Running Between Trees

By chop belleful he was referring to the general privilege that Nigerians perceive of the Western world. When people have basic needs met, they tend to aspire to great and abstract ventures. In Nigeria the fight was still at the bottom for the basics, so such conversationing seemed frivolous.

While I would light a candle in my room to create a scented cosy ambience, Midowa would be lighting a candle to see his papers while he worked on his architectural project. Such were the differences in our realities and would be reflected in the way we approached conversations.

“Well, that’s Maslow’s theory,” I responded, having taught him the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy from the time I first learned it in Psychology 101. It was interesting and explained a lot to me as far as the contrast between life in Nigeria and the US.

“The basic human needs like food and water are at the base of the pyramid and must be satisfied first before a person becomes preoccupied with other concerns. So the lower-level needs must be met before people become more interested in the higher levels. As for the almighty peak of self-actualization, it’s hard to imagine in Nigeria when steady power and water supply are still a luxury.” Midowa would listen to me recite my textbook and chime in with a question.

“So is that like the adage that a person whose house is on fire doesn’t chase rats?”

“Yup. I think that explains it. Safety first and then you can worry about aesthetics.”