roving heights, books, and a hundred thoughts.
it changed me, in some way.
As part of my mission to get acquainted with my new city, I visited a bookstore yesterday.
Well, I say “visited”, but it was totally impromptu.
I had no idea where I was going, but somehow, someway, I found myself at the entrance of Roving Heights.
Now, this wasn’t the first time I was visiting a bookstore, but there was something profoundly different about it this time.
I guess I’ve been away from reading for so long that I forgot the sense of wonder a single book can inspire, talk less of hundreds of them.
I was suddenly reminded just how much I’ve missed and was still missing.
So, I decided to take the chance and immerse myself again, after a long time, into the world of books.
Funny enough, the first books I noticed on the shelves were some of the titles from my favourite book series, A Song of Ice & Fire.
Ebooks are cool and all, but there’s a sacred awe to turning the black and white or cream pages of a physical book that swiping through digital screens can never ever replicate.
The feeling is just not the same.
This store was a relatively small, but there were a lot of books in it, and it just got me to wondering just how many books have been written and published in the history of humankind.
If you think about it, it’s actually mind-boggling the Sheree number of books that have existed and are still existing on this Earth.
That’s A LOT of books.
Let’s not even talk about the hundreds of thousands that were lost in ancient wars and global disasters like the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria.
There are books on every possible topic you can think of: Faith, Spirituality, Sex, Human Relations, Biology, Communication, War, Leadership, Power, Football, Health. Science, Love, Psychology, Mental Illnesses, Money, Wealth, Agriculture- whatever, you name it.
Then there are fiction books too – many, many books on Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller, Comedy, Fan-fiction, and all the rest of them.
There’s probably a book on any single thing that you can think of.
And this has been humanity since the start of history: telling stories, passing knowledge, and sharing thoughts.
It was very humbling to imagine the impact this singular ability – writing – has made since the world began.
Before you continue reading, do me a favour and tell me your favourite book/book series or the best book that you’ve ever read.
Genre doesn’t matter.
Right from whatever ancient BC you want to count from up until now, 2025 AD, so many stories have been told, and there are still so many more stories that will be told right until the world ends.
Due to the crazy advancement of technology and the ridiculous ease of access that we have to information, we can barely keep up with the amount of books and stories and knowledge that we have now.
Talk less of revisiting the ones that existed long before we were born and keeping track of the ones that are still to come in the future.
It’s going to be practically IMPOSSIBLE for anybody to read everything in their lifetime, even if they spend their whole lives just reading and reading.
My point is that since there’s way too much books and way too little time, maybe it’s best for you and me to focus only on the ones that serve us and will be of benefit to us.
There’s always going to be rave reviews, latest recommendations, and trending titles.
As the Preacher rightly says:
“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”
- (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
It will be very amiss of you and me to think that we can keep up with everything or to think that everything is meant to be consumed by us just because it’s available.
This also applies to music and movies and YouTube videos and every other form of consumable content.
I’ve seen people get overstimulated and live unfulfilled lives just because they didn’t want to “miss out” on anything.
That’s sad.
We’re meant to miss out on stuff; that’s what makes it more beautiful and fulfilling when we finally find what is meant for us.
Don’t lose yourself because you’re trying to be involved in everything.
It’s not worth it.
The flip side of consuming is creation, and without one, the other cannot completely exist.
As much as human beings love to consume, our primary role is to create.
My question to you is, “Do you plan to spend your entire existence just being a passive consumer?”
Not everybody is going to write or sing or draw or do any of those traditionally “creative” things, but everybody should at least have something that they’re putting out into the world for the betterment of themselves, others, and the world at large.
No matter who you are or where you are, there has to be something you can do that will be of great benefit to, at least, the immediate people around you.
Just think about it.
One thought that really stuck with me is that all these authors created all these books because they believed that their story mattered and they decided to share it with the world.
It doesn’t matter if they were right or wrong in thinking so; what matters is that they took the step to share what they believed with others.
What about you?
Your story matters, more than you think.
Even if you believe you’re the most insignificant person on the Earth.
And I’m not talking about this solely in the context of writing books.
You don’t need to write or be a writer before you can share your story; you just have to recognise that there’s something unique about you and then make sure you carry yourself that way.
When you talk – plus the way you act, the way you interact, and the way you live – you’re telling a story about your life that only you will ever get the chance to tell.
Your life matters.
If so many people throughout history can document their thoughts and emotions and feelings because they believed the world deserved to know it, then why not you?
Again, the point is not whether these people were right or wrong.
I mean, we have books that have inspired hate, violence, and many other actions that have been detrimental to civilisation.
Not that I’m encouraging the creation or sharing of such things; I’m just saying that your story is probably more important than you think.
Stop shrinking yourself into yourself and living life like you’re insignificant and should be hidden forever.
Once you die, that’s the end of your living.
If you can write, then do it; write about life, write about love, write about God, write about the things you admire, write about the things that get you angry, write and just keep writing.
If you can’t write, then live.
Live like you’re telling a story, and let the way you live reflect the lessons you want the people around you to gain from the story you’re telling.
To me, that’s even a more excellent way.
Knowledge is priceless.
It is 2025; you have ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE to be ignorant about anything.
Unless you just enjoy basking in the temporal and potentially harmful bliss of ignorance, then there are so many things for you to learn about life, people and everything that’s in between.
There’s so much wisdom that’s available in books, in simple Google searches, and in AI prompts.
You just need to search for it.
Being dumb, out of touch, or saying “I don’t know” in the midst of every intellectual conversation is NOT a flex.
Do better for yourself, please.
Read. Learn. Never stop doing both.
While I was scanning through some books in the non-fiction section.
I heard a voice say to me, “There are so many books in the world; who’s going to write for Me?”
This simple question struck something deep in me.
See, the truth is people will never ever stop writing and sharing their personal thoughts and beliefs with the world.
If you claim to believe in Something even Greater than all these, why are you now the one that’s shying away from sharing what you have seen, heard, and testes to be true and real?
I’ll leave you to ponder on it.
Like I said, there’s two ways you can tell a story.
This life as we know it is very fleeting.
Many of the things we love and enjoy today are temporary, fleeting, and don’t have any real substantial value beyond momentary pleasure.
This is the reason some people have chosen to confine themselves to isolation in mountains and monasteries and sanctuaries, all in a bid to hide from the world and its pleasures so they can focus on the things that they believe really matter: eternal and substantial things.
Many of these people have taken up these "extreme” levels of self-protection because they’re scared of losing themselves in vanities.
Some cut off the internet. Some cut off delicious foods. Some cut off anything outside of nature.
That’s totally okay, to each his own.
Their fear is very valid, and while I agree that pleasure is fleeting and should not be the sole aim of anybody’s existence, I still believe that God gave us all these things for a reason.
Music, food, laughter, books, dopamine, and everything else that we enjoy is given to us by God for our benefit.
The wisdom to create these things is also given to us by God for our benefit.
The error comes when we make these things and the finite “joy” they give us the centre of our lives and turn them into sort of “idols”.
Apart from that, these things are meant for us.
So, don’t ever be ashamed to enjoy yourself or be afraid of living a life that appreciates the beautiful things that life has to offer.
Enjoy pleasure.
Enjoy the good things God has given you.
Life is once.
Just once.
Moderation and discretion will always be encouraged, but please, have fun whilst you still can.
Life is only truly lived by those who enjoy living while they are still alive. (Ebun, 2025)
Anyway, that’s all for now.
Yesterday really reminded me how much I love books and just how much I miss reading books.
Social media is cool, video games are awesome, and movies/series can be thrilling, but nothing can ever compare to the feel of losing yourself for hours on end in a good book.
I hope I get back into the groove soon.
Also, I can’t wait till my own book is published and shared with the world.
Right now, I’m even more challenged to ensure that I do it well.
I’m willing to be patient and to work and to invest whatever it takes to ensure that it’s a body of work that’s worthwhile and enduring.
No rush at all.
So help me God, amen.
If you haven’t read it yet, here’s the PREQUEL to my debut novel, The Stories Around Us:
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Lately, I have been thinking about writing The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword, and this piece somehow shows that.
Your work always seems to speak volumes without even actually knowing a bit about you.
I've visited the both roving heights in Lagos and the smell of books does it for me everytime