Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - A Letter to My Former Students

"What is the difference between an armed robber that wants a household to surrender their meager earnings, and a colonial exploiter? So, when the armed robber leaves, you must remain lying face-down where he left you in the parlor? Is that not really stupid? You need to come out, at least, to greet sympathizers."(OO)

Beautiful, humorous and organic, yet, powerful and didactic. I love it!

===

You write so well, Obododimma! It's the reason I read everything you write, though I never responded to them. The use of humor, assorted tropes, Igbo cultural allusions, etc., keep your readers (me, especially) spellbound. In it all, you always have a serious line to deliver, sometimes a message, serious and deep.

I love this letter to your students. I appreciate your consistent connection with them. How many teachers ever think of their students beyond the classroom interactions? How many ever communicate with any of their past students two, three, five, ten, and even more years beyond graduating? Answer: Very few! Many don't know that teaching is priesthood, a divine calling that does not and cannot afford a casual, drive-by-and-wave kind of contact with members of their "Order,"those learners, the army they helped raise. Thanks for being a good teacher.

Out of curiosity, I think I missed the point you were trying to make in your admonition for them not to be afraid to "cross to another thing." Were you suggesting they should stop being in their current professions, pack and leave the country for a greener pasture in the Americas, Europe, etc., or move on if the wind is not blowing in their direction? 

I await your response, Prof.

Michael O. Afolayan

From the State of the Living Spring

On Thursday, June 13, 2019, 4:24:49 AM GMT+1, Obododimma Oha <obodooha@gmail.com> wrote:

"Oga ticha" is writing to his former students (some of whom he met in Calabar, Ibadan, St Louis, Senegal, Windhoek, etc). They should note what these trembling fingers have put down for them in continuation of the search for the "way"! Peace be with you!

Click on this to read it:

https://obododimma.livejournal.com/11109.html

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Obododimma.

--
--
B.A.,First Class Honours (English & Literary Studies);
M.A., Ph.D. (English Language);
M.Sc. (Legal, Criminological & Security Psychology);
Professor of Cultural Semiotics & Stylistics,
Department of English,
University of Ibadan.

COORDINATES:

Phone (Mobile):
              +234 8033331330;
              +234 9033333555;
              +234 8022208008;
              +234 8073270008.
Skype: obododimma.oha
Twitter: @mmanwu
Personal Blog: http://udude.wordpress.com/

--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/CAA-CzCG6X04PPA6Nmv15V2JJO%3Dx4vQ3tPunAweq%3DGQ0TFiufvw%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.