One must remain grateful for the period in time and the upbringing one had, though many would look back and want to scream at their parents and society of that time.
Imagine if today, the minimum requirement for being able to brag to your mates that you “saw her underwear” was a LAMBORGHINI, whether the URUS or any other model?
Two distinct things in my time.
The girls of my time were brought up under very strict conditions, where principles and family name came first.
They were beautiful. Naturally beautiful however they never knew it. They could not maximise, optimise or even commercialise what they were not aware of. They just went about their business oblivious to their sexiness or sexuality. There were the exceptions to this general rule, I agree. We know them and they know themselves.
They couldn’t monetise what they were oblivious to but stunning and attractive they were. Many are on these streets.
How can I ever forget Tokunbo M laying by the poolside in Ikoyi Hotel in a 2-piece bikini. Lord have Mercy! She did not do that with intent of attracting attention and she did not need a tan either.. but that picture has never left me decades later. She probably will be smiling at herself today reading this.
Whenever Valerie got ready for competition to jump in the pool or when rain did justice to the uniforms of the Holy Child girls next door, you looked up to the heavens and thanked God for His Goodness and Mercy.
None of those girls knew what effect they had on boys of our time. Again, there were exceptions to the general rule.
For us the boys, what did we have to offer?
Something today’s boys never seem to have learnt or maybe their world is now completely different?
You needed to be the Athlete, the Good Dancer where it helped if your name was Kenny and you had a Twin who could also dance.
Good Looking helped. You could overcome any deficiency in that department by being a well-articulated deliverer of Good English.
If all else failed you, you made sure your closest companions were GQ and ESQUIRE magazines. First impressions were everything.
Just be the Funniest Guy and you could gain all the attention you needed.
These were wholesome life-long soft skills, talents and attributes..
Those who did not attract as much attention had beautiful sisters. Buky thought we liked him and we always made a bee-line for his house but only to ensure we had a good look at Gbemi.. he did end up as Senate President eventually but who knew the future at that time.
Today’s young man must feel immense pressure. Relationships are extremely transactional.
Today’s young woman KNOWS she is beautiful or goes to near-extremes to be, so that she can have something to “sell”. And there is a never ending line of “buyers”.
Don’t ask me where they learnt this from. They have given fancy names to what was once considered poor life choices of standing under streetlights or in dark corners waiting for Johns. Runs, HookUp, Baddies or whatever other tags I am too old to know.
The base price for the parting of the Red Sea today could be “promise” of a Lamborghini or as I saw on a recent clip, a pledge to “gift you 3rd Mainland Bridge”…
Little wonder we read stories of normalised Ritual and Cult Group practices. It does help when you have a generation of empty-headed floosies tailgating anyone “perceived” as having “money”.
Up at the top are men who couldn’t speak a sentence of English talk less of having the guts to approach the Girls of our time.
I am grateful I grew up in our time. Though we were exposed to things, on a smaller scale that today’s boys are facing, the worst I can remember Mazi Abe Abiodun Idris doing was “stealing” Alhaja’s Gold and heading to BRISTOL to sell so we could have money for “Summer” or Jeans from Quayside. God forgive him.
I am glad I grew up when I did, I cannot imagine the pressure of having to provide or even falsely promise every young woman a Lambo or even a Furnished Flat in Lekki.. Gosh! We Were lucky weren’t we TJ Tunde Jinadu ?
Goodluck Ladies. And to you younger men, May your hustle never fail you.
by
