If You Are Reading This...

Arigato

The last time I wrote here, things moved faster than I could emotionally process. What I thought would be a quiet release into nowhere turned into something louder, wider, and more far-reaching than the silence and ease I had prepared myself for. It drew attention in a way that felt both affirming and unsettling -so much so that I pulled it down across my socials. Not because it wasn’t true, but because I wasn’t ready to be seen that clearly, by that many people, all at once.

…and while everything else was bade goodbye, someone stayed. You did.

And for that, I am grateful in a way that my words might struggle to hold fully.

I know some of you found your way here because, well… human beings are naturally drawn to stories, or should I say gists, to glimpses into lives that feel a little like theirs, or nothing like theirs at all. We like to listen in, to understand, to feel something. It’s part curiosity, part connection, part that quiet search for meaning in places we don’t expect.

So whether you came for the “gist” or you stumbled in by accident, or by the slightest chance genuinely cared, I’m deeply glad you’re here because somewhere in the middle of all that unexpected attention, something else happened, something quieter yet important. I found people, real people.

From different cities, countries, and cultures. People who saw themselves in my words. People who didn’t need perfection, just my honesty. And in that, I realized this space could be more than a one-time outpouring. It could be a meeting point for those of us who are trying to make sense of life as it is, not just as it is curated.

So here we are, here I am… saying welcome.

A quick little thing about me, since staying would be easier if you knew who you’re staying with.

I am deeply rooted in faith, okay, maybe not as deep as I desire yet, but I’m finding my way there because it shapes how I see the world, how I endure or enjoy it, and how I hope within it. I am a chef, but more than that, I am an entrepreneur, building a culinary institute startup designed for the kind of chefs the world is demanding now.

In simple terms, it’s a tech-driven culinary school in Nigeria, training chefs to be both skilled and future-ready. We combine standardized culinary education with industry-relevant tech, helping chefs stay employable and adaptable. I also have a couple of brand projects silently in the works.

Food for me is not just sustenance. It is a language, memory, life, and architecture. It is how I love and understand people. But that’s not all I am.

I am also a writer -clearly (smiles with a side nod of the face). A storyteller in many forms, I write films, books, and educational papers. I also play the guitar - I make music when words are not enough. And sometimes, I just sit quietly and observe, because not everything needs to be said immediately or at all.

P.S I wrote and shot my first short film two years ago alongside my brother (who is a cinematographer), and I also wrote and sang its soundtrack. I have also written a few others after that.

So if you are reading this, it means one of two things

• you care, or

• You simply enjoy a good story.

Either way, you’re welcome here.

This is my little corner of the literary world. A space where we will grow, reflect, question, laugh a little, and maybe -if we are honest enough- heal in small, unannounced ways. We will share pieces of our journeys as we continue our quiet drift through the cosmos, orbiting time, purpose, and becoming.

Now, a little housekeeping, just because beautiful things need structure too.

If this somehow found its way into your spam folder, please mark it as “not spam” so these letters can find you properly next time. If you don’t see future notes, check your promotions tab as well. And if all else fails, everything I write will always live on my Substack page, waiting for you.

Also… if my writing has meant something to you, even just a little, tell a friend. There’s room here for more people who feel deeply and are open to connecting with a small community. I would also like to get to know you, so feel free to drop a comment.

In my next letter, I might tell you a little secret about myself that I haven’t said to anyone yet, and I’ll trust you to hold them gently, at least within the walls of this small, growing community.

Which brings me to a thought…

Is it too early to start thinking about what we should call ourselves?

I’ll let you sit with that.

For now, I’ll leave you with this;

Not everything that finds you loudly is meant to stay, and not everything that stays will announce itself. Pay attention to the quiet things, the gentle alignments, the unnoticed shifts within you. That is where your life is really unfolding.

So if you are reading this… Arigato. Thank you for being here, stranger.

Truly, Human.