Busola is Nice.

I have a friend and as you can probably guess, his name is Busola. That’s not where the main idea lies. Busola is a normal guy and there’s pretty nothing special about him but then, he is nice.

This should not be such a big deal. Well, it is. Let me explain why.

I’m from Nigeria and growing up in that hot West African country is not easy. With the dilapidated state of our infrastructure and the constant intrusion of our private affairs by our neighbors, it is really hard for you to grow up to become a nice person. I found it puzzling that the countenance of people you meet are seldom warm or welcoming even in situations where it is required.

For instance, I always found it hard as a child to ask questions when not around people I knew. This was usually because you are met by a look that shows a mixture of displeasure and anger before the person even decides to reply to your query and that is if they decide to. I can’t speak for everyone as I might have just been unlucky and going to the wrong places or hanging around the wrong people but I’ve come to cherish and know a genuine smile when I see one.

I checked the definition of ‘nice’ and it involves being pleasing and agreeable. I know that people usually show this side of themselves to close friends and family but then, in my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to be nice to everyone. A smile to that random stranger on the bus might make that person’s day but then… might also get you stalked (be careful!).

I feel there’s so much resentment that people have towards each other for no reason and everything could be avoided if you decided to be nice from the beginning. At the very worst, if being nice still does not help, no one can fault you for not trying.

In the end, I feel if I want to be talked about, I would like them to at least say, “Kennedy is a nice guy” before they start enumerating my numerous flaws.