Nothing sells a kidnap story or accident retell like saying it happened anytime between September and December. As a proper Nigerian, you know that around those last four months of the year, people’s sense of dread and security get heightened.
You hear things like: avoid travelling if possible, or be careful about your ‘movements’. There is this myth that the ember months come with ‘Spirit of danger’ and if you’re not careful, you get sucked in and put your life on hold, just because. So how do you avoid this and how much of this is actually true? We address some of them below:
First of all, don’t change a thing
Don’t be reckless. But don’t be too eager to change your plans either. Truth is, many of those ‘Ember’ month warnings are myths. And sometimes, the best way to handle a myth is to disregard it. Especially as most of these myths are born from situations that are somewhat still within our control. Let me explain.
The Ember months come with a different vibe, especially in the last two months of the year. The IJGBs(I-Just-Got-Back) are in town and ready to party with their friends. Offices seem to be competing for Christmas party of the year award. And there is just generally a higher level of the hustle and bustle as we know it. People are travelling home to see relatives, or travelling into the bigger cities for the holidays. So, there’s more excitement in the air, more alcohol consumption, display of wealth and a bit more reckless abandon than you may see in the first three quarters of the year.
This can cause more drunkenness and drunk drivers on the road leading to more accidents The point is, it is not a ‘Spirit of the Ember months’ causing havoc. It is merely a human problem that is yet to be properly tackled by our leaders. If our roads were good and we had better security and things worked as they should, we may not have these myths. So, if you’re already a security-conscious person, as you should be, remain as security-conscious as you’ve always been and continue life as normal. If you never were, become one and not just because it’s the Ember months, but because of the country we live in.
Also, understand that most people speak from personal experiences. Their reality and yours may be completely different. So avoid taking on someone else’s reality and their fears and living their own story.
The ‘Ember’ months are pretty much the same as all the other months in the year. Don’t live in fear. Just be aware and vigilant as you should be throughout the whole year.
Happy ‘Ember’ Months! 😉