image
There was a time on this space when people complained that every story was fake. People are not showing their failures and weaknesses! “It’s toxic out there” they said. People are making themselves out to be what they are not, they cried. Why can’t people just say how they became who they are instead of all these forming and lying about overnight success.
Then things shifted.
People talked about their pain and struggles.
Gutter to glory stories.
Desert to Diner lyrics filled the sosha midiya
People started to complain again.
They said, can every story truly be this bad?
Are Nigerians really all suffering this much?
Haba! We are the giant of Africa.
They said the lies were too much. That it cannot be that bad.
I am almost confused at how shifting the waves of acceptable story plots are. But this is is exactly what people want. It’s why we watch the movies on Netflix. They horrify us enough to keep us on edge but they placate us smoothly with twists and turns that absorb the effect of the horror we see.
That’s why you can sit through all of Hotel Rwanda’s horror but hide graphic images on your timeline.
People don’t want to be thrown into the dark murky waters of reality without some element of drama and spice and poetry. Telling a story to your audience is different from sharing news headlines. Readers want to see effort on your part. They want a balance between the horrors you faced and the drama that it introduced into your life. That way, they are not reminded of the bad boogey man under their beds.
Everyday we are on here, it’s a battle to balance fantasy with reality. Even offline, we are told not to throw everything in our lives at people. It could be hard not to let people know how hungry and needy you are. It might be tough to hold back on your bragging. However, it can be exciting when you find a middle ground where people can sit through your story, eat some popcorn, shed a few tears and learn some lessons.
In all, don’t murder your reality but keep the fantasy alive. Enjoy life, have fun, embrace the plot twists and be proud about your story. Nobody lived your life. So don’t let them dictate how your story is told