A social media user has sparked debate after claiming that growing up in Lagos creates a constant sense of urgency, recalling how a calm bus ride in Calabar made them realise just how much the fast-paced Lagos lifestyle had shaped their behaviour.
"As somebody that was born and raised in Lagos, you are not going to realise how dam@ged of a person you are until you move to another state.
You are not going to realise that you are not a normal person until you see how other people in other states are living.
I just remember the first time I travelled to Calabar to write my post-UTME. I was born in Lagos, and I've lived in Lagos all my life with my family. So I travelled to Calabar to write my post-UTME.
I got to Calabar very late. The next day was my exam, obviously. So I went to the bus stop, and when I got there, there were about three or four people waiting to enter a cab.
Firstly, it was surprising to me that there was no Danfo. Nobody told me that there was no Danfo in Calabar. So I didn't see any Danfo. It was Keke, and there were minibuses.
We were waiting for a cab to come, and there were about four people waiting at the bus stop.
When the minibus came, everybody entered the cab slowly. Nobody was rushing. It was surprising to me because I've always rushed all my life. Especially if you're from a middle-class family, you're always jumping from one bus to another. You're always going to be in a rush. Lagos is going to destabilise you.
Tell me why this minibus came and nobody was rushing, but I rushed and entered.
And the surprising part was that there was nobody in the bus, so the bus was empty. Yet I still struggled to enter the bus, thinking that other people were going to struggle to enter it.
Did they struggle? No. Was anybody f!ght!ng to enter the bus with me? No.
Why did I struggle to enter the bus? Because I'm a m@d person. Because Lagos will make you m@d.
Lagos will make you think that somebody is always pushing you. If you're not rushing, you're following something. Lagos will make you m@d."
