I cried my eyes out because I couldn’t make it to #WCEU

My featured image up there, was taken few two hours ago. Yes i cried, but i am renewed because i did.

So why did I cry? I got selected to speak at WordCamp Europe on how we built a diverse WordPress community in Lagos. I got approved as a recipient to the diversity fund by team Yoast. But the German embassy in Lagos two days ago decided if they give me the visa, I would end up sleeping on their streets and causing a nuisance and would not be able to pay for my trip when all they had to do was make a phone call or write to all the contacts I listed to verify my claims.

Let’s leave that, i still would rate the German embassy a 4 star though, they have the best polite staff I have seen or heard of at any embassy, and they are very thorough, other embassies in Nigeria should take a cue from them. Being imperfect is what makes us humans right, so hopefully the German embassy will rid themselves of that one flaw they have, (the I don’t care attitude that’s destroying our nation) which is common in our country, and that is the inability to carry out thorough and proper research/investigation on any subject.

I know what you are thinking, you can’t believe it too right? Mary is a strong woman, she’s a goddamn inspiration, she leads beautifully, etc. That’s what you all say right. At first, i was so heartbroken i muted the #WCEU hashtag on twitter, but after i cried, i so wanted to watch and take part virtually, i am super ready to do that now.

Earlier i muted the #WCEU hashtag, i have deleted it now, i am healed because i cried, haha. To all my friends over there, rock #WCEU and share pictures!

You know what? Being vulnerable is what makes us human, it is what gives us strength. The chips cannot be up at all times, they will be down a lot, so many times, and yes you should cry when they are down, you know why? Because that’s where your renewed inspiration comes from!

You have got to let it out and let it go, someone once asked me why I’m always happy, and my response to her was, ‘well, it’s either I’m happy or I’m dead’.

Happiness is not something that life decides to bestow on you, wrong! Happiness is what you decide within yourself to bestow upon yourself at all times.

One other thing I have learnt from a dear partner that I would like to share with you today is this, ‘always, by all means, always celebrate your achievements‘, those small wins you think doesn’t matter, they say a drop of water makes an ocean right.

Well guess what?

A drop of happiness makes what? You tell me what it makes in the comments.

To those who have inspired me, given me renewed strength and a reason to carry on, I thank you and I appreciate you all. Caspar, Rocio, Daydah, Taco, Des, Aditya, Anchen, Femi, Bosun, Bernard, Hardeep and my daughter Bree who gave me head massages, pep talk on why i should not be sad, after asking me what a visa was and got me out of bed, I love you! She desperately wants to visit China for reasons known to her, she says it’s a beautiful country, always begging me to take her there, I’m not going to use cowries to pay for the trip, am I 😌?

She loves her WordCamp Lagos T-shirt too much 😅

If you are in a place right now where you feel sad, unhappy, depressed, please cry it out, call me up or reach out to me, I will offer my shoulders, you can cry on mine. When you have gotten all that crying emotion out of your system, then we can focus on moving on.

I have a friend (Derin Omikunle) from high school whose favourite quote was ‘life goes on’, we may not want it to go on, but guess what, it can and it would. You want to know why? It’s because we are not alone.

If you think you are, know that I am here with you, I will always be, even after I’m gone, I will still be here and together we move forward!

If you are reading this and you are thinking, well I have no one, banish that thought right now please, look around you, there are people who care, and just in case you can’t find one, you have found me, I am one direct message away.

Don’t I look renewed already? This is a picture I took yesterday 😁 Even the clouds above me are happy and beautiful, as I am.

Want to see my red eyes from crying for hours 🤩? I will show you so you know it’s totally okay to cry👇I once heard men shouldn’t cry, if you are a man reading this and you hold back your tears because you don’t want to come off as weak, my brother, ignore the naysayers and cry o. The process heals you faster than normal. Want to tell me about a time you cried? Comment below too. Your words can inspire another human thousands of miles away!

I even look good after crying 😍 maybe I should cry often 😂

That being said, I’m spending my day at Uwani Hub today, i will be watching the WCEU livestream from there. Uwani Hub is a baby project of mine aimed at building the tech ecosystem in my town, targeted at women and girls, all males are welcome too, we are all humans. If we had a projector, I did invite all to watch with me, want to help, click here to see how you can 🤩

Join the conversation on twitter here: https://twitter.com/maryojob/status/1141693936194465793 Let’s share gif hugs 🤗

Certainly, check them out!