For those who have Arise Television as their preferred station, those who seek and enjoy undiluted analysis of issues would be very conversant with “What Is Trending” by OJY OKPE. It is a show that comes up within the Arise Television Morning Show where the Encyclopedic, Aristocratic and Socratic Dr. Reuben Abati, fearless and deep thinker Rufai Oseni and the soft spoken, unassuming didactic Ayo analyse issues with military precision. Ojy in What Is Trending talks about what is trending in our space. It could be anything, majorly clips of events that happened days, weeks or months but are still trending.
In her show, nothing attracts a repeat by the next day’s show no matter how much it trends . Each day comes with its trending story, clips etc which expires with the day’s show, giving room for others to trend. Each time I watch that show it brings to mind the transient and ephemeral nature of life.
Nothing is too precious to occupy the centre stage of people’ admiration for a long time. Things come and go in same manner. The world we are is filled with multiple of activities, rolling out into limelights and receding into obscurity too soon. What attracted the attention of people, causing frenzy, predilection, idolization etc becomes in few months or years what nobody would like to touch or pay attention to.
What is trending may be good in short term, but wouldn’t be in a long term. Time is always the defining factor. Some months ago “Gwo gwo gwo ngwo” dance trended. It became a dance every Tom, Dick and Harry struggled to dance. Today it has fizzled off, dimmed in some hearts, while in other hearts a non existent thing.
You remember “Buga dance”? At a point it became a political rally lyrics, danced on rally podiums and blared fort to celebrate political victory. It trended for a long while, however, like other previous trending things, it fizzled out too.
Weeks ago, on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Natasha trended with her alleged sexual harassment against the Senate President. It trended for days, today she has fizzled off. Fubara is trending instead. His unconstitutional suspension and the pronoucement of State of Emergency by the Executive on River State trends. Everybody is on it, analysing the legality or otherwise of it. Give it few days, like others it would still fizzle off.
Nothing is permanent in life, nothing however seriously perceived would make heaven to fall or hold people transfixed in awe and admiration for years unending.
There are times for everything. There are seasons. once season comes, one would reign and trend . It becomes folly and delusional to feel that same way one trends, valued and appreciated by all would remain so unending. After climax comes a decending move towards non recognition if one isnt intentional to remain up there. Such is life reality .
In life the best thing to do is to get on the stage of life, get the accolade, flounce the medals, bask in the euphoria of people’ praises and jump down to begin another event and activity that would trend. Anyone that sits on their oars won’t trend unending.
For one to continue to trend unending one must be ready to do things on daily basis that is worth trending. Check great musical artists that trended on the stage of fame but diminished into the horror and hollow of obscurity because of lack of sustainbility. Anything that cannot be sustained through a continuous show and display of creativity gets silenced in the darkness of lack of appreciation.
Jesus is the only person that trended over two thousand years ago, never dimmed, never rolled into obscurity, still trending and will continue to trend. As Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the Announciation of Jesus Christ today, let the power of “always new” always fresh, always annouced positively and always trending in a positive way fall on one.
He is the only solid rock that does not sink, every other ground is a sinking ground. He doesn’t need any human validation to trend, he is “trending” himself, all the power, aura and charisma to trend unending are in him.
If you want your talent, creativity, your personality to trend even against the odd of human devaluation, let this heart that is in Christ Jesus be in one.
To every life that is broken and regenerated, what would trend for such heart shouldn’t be the mudane, the frivolous, the trifles etc but rather Jesus whose Announciation we are celebrating today.
What is trending in one’s life? Peserverance? Which will make one get all that one desires. Consistency? Which would make one retain all that one got through perseverance or gratefulness? which would be that fragrance that would attract more good things that would make one trend the more? The choice is ones?
When things trend in Nigeria, it seems like a lifeline, the souls and blood of all. Everybody jumps into it with frenzy, power, energy and obsession. Like a magical act it dies off in no time, with all the previous interest and energy waned, looking floppy, the life of an average Nigerian.
Be humble, nobody trends at all times!
Be humble, life is transient!
Be humble, the emptiness of life is in its brevity!
Be humble, what seems valued and appreciated today may be the rag of tomorrow!
Be humble, what drives one crazy today may be one’s tomorrow’s scrap!
Be humble, no situation is permanent. The only thing that is permanent is change. It comes with flexibility, blowing like a wind where it wills.
Be humble, even what is trending will one day stop trending!
