Somewhere in New Jersey, guests found themselves time-traveling to the dazzling era of the roaring twenties. As they crossed the threshold of the event, a lady in red, serenading with her violin, set the stage for what would be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Dr. Fanta’s 3-day birthday extravaganza had officially begun, and little did the guests know, they were in for an awe-inspiring experience.
Meet Oswald, or as his friends fondly call him, Steroo. His family calls him Nana Banyin, his wife calls him Honey, and his maternal uncles and cousins all call him “Gariwater.” He’s just hit the big 5-0, and you know what they say—life begins at 50! Oswald’s journey so far has been a rollercoaster of experiences, wisdom, and laughter.
Life often surprises us with unexpected turns, and for Dora Rankin, the journey from corporate life to becoming an empowering force for women entrepreneurs has been nothing short of an adventure. Her story unfolds like a captivating novel, each chapter filled with resilience, discovery, and the pursuit of dreams.
Serwah’s most mind-boggling discovery was the magical art of confidently strutting through life like a superstar! She can’t quite remember where this newfound superpower came from, but one day she woke up and decided, “Why spend all my precious time worrying about what others think of my decisions? It’s my life’s stage, and I’m the headlining act!”
Today, while driving home, I heard a word on the radio that resonated with me – “I’m overflowing… not overstressing!” After an eventful day, almost getting into a fender bender just as my vehicle had returned from the garage, I realized that there’s no shortage of things that can go wrong or push us to frustration these days.
Taking a deep breath, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude, especially as my birth month ushers in a new year of life. Can you believe it? I’ve made it here! A whole 20,075 days around the sun, 55 years already? Though my facial lines might say something different, I don’t feel a day shy of 45. It is the incredible grace of God and my unstoppable human spirit that keep me going.
The handsome seven-year-old lying on the mattress in a corner of the room, opened his eyes slowly; looking all around as if startled out of sleep. Then looking outside and seeing that the sun had started to rise, he stretched himself sleepily and got out of bed, still eyeing his pillow, longing to sleep some more but not daring to do so. It was time to fetch water at the public water standpipe.
Nestled in the city, I find solace in a cozy café, enjoying the scent of freshly brewed coffee in the air. Sunlight gently filters through the window, casting a warm glow on the rustic furniture. In this peaceful moment, I reflect on my journey, a life filled with extraordinary experiences.
I wonder sometimes what it would be like to have advance knowledge of the future. Like, if I knew years ago that my desire to be a lawyer would not come to be and I would end up doing a myriad of things that I didn’t even know when I was young to be possible.
Our choices were limited as teenagers in Accra, Ghana in the early 80s. 1983 saw a famine and a mass exodus of the middle class to the UK, leaving us to fend for ourselves. The word creative cannot exist in such circumstances and automatically, we were steered towards careers that would put food on the table.
“I can’t afford to have you treat our customers like royalty,” he said angrily. “The customer is not always right.” I have watched you for some time, and I can’t work with you. You are more interested in pleasing the customer than being loyal to me. “You are fired!” Those three words shook me to my core. I felt completely downcast. I could not imagine that doing the right thing would end up this way.
He had always known that he would celebrate his fiftieth birthday by giving back to the less fortunate, and had discussed it with his wife Clara. He just wasn’t sure how to give back. Until ‘Sintim,’ the dispatch rider who normally delivered his waakye from Asylum down told him his life story.
