Time Isn’t On Your Side

You’re not getting any younger.

I had a pleasant night yesterday, and I’ll tell you all about it later. But I woke up this morning slightly tired from the night before and still sore from the leg exercises I did on Thursday. So, I stayed in bed a little while longer, and I scrolled through social media, X, just to while away time. My algorithm is kind of messed up now, and I don’t have the energy to sort it out, so I just take whatever comes. After scrolling incessantly, I stumbled on a video of a young black American boy, definitely a teenager. He was on the stage at a school performance with his peers. They were all in a musical group. He came up and he played this instrument. It could have been a trumpet, could have been a flute, I don’t know. But the caption on the video said, “Wow, his breath control is amazing.” So, I decided to watch the video. This teenage boy played this instrument so elegantly that he danced and moved (while still playing) like he had been on this earth before, and truly, the caption was right. His breath control was amazing. As I watched the video of this teenage boy doing his thing, I started to wonder. What his childhood was like. I thought to myself first, “Wow, such discipline.” How many hours does he practice for? Clearly, he enjoys it, how did his parents find out this was what he wanted to do? This boy, what was his future going to be like? As I was thinking, I found the strength to get up from the bed. I sat at the edge of the bed and briefly thought about my childhood.

I was a child with many gifts.

I probably still am, but I haven’t been a child in so long that I can’t remember what having talents and gifts feels like. Then I wondered if I would ever get back that time. I took a deep breath and paused for a while, and then it hit me: Time isn’t on your side.

For the weirdest reason, I spent a better part of this last week reminiscing on my past. And it all happened by accident. I was talking to a friend at the start of the week when I heard a song I hadn’t heard since Channel O was the hottest music station alive. It felt like I was thrown into a trance, and suddenly, I could see my past very clearly. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t fathom that I had forgotten certain aspects of my past. Thanks to technology and algorithms, the subsequent songs that I played were from that same era, and even though it was very brief, I got to relive my past, and it was beautiful. I remember when I could read & write musical notes when I used to spend after-school hours drawing comic books and making up stories. I remembered when we (my brother and I) ate the same thing (Eba) every day after school, and I remembered when, once upon a time, times were simpler.

I’m not that old. But I can’t seem to do the things I used to do before anymore.

Apparently, I never forgot them. I just stopped doing them, and I guess my brain just archived them.

This next part is tricky.

Being an adult is such a complex concept. You have to do so many things even if you don’t want to, and no one cares about how you feel about them. But also, being successful is even more complicated. Simple things are taken away from you. You’d think that with success, you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. You learn very quickly that there’s a price to pay for everything. The cost of success is much more than anything you can ever imagine. Some people are ready to pay that price, and I’m wondering why we have to pay anything at all. I guess that is my hurdle. Always wondering and finding answers.

I once saw a tweet that said, "This generation has the most kids who are in their 30s." Looking around, I couldn’t agree more. A lot of people have grown up to be who they think they’re meant to be and do what they feel they’re meant to do, all while not being who they’re truly meant to be. And when I see and hear stories of people being unhappy simply because they’re growing up, it just makes me wonder.

How many people have forgotten who they are, how many people had to give up what they wanted to become, how many people are living the lives that were orchestrated for them, and how many people are living their lives for others?

Don’t get me wrong - I think some people are doing great with this adulting thing and are truly happy with where they are now, and that’s fantastic - but this isn’t about them.

I went out yesterday

and my night was nothing like I imagined it would be. I’ve never really been the going-out type. As an adult, it became, you have to go out more. Of course, I’d ask - why? Why do I have to go out more simply because I’m an adult? Unfortunately, I’m a public figure in the entertainment space. Imagine how much conflict I must be dealing with. And this is the complication that comes with success and the complex nature of being an adult. It’s not really about you anymore. This is what it is, this is what it entails, and you just have to do it. I can’t complain, and I have to find a middle ground that’s a sweet spot for me.

I was invited to an event; I learned something new: something about horses. It was a polo event. I also met new and interesting people: the event organizers and the managers of the brand. I will tell you this - a lot of the drinks you take are subsidiaries of 2 major drink brands. And I was introduced to a different taste. I tried a different single malt scotch whisky. Completely unrelated - but did you know that there’s no ‘e’ in whisky? I know, right? Look it up when you’re done reading.

My night took a completely different turn, but it wasn’t bad, lol. On my way home, I got a call from my cousin to come pick him up, he was having the time of his life nearby. If you’re on my Snapchat, I told a story about 2 young people welcoming a child last week, and the baby dedication/naming ceremony was this weekend. So, the boys were out celebrating after. I got to the new location, met and congratulated the new father, saw more new faces, said hello to a few people, and found a corner to hide in lol. Then, I met a very familiar face. So, I stayed out longer than I anticipated. When 2 or more are gathered, conversations start to fly. I met a very interesting lady who told me about her past. I asked her what she currently does, and in summary, she’s living her mums dream. Her mum always wanted to be something, but life had other plans for her, and she missed an opportunity to be that thing, so when she had a child, a daughter, she was determined not to let that opportunity pass by her child (the lady I met). The good news here is, the daughter likes that she’s doing it (for a mother), but she has also found that sweet spot that has allowed her to also pursue what she truly wants to do. Just before the night ended, we changed locations, went to another section of the venue, and played snooker with familiar faces and some new faces. I lost all 5 games I played, by the way, but it was refreshing. It didn’t matter. I had fun nonetheless.

All that seems to matter now is the future.

As I write this to you, I’m now dealing with grey hair, playing back the different events that made up my week, and I’m thinking about what the future holds. I hope you take time too to replay the events of your life, reevaluate some of the decisions you’ve made and some of the choices you intend to make, try not to forget about the things that make you “you” and even if as an adult, you just have to do what is required, don’t forget to have fun once in a while and embrace being spontaneous. Time isn’t on your side. You also never know who/what you’ll find that might inspire the next phase or chapter of your life.

I wish I had more to tell you, but I think I’ve said enough already. This write-up was more about me breaking the ice. I’ve been silent for too long, and I wanted to share something with you rather than advise you on anything. I’ve been told my newsletters tend to have that element, so I’m trying to change things.

Remember, I don’t know what you’re meant to remember. I don’t have all the answers, but you know what you’re not supposed to forget, so … remember 😂

P.S.

Don’t forget, you’re supposed to look up if whisky has an ‘e’ in it.

Until my next newsletter to you guys, have a wonderful week ahead.

Adekunle of 2025.