With Ayobrown Adetunji
This piece you are about to read is a true life experience and story. This our life revolves around either of two things, the beginning and the end; either yes or no, and it is called positivity or negativity. In our life bits, everyman must at every second of his life choose one of either of these two sets of life pieces….in science it is called zero and one. In the beginning, God created man and a woman, so also the source codes in which all theories in computations and programming languages originated. The computer system must take one out this set of zero and one, and at every point choose the right option if the system must function well and appropriately or the wrong option if it must do otherwise, funny enough, those choices are sort of competition being played on all us and it is called a game. Combinations of zeros and ones on how it became computation in all sciences, even in artificial intelligence and so on; information and communication experts will understand this better.
This game beguiles every one of us with no exception. When nature force you to play the game and you have no option but to abide; that is, whichever side you belong does not matter, all choices are necessary, needed and useful even when you don’t know how to play this life game. Whether right or wrong, good or bad; whatever life experience that made you to be on the other side is nothing but a choice and that choice is still an integral part of the game.
It is interesting that indeed, we all go through this experience, as it is happening to every human being on the face of the earth. In this human’s world, we all at every point must make a choice and this choice becomes a game sort of. When you choose an option instead of the other, a decision over the other and it goes on like that.
By the time you are reading this, my life would have changed or God forbids remained same. It is called a game. In real life scenario, we are all faced with these options of choice, as you are reading this piece; it is a choice of yours to do so. In deciding to write it was a choice I made too. So also, every one of us now and then are faced with these integral decisions. It is a must, you must choose one. It is either yes or no; and whether you like it or not, life must continue and its continuity is fuelled but our action becomes nothing but a game.
We all wake up each day of our lives thinking and praying for better life, successes in many areas of life endeavours, no one ever dare the reverse of this though.
Every man is a gambler…it’s very funny, playing it cut across all religions of this world, tribe or colour or races in this our world. It is not funny however, that we are all gamblers, without us knowing because life and mother nature itself is playing a trick on every human. Whether you agree with this truth or not, that is what we are and are doing every time, every seconds and everyday of our life’s existence. It is a statement of fact; we are continually and continuously making choices. Even today you would have all gambled and made a particular choice over another. You have decided on many things and will still continue to decide many more…even as you are, choosing to even breathe may be compulsory but it is a game. For those who took to using the financial and economic aspect to their advantage too, however, it is clearer to me now, life is a game that is why people bet. Some are fond of saying different words ‘I bet you, it is true’, ‘I bet my life I will make it’, and many more
We are all faced with our lives’ battles, it is the gods that chooses our weapons, and it is up to you how well and effectively you are able to use the weapons. Most often, we are given what nature thinks is good for us but most people never like these options and many probably will not use theirs at all not to talk of using it to maximum efficiency.
When we are born, it is either you choose to live or die, your character in life too is either good or bad. If you ask me, it is also called a game. When you were born, it is a fight between life and death….in trying to grow up too, it is the war between failure and success, I guess you understand my flow?
However, when you deviate from the norm of life’s game to hurt or become aggressive, it is no longer a game but an artless show of passion.
We are nothing but pencils in the hand of our creator, a late friend, Shola Owolabi said no cow can transform itself to become a camel because that is its creation, but why it is so is nothing but a game too.
He gave us, ‘Free Will’ to choose between right or wrong, good or bad. God is playing game with human beings i sometimes posit. If not, why did he give us options despite his power and might with every capacity and even capabilities of compelling and enforcement of His laws on every mankind …with no resistance from any being…? Good God, I will say! God of options, no wonder he said, if man refuses to sing my praises, I will command stones too. The yes or no of it is a game.
Another issue I find amusing is the fact that when it comes to football and soccer competition in Nigeria, no enemy, no region or religion, except opposing football team… that also has set me still wondering.
Life is a Game that is why some people think betting is good. They can bet their lives on many things. Unfortunately, most of all our religious practices do not support gambling or the likes, as it is spelt out in some scriptures but some are a little bit liberal about it, but with some cautions.
I don’t like any form of betting. But do you believe in any betting is the first question we should ask ourselves. Because it is rather amazing that most betting companies and establishments are owned by the so called religious men and women, they are often in the background in anonymity, but then why they chose to hide this, to me, is nothing but a game. They are playing game with us and chose to hide. Then for the government, if it is really bad why would government accept their taxes after even licensing them in the first instance….then the question many will like to ask is who is fooling who? Can you imagine that our government is playing game on its citizens?
‘Who no like better thing’? Very few people don’t like free money or things…yes, because free things are dangerous so they said…though many still indulge in gaming for nothing but the financial rewards.
You imagine the beauty of and joy in this instance. When I went to get some chickens at Unity junction, I saw a group of young boys, casual jobbers, celebrating one of their colleagues over winning of large sum of money. The young man won about half a million naira with just a hundred naira. You can imagine the joy among those young boys who are in their late twenties and early thirties. Nothing would have stopped them from rejoicing and sharing in the success of their friend.
Man must continue to try despite all life failures, or what is your advice to a computer literate young man who is being owed months of salaries and allowances with a desktop computer system other than to be on the internet and chat, browse and probably start online sports betting and the likes. No be his fault oo! If you ask me.
When a friend who we both had a discussion over the phone about our situations and nairaless conditions called back less than 5 hours later with the wonderful news and great announcement of our recent time that he won up to a million naira in sport betting. Oh my goodness, you can imagine the celebration within his family and friends too by extension. It was a great day and time to be remembered for the family or young man who had not seen hundred thousand kobo in the last one year. I agreed to the fact that every day is not for harvest oo, since then, something like that is yet to come again, as far as I know.
Everyone will want to be part of your happiness and success story, they will be happy to hear such occasional, sudden but good news. Everyone prefers good news as a choice and it is a game!
It is amazing however, the number of football matches attendance, you may imagine how many television stations we have, pay TV channels and internet subscribers which are in millions not only here but all around the globe. These sports lovers are indeed in millions, private or public offices, and government establishment. They are doing one thing…they choose to play the game.
Earning millions is why people not only watch but also participate in football and other sporting activities directly and indirectly.
I like to say that anyone who may want to offer me free things and gifts is welcome and will be accepted no qualms. For not only religious belief, I don’t support any form of gambling or betting, but who ever that want to do so at his own free will to me is nothing but a game.
When you decided to join matter that doesn’t concern you in anyway, like when somebody is wrong and you decided to join, it is a choice and a game. When you choose to go to school, you either choose to be serious with your studies or not, in our office, decision to be among the best or not is a game you are playing. If your teacher or lecturer decided not to come to class, it is game that the lecture did not hold. Whomever we choose as friend or partner in our relationship, is also a game. It is a kind of game you played among numerous others before settling down with one or many as the case may be. Even the choice of work, career, style of life or even religion, political and social life, I bet you it nothing but a game.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via: aayobrown@gmail.co
