jollof rice and 100+ subscribers
Aspire to perspire people were right, yunno!
Jollof rice wasn’t really a thing in our home while growing up, we were more of a fried rice family. We ate so much fried rice that I can basically make it with my eyes closed. But jollof rice? Not so much!
“Pour oil, add tomato paste, stir, add the necessary ingredients, stir, add water, let it boil for a while, then add your rice.” That was how I thought jollof rice was made. I never actually bothered to learn it from my mum because, as a kid, I had personal beef with jollof rice. I hated it so much that I mentally added it to the list of meals I would never cook for my so-called “future husband.” (not a fan of this statement but anyway…)
But then, university happened, and Ngozi came into the picture.
My best friend, Ngozi, loved making jollof rice. And when I say loved, I mean she would always brag about it, all the time. And she loved making it for me. So whenever we felt like being extra, she’d make jollof, and I’d make fried rice, and we’d have this mini party in our room, just the two of us. Little by little, I started to like it because of her. Then I started craving it. Then we graduated, she moved back to Lagos, I moved back home to Abuja, and suddenly, my cravings were met with nothing but just cravings.
It was so bad I had to turn to YouTube.
My first attempt was a disaster. It came out soggy and looked like an offering to the gods. I was shaking my head while eating it because “Tosin, this can not be the jollof rice you’d make for your husband!”
Attempt number two? It was not soggy this time, but colorful. Half of it was orange, the other half red. How it turned out that way? We’d never know.
But I kept trying. By the fifth attempt, I got it right. And I remember smiling the entire day because finally, I had mastered the art of making the perfect party jollof rice.
Now, what does this have to do with the fact that I just hit 100+ subscribers on my newsletter? Absolutely nothing. But also, everything.
Those aspire to perspire people were right, which is annoying, like I said before. Apparently, if you put in the work, you’ll see results. And yes, consistency does pay off, sadly. See, I’m a lazy person (if y’all didn’t know before), and I’m only just realizing that to actually make it in life, I have to work, I have to keep trying, keep putting in effort. This realization does not sit well with me at all. Like, wow… my future does depend on me.
But 100+ subscribers is insane. That’s a whole community. A full gathering. Imagine standing in front of 100 people and reading your posts to them? I’d pass out.
Genuinely, thank you!
It’s funny because I was just (fake) crying to Adeola a few days ago about how I wanted to hit 100 subscribers before my birthday, and this girl literally started hustling for subscribers for me.💀 My woman fr! Love her to bits!
I may not know all of you personally, but I need you to know that I try to memorize every single email that subscribes to me because it just feels so special to do that! like y’all are my favorite people on earth.
Now, a mini introduction because I guess I’m supposed to do that hehe: Hi, I’m Joy Eseyin… well, Oluwatosin Joy Eseyin
I’m a chronic overthinker who somehow manages to turn every thought into something worth writing about. I love doing so many things, like storytelling, whether it’s through words, or me dramatically narrating my own life like I’m in a coming-of-age movie. And sometimes, when I’m in the mood, I create content on YouTube and TikTok.
Writing has been my thing since I was a kid, mostly because I had a lot to say and not enough people to say it to, so I resulted to writing in my notes or creating short stories for my friends to read. I’m also lowkey (okay, highkey) obsessed with fictional characters like I genuinely fall in love with them because it feels way more realistic to me. (Weird, I know!)
I love to daydream, and I’ve concluded that I live more in my head than in the real world. My Pinterest board is probably (most definitely) a reflection of the life I manifest daily.
I used to doubt myself a lot, still do sometimes, but this newsletter, this little corner of the internet, has become proof that I’m actually doing something right. There's so much I want to write, and I can’t wait to share all the ideas I have in store with you guys.
Sometimes, I have sense and I’ll write posts you’ll thoroughly enjoy and wonder wth is going on in my head. Other times, I just come here to rant about the financial and economic state of the world. There are days, you’ll feel like I’m speaking directly to your soul. And then, there’s the fangirling moments because what’s life without fangirling?! You’ll get all of me, there’s no in-between.
Either way, it’s home here. Or rather, it’s fun here.
So, thank you for subscribing. Hehe.💛
ICYMI: Read my latest post here:
