Are You Crazy Enough? By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo

Posted: January 8, 2013 - 16:24

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Correct Me If I Am Right By Rudolf Okonkwo

At 14, I discovered reggae music. I was so crazy about reggae that I believed that I would be the authentic replacement for Bob Marley. I started writing reggae music lyrics. I was furious. I was on fire. I was proficient. I chanted down Babylon. I dreamed of singing on Mount Zion.

At 16, I teamed up with a fellow student at the Federal University of Technology, Akure to form a pop group. We wanted to be like Chris Okotie, Felix Liberty and Jide Obi. Under the guidance of a professional musician, who was also a student, we started rehearsing our first song. Every evening, we would take over an empty classroom to practice. In the middle of it all, university students across Nigeria went on a demonstration over something President Babangida did. Our university was closed as a result of the demonstration. When our university reopened, our musician/mentor did not return. And that ended my romance with becoming a musician.

That song we were rehearsing has remained in me ever since.

I have not told this story before, even to people close to me. It is practically unbelievable, considering the life I ended up living. Apart from the song that is still playing in my head, I still have a picture I took during that era. It was taken while I was at home following the closure of our university. In the picture I was wearing my mother’s discarded wig. I had converted the wig into a poor man’s dreadlock. It is a picture for the ages- now kept in a tightly secured safe.

I cannot help but think of what could have been had I continued with my ‘music career.’ As I think of it, I know that I did not stop just because our mentor left the university. I really stopped because I was not crazy enough.

I really wanted to be a musician but I could not imagine myself walking up to my father, a proud BA (Honors) degree holder from UNN, and say that I was throwing away my career in engineering to become one of those ‘useless weed-smoking guitar boys.’

Incidentally, when the music career ended, I went through the same dilemma as I pursued writing while still studying engineering. But that is a story for another day.

This was before Jay Jay Okocha’s success made it okay for a boy to aspire to become a footballer. It was long before Chimamanda Adichie’s success made it okay for a girl to aspire to become a writer. They were crazy enough to pursue their dreams. And because they did, it is now okay for a child to grow up and want to be a footballer or a writer. Because they were crazy enough to pursue their dreams, old ideas were dropped for new ones.

Since the beginning of time, man had to think to survive. Man had to observe his environment to navigate it and stay alive. Early men asked questions about how, why, who, what, when, where of events. These questions have not stopped. Answers of today have led to more questions for tomorrow. As the world becomes clearer, old ideas are dropped on the side for new ones.

When I was in secondary school, in my first Chemistry class, we were taught the John Dalton’s atomic theory. In 1805, John Dalton moved forward the hypothesis that we are made of molecules. He proved that molecules are made up of atoms. Dalton’s theory stated that, “Atom is the smallest indivisible particle. It can neither be created nor destroyed.” The name atom came from the Greek word, atomos, meaning not able to cut.

But as far back as 1932, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, working at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge had done what eluded scientists for a century before. They had split the atom into protons, neutrons and electrons.

What they achieved changed everything. It created the atomic age.

Scientists have since discovered that protons and neutrons are made of quarks. As of today, quarks are the end of it. They are as small as anything can get -as of today.

There are six kinds of quarks – up, down, charm, strange, top and bottom. As we in Africa pray for our generators to start, for our mosquito nets to withstand the anopheles mosquito, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider(LHC) are working to see if quarks are made of even smaller things. LHC is also poised to discover the nature of dark matter, supersymmetric particles and extra dimensions.

Niels Bohr was one of those who led the study of the atom. His principle of complementarity still remains a focal point in the study of contradictory properties of items. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics “for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and the radiation emanating from them.” He was part of the Manhattan Project that led to the building of the first nuclear bomb.

After Wolfgang Pauli presented Heisenberg's and Pauli's nonlinear field theory of elementary particles at Columbia University in 1958, Niels Bohr said to him, “We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct.”

That is the crux of the matter. Where the world is going is crazy. But it is not crazy enough. Not yet.

For instance, we know that there are three dimensions. But could there be more? And why haven’t we seen it? How will it look when we see it? Where does anti-matter go? Is there an additional symmetry?

The expansion of the universe is speeding up. Albert Einstein’s 1917 proposal of a ‘cosmological constant’ once rejected has been reintroduced to explain the dark energy that is driving the expansion. Scientists are no longer questioning the Big Bang. They are observing lights from the Big Bang itself.

The greatest scientist alive, Stephen W. Hawking, added that, “We can guess at what this will reveal, but our experience has been that when we open up a new range of observations, we often find what we had not expected. That is when physics becomes really exciting, because we are learning something new about the universe.”

The scientific wall is like an onion- you peel one skin off and another one reappears.

But where does that leave us, Africans? Are we crazy enough to risk irritating our eyes by peeling the onions? Are we crazy enough to take the risks needed to create the kind of country we want? If we are crazy enough, if the hundreds of thousands in the Mountain of Fire & Miracle church slapping their heads decide to slap their feet on the streets until government responds to the needs of the people, change will happen. The Egyptians were crazy enough to stand in front of armored tanks and flying police bullets to demand the end of the era of Hosni Mubarak and his sons and cronies.

More importantly, are you crazy enough to be what you want to be? Are you crazy enough to discard the theories of yesterday and embrace the theories of today? Are you crazy enough to create what will become the theory of tomorrow?

This is a new year and a good time to start being crazy. Only those crazy enough succeed. Are you crazy enough?

Comments

29 comment(s)

re:

Submitted by PARENTS @ (not verified) on May 20, 2013 - 05:31.

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What we want the future to be

Submitted by howard (not verified) on January 13, 2013 - 18:15.

here is to the crazy ones.The workers who slave day and night for a meagre pay.The underemployed who work more than the governors. The people who are abused at work but have no voice of their own-
http://Yolpe.com
here is my crazy contribution to mankind....

Righteous man in power

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 11, 2013 - 12:47.

Read Righteous man in power, then you will see craziness

I concur

Submitted by Bright (not verified) on January 10, 2013 - 16:14.

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
― Apple Inc.

NONSENSE

Submitted by frankwilliams (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 21:44.

You ppl should come back home and start the madness. Stop deceiving people come and start the fire please if you are sincere

The time is now!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 15:06.

Right on point. This piece is a wake up call. Take your destiny in your hands. Everyone of us with our individual honest efforts can make the world a better place. And for those who continue to sow the wind they will surely reap the whirlwind. It will not be business as usual. This is 2013 not 2012!

Let's just organize!!!

Submitted by sola aareago (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 13:34.

'crazy enough' is absolutely necessary; it fires the ire in us all, I'm all for it. In addition though, we need to organize.
How about the idea of an annual "NATIONAL PROTEST/DEMONSTRATION DAY". One appointed day of the year we all congregate on Abuja for a peaceful rally.
PS: Mr. Okonkwo, if it's not too unusual, may I ask for a private conversation with you (email or phone)to give you my idea in its crudest form and which I'm confident your writing skills and platform would help disseminate.

Thumbs up

Submitted by Bright (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 13:24.

This is more like it brainiac. You sure pondering what am pondering. Crazy enough to champion an intellectual revolution? Every other thing would fall into place

Hmmmmm, Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo !

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 09:29.

Hmmmmm, Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo.

Continue to write like this and you`ll see Nigerians get crazy, crazy & crazy ..... little by little .... and then..... I dare all Journalists in Nigeria to shift attention from praise singing (writting) articles and give attention to issues that provote thought. It is boring at times to buy a Nigerian newspaper. Some try though but many more should join. Lets continue to discuss issues up to the level of creating discomfort. Lets ask why generators are still being imported. lets demand and INSIST on stopping the importation of petroleum products even if it means parking our vehicles for months. Lets talk about Education. Lets ALL refuse to participate in elections for instatce and see what happens since our votes dont count. lets get crazy for once and you will be suprised how close change is.

REDEMPTION SONG!

Submitted by Delasso (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 08:57.

Masterpiece.....Being crazy enough is a function of emancipating one from mental slavery!!!

Not near Enough?

Submitted by Steve Osasuyi (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 08:55.

We Nigerian don't even know that we are suffering - that is the problem. If we do, then the sphere would have long been energized.

Yes we are crazy enough

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 07:14.

Rudolf,
Yes we are crazy enough to bomb innocent Christians in their churches, crazy enough to think a senile old general whose party could only win an insignificant 1 state and a spattering of legislative seats can win a popular vote for president! Crazy fools!

THANKS RUDDY

Submitted by TOPE (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 06:43.

I always enjoy your take. well done. now i see why they call you atheist. but for guys like you, africa will just obliterate. at least we have few who are thinking, even if our stupid president is busy kneeling down for fraudsters who call themselves pastors. chirstianity in particular is our biggest problem. but why not? THE DARK AGES, was a time, when christianity ruled the world and banished all forms of scientific reasoning. the much vilified Islam was a religion that tolerated science, and exhumed the works of the Greeks. hallelujah somebody! mscheeew...

A GENIUS YOU ARE

Submitted by Shalk (not verified) on January 9, 2013 - 03:19.

You are terrific Rudolf. Your style of writing and thinking amazes me that i have some of your write ups saved in my favourites and my most favourite is your historic and priceless article, I AM A WHITE MAN'S BURDEN, i totally share your ideas on that write up. But Rudolf, I still think you are not crazy enough to pursue your writing carrier because i have been waiting breathlessly to see your columns in one of the 'big media names'. Keep it up man. I am so proud of you and so fascinated about your write-ups.

crazy for occupy9ja in 2013

Submitted by Fe.muwe. on January 9, 2013 - 00:27.

may 2013 be the year suffahead-ization turn to occupation, general strike and liberation from the lugard-soja-PDP-IMF cabal. maybe not so long 2 wait before clueless elites will spark their own downfall: it almost happened in 2012, so try try again jona. aluta to all 9ja progressives!

You are the reason i come to saharareporter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 22:47.

There are few Nigerians like you Rudolf. In which sense , i mean critical thinkers. Most Nigerian are truly not crazy enough and too conventional in their thinking.

A little bit of craziness is good- Fidel Castro

www.planetadvert.com. The website to post ads for free, write reviews and find investment.

Okonkwo, u are crazy enuf. U

Submitted by Crazyenuf (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 20:46.

Okonkwo, u are crazy enuf. U make ma week alwys exhilarating by reading u again n again. Keep it up. I'l b crazy enuf to persue my life time ambition.

YEAB

Submitted by Abdulgafar on January 8, 2013 - 20:22.

Sometimes the craziness brings out the very best in a man and save his/her fellow human from shackle of slavery to his/her fellow being.

Do We Really Care about our Brothers?

Submitted by Olukunle (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 19:59.

It is so disturbing that Africans now enjoy the West and they have no interest anymore in changing the direction of their lives. The only thing worthy of reflecting on as Africans is how might we be free from this divide and rule syndrome? Some of us are quietly enjoying life in the West and we cannot be bothered what happens at home. Although we pretend to really care. The truth is that divide and rule is destroying us. We have become the white man's permanent victims. God help us.

How do we organize ourselves

Submitted by dave (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 19:58.

I think it is high time for us to act.We need to start discussing ideas about "where","how" and "with what" to start the long due revolution(The "When" question is answered - NOW). I challenge fellow Nigerians to come up with Ideas, i know some will try to talk it down or make a mockery of it(Little wonder why we are where we are today), but i am sure a lot of people want this fight. I am looking forward to suggestions as to how to start Nigerian Spring (remeber Arab Spring?).Spring starts in about 2 months so we have time. Fellow Nigerians,Pls come up with Ideas. Are we crazy enough to start??

We are not crazy enough yet

Submitted by Habbey2080 (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 19:47.

We are not crazy enough yet in Nigeria especially. The future is far. My thinking is that everybody want immediate success not having to work for it. We are mentally lazy. Honestly, I am baffled when I think about it, no African scientist was there to shape yester-years talkless of 21st century. The future is still long. However, the way I see it is that this generation of less than 40 years of age can make the difference.

Rudolf Rocks

Submitted by Adeleke Pitan (not verified) on January 8, 2013 - 19:46.

Say, just today, I was just grumbling under my breath about how people in this part of the world refuse to think for them-selves.

While I'm concious of the existence of the supernatural, I'm too blown away by the mysteries in astro-physics that I cannot help but think that in the vastness of space, time and all it's mysteries, could that which we term improbable - nay impossible end up being inevitable? Nothing really is impossible given these conditions - we just would never live long enough to see these things happen.

The mysteries that abound in astro-physics ranging from the relatively mundane (like how many trillions of planets are in the universe) to the more mind-buggling like paralel universes, space-time continuum and the possibility of time-travel (yep - its not really science fiction) certainly trounce feeble-minded enquiries into matters of witch-craft and ancestral curses.

Thank you Rudolf, you have made my evening!