And in less than a month, my Bluesky page has outpaced my other social media apps in terms of growth. Today, my connections list has surpassed 70 with prospects for continuous growth.
One of the first setbacks of joining a new platform like Mastodon or Bluesky is that most of your friends are sitting tight in the “old school” apps of our social media-saturated universe.
While flipping through the profile pages of potential new connections, I came across one emblazoned with the caption “lover of the soft life.” While not faulting or taking the owner of that profile to task, the message struck a bell within me.
The unknown profiled quest for a “soft life” instantly took me down memory lane.
Forty years ago, I was in my first year of secondary school. One of or English Language textbooks had a chapter with an essay by Nigeria’s famous educationist and social activist — Tai Solarin (1922–1994).
One of the chapters in the English Language text had an essay titled “May Your Road Be Rough.”
In those days, we neither instantly nor fully grasped the profound message of that essay. So, “May your road be rough” was one of the quick grabs (half a joke and half an expletive) you hurl at any mate that roughly crosses your path.
Mr Tai Solarin, one of Nigeria’s most influential social activists, left a lasting legacy with the establishment of Mayflower School, Ikenne, and Mollusi College Ijebu-Ode. His “May Your Road Be Rough.” was first published in Nigeria’s Daily Times Newspaper on January 1st, 1964. (59 years ago!)
“May Your Road Be Rough”
I am not cursing you; I am wishing you what I wish myself every year. I therefore repeat, may you have a hard time this year, may there be plenty of troubles for you…
