Laspapi- The Man, The Myth...

"Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you.
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
the wind is passing by."

This poem came from a card given to me by my very good friend, jumoke, when we were at the university in Ife.

How did the name, laspapi, come about. One day, many years ago, I stood in conversation with my brother, Jinta. We called Lagos, 'las gidi', as many do and then he uttered the word, las papi in reference to Lagos. It struck me and a name was born that day. It first fastened to me through regular use by my my nephew, Ifeoluwa, in his very English accent as we had mock wrestling matches.

There is Wole the playwright and lawyer, then laspapi, then the Whisperer...

The Whisperer's articles seem to have developed a following amongst women. It is a good thing. My friend, and big brother, Jahman Anikulapo, gave me the avenue to display it in the Guardian and I decided to blog it regularly. I speak to females as a brother, a very good friend, someone who's been there or knows who's been there. I do not moralise. I tell of caution. How do I know so much? Why do so many women agree with me? Look at the Rudyard Kipling poem in my profile. I was really like that. I "rogued and ranged" in my time. I didn't start off for it to be like that but it happened. My short attention span didn't help. And so today, I don't preach from a moralistic point of view. My word is not God's commandment. I am no Saint, nowhere near it, but I talk to those who find my writing informative or amusing or both, as I would talk to my biological sisters.

But basically, we're all adults, and it is everyman (and woman) for himself in the end, really no one's business. The Whisperer Articles are not a compilation of the 5th Gospel.

I have two masters degrees- Both from the University of Lagos, and some people claim to know of my exploits from the days of the LL.M, eons ago. It's amusing, sometimes, and at other times, sad. I try to ignore it, as I see that a decade on, people are still obsessed by me and my supposed acts years ago.

I do not remember these people, and if by some chance, on the grassy lawns of the University of Lagos or by the rocky hills that surround the Obafemi Awolowo University, light years ago, I broke your friend's heart and it hurts you, I'm sorry. One more thing...You need to get a life. Time is passing by.

I find I am credited with much more than I have done. It's usually the opposite, men take credit for what they haven't done.
laspapi's older and wiser now, and the days of rage are behind. If you still can't stand me, keep your distance. Oju orun t'eiye fo, la yi f'ara kan 'ra (The skies are wide enough for birds to fly in, without touching each other). Hopefully I won't need your approval before they make me a Minister in the Government and hopefully you won't need mine under similar circumstances.

An anon came on my blog and wrote -"I've been to two of your shows at the Muson Centre. You ain't that hot". It wasn't related to the issue being blogged about. Since she took the time to write that, I knew she really found me hot. hehe. I mean, why come to my shows repeatedly if you despise me?

I want to thank my friends in the world of blogging. Thank you for being friendly. I hope never to take you for granted.

May we live in happier times.

laspapi