There are two ways to get to Ikorodu from Ajah, road transportation and water transportation. The water is more expensive but it's time efficient depending on your final destination when you get to Ikorodu while the road is cheaper, but your time would be spent which is also depending on your final destination.
They both have their own risks, so it is something to also consider when you are picking a route to your final destination.
As a young girl, you have a life changing event that will take you to Ikorodu from Ajah, the event starts by 10pm on a Monday morning and lateness isn't permitted.
If you are to get to Ikorodu by 10am, your best plan is to wake up by 6-6;30am, get ready by 7am, get to the boat by 7:30am from your house assuming you live 'close' to the jetty, get to Ikorodu by 8 and before you get to your final destination, considering bad road and no direct transportation, get to the event by 9:am, use an hour to familiarize with the people and environment, you can still have breakfast while waiting for the event to start.
The event starts by 10am and you are among the first people that was attended to, you round off before 12pm and find your way home.
This plan sound good, stress free and achievable, you follow it through, wake up on Monday morning, get dressed and got to your bus stop to start your journey. While waiting for a small bus to take you to the jetty, you saw a man that might be an old friend, approached you in his car and you had this small talk while telling him you are on your way to Ikorodu. Coincidentally, he is on his way to Mile 12 to get foodstuff and he sold you his journey, told you how he is going to branch Gbagada to pick his friend that knows the market and another at Maryland because they were bulk buying and sharing among them so if you don't mind, he can drop you at Mile 12 and you can find your way from there.
Immediately, you forgot about your own plans because this new trip is going to help you save money, you forgot that your destinations are different and he would still waste time picking his friends so this is not even a direct trip, you forgot you were avoiding the Monday morning holdup that is already at Jakande and Lekki, Civil Centre, you threw caution into the wind and followed him.
You sat at the passenger sit, hook your seat belt and was ready to enjoy the free ride. Few mins later, you encountered the hold up and it delayed you for just 20-30mins, you checked your time and it was just few mins past 8, you told yourself that it you still have 2 hours so you would get there soon.
What you didn't know is that this old friend of yours has a faulty car that he was hoping to quickly use it to go to the market and hand it over to his mechanic on the mainland when he was done shopping. He didn't disclose that to you.
You got to Ikoyi and it started raining, the journey was getting interesting and cozy because by now, the glasses are wound up and the AC is on, you started thinking of the comfort you might have missed if you had followed through with your plan.
Your happiness was short lived because immediately you drove past that Lagos emergency stand on third mainland bridge, the car stopped working and remember rain is falling. There is nothing in your head right now that seems to be a solution to the problem you just found yourself in. Both of you cannot step out in the rain, neither can he go check what is wrong with the car, nobody is stopping to ask what is going on because of the rain, you are trying to book a ride but the network have disappeared and when you restart your phone, the only rider that picked your booking said he is at Bariga and he can't come to you.
The time now is 8:45am, the rain is still pouring and you are yet to get any solution, your friend kept telling you that you are being sissy and you would still make your event. You sat there without saying any word because things are now getting hot and you are at the mercy of your friend. You suddenly remember that if you had followed your own plan, you would have been in Ikorodu by 8:am and even if it rained, you would be under a shelter waiting for it to stop and if in worst possible scenario, you can take a bike that can move you around Ikorodu after the rain stops and you would still get to your destination before 10am.
It has rained, the road that is supposed to be free would now be blocked because a lot of vehicles will rush out after the rain, the car you are in is not giving any sign of hope and your last hope is to get down after the rain and start waving down buses leaving him and the problems he brought into your life and Journey. Hopefully, that works and you get to your final destination before 12pm or cancel and count your loss.
Why this explanation?
This is the one of the scenarios I can come up with that clearly describes “de-centering men”. Most time when people hear that word, they become defensive because they interpret it as ‘hâting men’. When we shout tell women to decenter men, we are simply telling her not to halter her plans, journey, decisions because a man said so.
Stand on business with all your strength as long as you know your plans is beneficial to you alone. Your destination is enough to motivate you not to listen to anyone trying to stop you because that’s what is going to bring fulfillment to you.
If your plan is to get education and you are already saving for it, don’t allow a man borrow your money or tell you to use it for business so you can double it. If the business fails, you lost, if he refuse to return your money, you are back to square zero.
If your plans make sense to you, make sure you become deaf to anyone trying to convince you otherwise, at the end of the day, you alone will bear the consequences and be stressed to figure it out.
YOU ALONE.
Song of the day: Koroba by Tiwa savage.
#princesshorpsy #hermothersdaughter.
