First and foremost I want to give God all the glory because this wasn’t by my power or might. Pouring into this blog wasn’t easy, I was scared of people seeing me for who I truly am. Yesterday, I was trying to convince my wife that once upon a time women saw me as a mysterious guy, and she said all they would have to do is read my pieces and they would have me figured out lol.
Secondly, I don’t promote my blog on my social media platforms unless I have a new piece out but it means a lot when I get notified of my daily views. There was a time I was fixated on how far my reach went but a decade in & none of that crosses my mind anymore. I’m elated that 10 years in I get notified about people viewing my blog without me promoting it.
And finally, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this blog whether it be sharing your pieces for me to share with the world, helping me proofread and edit or helping me with research when I needed it.
My first ever piece is titled ‘Letters To My Past Encounters’ & if you’re one of those people reading this piece and we’re not in each other’s lives anymore, read (Letter To My Past Encounters) and know that I will forever cherish the moments we shared.
Alright, let’s get into it!
Of all the things I might doubt, being a bad writer isn’t one of them.
It’s wild to think I started this blog as a 20-year-old & I am now 30. Writing was my escape way before that but wow, I have really had a blog for 10 years (1st of September 2025). I am somewhat sad that I forgot my anniversary but the thought of me doing something for a decade, even if not consistently (I didn’t post in 2019 & 2020) makes me so proud of myself.
I’ve been fighting a war for years, a war that I’ve more than documented through the pieces I’ve shared on here. It’s a war we all fight. A fight against addiction, a fight against your inner child, a fight against your identity. It’s a constant battle, one day you’re on top and another, you’re in the pits of a well & you haven’t changed your bedding in weeks.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include lyrics.
SiR – Back
Is it the pressure to honour my family?
Am I who I am because I feel like I have to be?
Or is it me?
Me and my addictive personality
Wasted all my time defying gravity
Now I’m stuck here
Out of luck here
Barely free
Something’s holding me back
I am someone who battles a lot with where I stand in this world & what I am here to do but doing something for 10 years for free and loving it could mean this path is for me? We spend too much time running and trying to defy the laws of gravity, the laws of God. Don’t be like Jonah & have a whale swallow you whole before you realise you have been running from your calling.
Depression is not a word I use or something I will ever open my mouth to utter. Maybe it’s the Nigerian in me or maybe it’s a form of toxic masculinity but we thank God for the ability to express, Lord knows where I’d be today if I didn’t have this ability.
I’m a big fan of Football Manager & I’ve been playing it for well over a decade. The game has a feature that ranks how addicted it thinks you are to the game depending on how many hours and days you’ve accumulated playing the game. It ranges from time to change your underwear, remember to call your work and ask for more leave to real football managers don’t need food.
It makes me wonder what my rating for this past decade would be. Maybe it could be something like it’s time to turn your brain off or keep writing and your arm will fall off lol.
Vulnerability is something I held close to me for a very long time. I couldn’t have started this and continued for so long if I didn’t dig deep to reveal parts of me that others would rather die than reveal. If you’re a creative reading this and you’re wondering what ingredient you’re missing, most likely it’s vulnerability.
The creatives that shape a generation and beyond have this ingredient on lock and they use it every time. We all love things we can relate to, we love it when we can see ourselves in others.
I often wonder if my Instagram followers think I’m insane when I share music and lyrics. It is such a great feeling when you can relate to things & for me, it means a lot when I hear a song and I can see myself.
Wale on his new album said ‘I’m talking to God less, my misery isn’t important. My tears watered the flowers for thousands who need a garden, I’m blessed’.
I’m talking to God more for sure & I know my tears, all the pieces I’ve shared on here have definitely watered flowers for those that needed a garden. I don’t have the reach that Wale does. I can’t say I’ve watered thousands of flowers but I know I’ve watered more than enough that this blog will never ever leave the World Wide Web because one day I will water millions through this platform.
They do say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success so maybe my dawn is around the corner.
Q Balogun
POTS 