On Joining Choir

Hi friend,

I flew too close to the fitfam sun and worked out with my younger sister. After the first program, I finally understood why she uses that “90% beast, 10% human” soundtrack to work out.

I felt faint, lost hearing in my left ear, and saw stars. Mind you, this was after the first of 5 programs. I’m surprised I made it to the end and I’m alive to write this.

I’ve been going to the gym for a while, that day, I met my senior. Maybe it’s time for me to start listening to the beast soundtrack to enter my beast mode or lock-in as the people say.

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On Joining Choir

What did Jesus say in Mark 6:4? If you don’t know it, here it is. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

If you ask my friends and family, with one voice, they'd tell you: Chidinma cannot sing. She shouldn’t sing. For so long I believed them. In University, when I wanted my friend to help me with something and she was hesitant, I’d threaten to sing, and that always got her moving QUICKLY.

Occasionally, I thought to myself, is my voice that bad? Surely, it cannot be as bad to persuade someone to take an action for me. I got answers this Sunday.

Breeze blew me into the church. I haven’t been to this particular one in a minute. On Saturday evening and most of Sunday morning, it kept being on my mind to go. It’s hard to leave my bed in the morning so I settled for evening mass. The chances of me running into people I know are zero. Also few people = no interaction. In and go out.

Because I haven’t been in a bit, I forgot to pick the missal from the back before I sat. When they started singing the opening hymn, I realized and hurried back to pick one.

I followed the mass as usual. Singing when I needed to, kneeling, standing up, etc. When it was time for communion, I didn’t go till the end. I dislike queues and I like to sit and sing the hymns. I’m also patient enough to wait till the end. Same with disembarking from flights. When I got to the altar, the priest before giving me the host said to see him after mass.

My mind was so jumbled trying to figure out why, I almost missed my seat and forgot to say prayer after communion. I considered going home and never coming back, but curiosity would eat at me forever. Immediately after mass, I went to find him.

I half expected him to ask about my absence, but he said “I wanted to tell you to join the choir.” I laughed and asked why he’d ask that. I can’t sing. My singing is used as a threat in fact. He didn’t believe me. “so you’ve never been in a choir before?” I said no laughing again wondering how or if he’s heard my voice to suggest that. “What do you mean no? Let me introduce you to the choir mistress.” I laughed and said I’ll think about it and report back.

While I’m still thinking about it, I’m writing this to inform you and the other people who didn’t believe in my singing abilities of Lady Gaga’s most repeated advice, ”There could be 100 people in the room and 99 don’t believe in you, all it takes is 1.”

Let this be a notice to my friends and loved ones that I’ll be singing free of charge on birthdays and special events especially when I cannot go big with presents. So please get ready and excited.

Happy new year and I hope someone discovers your hidden talent this year.

(I wrote this to the sound of my sister attempting to deafen me with her poor singing)

Baiiii,

Chidinma