New Beginnings: hello hive

Hello Hive Community. I’m a newbie and I’m absolutely pumped to be here. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my dearest friend @wongi for introducing me to this community, and taking time to lecture me on everything about Hive and what it represents.

       ***ABOUT MYSELF***

My name is Tessa, but I’ll go by the name Jhymi on the Blockchain, mainly cause that’s what my friends call me...for reasons I’m still not completely sure of. I’m a regular Nigerian girl, growing up in a still developing country, and faced with all the joys and challenges of being a girl who strives to make a mark in a predominantly male influenced world.

      ***MY HOBBIES***

I really love singing and listening to music. My mum was very active in the choir, and my dad was a disc jockey in college. So maybe you could say it’s genes, but singing and listening to music has always been very therapeutic for me. A way to lift my spirit if I’m feeling down, or make me happier when I’m already happy. Music is essentially life.

If you’re looking for an ardent movie lover, you’ve most definitely found one. I’m a die hard fan of k-dramas. I do watch other movies, but I get inspiration to write from k-dramas. Apart from being extremely entertaining, there are many valuable lessons to gain from it.

I love hanging out with my friends. I honestly believe that good friends definitely bring out the care-free, silly part of you that you won’t really show other people. They make me happy, and suffice to say that being around people that don’t ever judge you is a potent catalyst for fresh ideas. But most importantly, my best friend, and greatest source of happiness is BOOKS!

As far as I can remember, there’s this joy I usually derived from reading books. The smell of old books in my dad’s study was a constant source of delight to me. So while normal three year olds would throw tantrums when they are upset, or sad, I’d run to my dad’s study and drown myself in books, getting them all wet with my tears, but reading nonetheless. I didn’t really understand what I was reading, but a book in my hand always took away my sorrows. It was home within my home for me. So it was no wonder when I was asked who I wanted to be in future, and I promptly said I wanted to be a lawyer.

I guess nature is fair. By making people good in some things, and maybe not so good in other things, there is a certain level of balance created in the world. So one person can’t be completely good at everything. Growing up, I discovered my love for writing. Sadly, it wasn’t as strong as my love for reading. I’d write short poems and soulful write-ups about myself, but in the third person. I’d also write articles and essays but I could never write full stories. I was always impressed and slightly envious of my friends that could write full dramas, whereas I never got beyond chapter two. I resigned myself to the fact that it just wasn’t my forte.

Skipping to my early teenage years, I discovered that large crowds never fazed me. I was usually privileged to give speeches in front of thousands of people via competitions and talk shows at school, and the prospect never failed to excite me. It was a secret thrill of mine, leaving people in awe of my diction, how well I could speak and all of that. I know it sounds conceited, but a girl has to find her source of happiness from somewhere right?

But I have come to thoroughly understand - the hard way - might I add, how unpredictable life is. One minute it’s like you’re soaring with the clouds, and you’re asking yourself if life could possibly be any better, the next minute you’re thrown to the ground, robbed of your previous joys, and suddenly aware of your obvious naïveté about life. Needless to say, facing so many setbacks and disappointments in my young life has humbled me immensely. I was usually overconfident and constantly believed that some things just couldn’t happen to Tessa. Boy, was I wrong. I’ve learnt to be grateful for each day; appreciating the people and things around me because you never know when they would all be taken away.

Without any more depressing words, cause you all are probably wondering what this girl is really about. I guess I just want to be able to incite emotions in people - happiness, sadness and moments of self reflection, by simply sharing the things that have and do make me happy, things that make me upset, things that at some point have and still do question my intelligence, got me to think, or actually makes me wonder. I just want to share all of that with this beautiful community, explore deeply the writing community and other book and life related communities, as that is my passion. I hope you guys enjoy the ride with me.

I want to once again thank my dear friend @wongi and the Hive Community for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I hope you guys had fun reading. Expect more to come from me.

Thank you all and do have a wonderful day.

Yours truly,

Jhymi.