Being memorable

What makes you special?

With the unavoidable rise of globalisation, everyone knows everybody. There are websites where I can look through people’s windows from around the world and I can learn the culture of even the most remote islands on the planet.

This also means most of my original thoughts which I’m very proud of are probably being used and distributed by people from other countries on social media. Nothing is really special anymore. Anything you come up with has probably occurred in history at least once in some faraway land, meaning people will call you a copycat. Haven’t you noticed? The people who are special are either extremists, dedicated researchers or lucky people whose fellow thinkers aren’t bold enough to share their thoughts.

Before Jujutsu Kaisen came out, my elder brother had been spending hours everyday building a world that was just like that. He was so proud of his work but as the perfectionist that he is, felt it just needed more work. Then JJK came out and if he did write his book, it would be labelled as a novel inspired by it. He called JJK ‘Black magic Naruto’ for many years after. I would tease him and tell him this is what he gets for not putting it out first but I could see the patterns everywhere.

I wonder if somewhere a million miles away from where I sit, there is someone just like me, pondering over the words to use to write this exact article.

I’m sure someone reading this might have read something similar a while back but I assure you that I haven’t. This is the problem of having the world become ‘A Global village’. Nothing is special enough to be memorable anymore. There is no imaginary curtain separating our media from each other, letting anybody have the solace of their idea being special in their country.

That is why you can remember Domino’s, Rhode or the nicest/most evil shopkeeper, but any other thing is the store down the street. The kiosk by the junction. If they’re lucky, they get a name. Mama Bola’s shop. Iya Bolu’s tailoring shop. When or if you ever move from there, their names will fade from your brain and their places will be filled. I bet that you can only remember that one classmate from primary school because they were either a menace, really close to you or had a health disorder.

This is how the world is today. If you’re not special or different, you’re not valuable enough for the brain to hold onto after your essay is read or your video is watched. Your viewer probably goes through hundreds of essays or videos a day but will probably only remember two. Someone who gave them value and someone special. I scroll through aesthetic videos everyday like ASMR and can’t remember a single creator except a few special ones I keep searching for, like Ufy.

Someone giving value being irreplaceable is understandable and not permanent but someone special has a far stronger hold. Let me give you two instances. Every year, I stumble across this fashionista guy that is a maximalism fiend and drenches his face in colour. I do not agree with his style, just like a million other fashionistas I’ve seen. I haven’t seen him this year and I don’t know his name, but I can recognise him anywhere and I think about him sometimes. Especially when I hear that, ‘I’m Mars Argo’ sound.

I saw this picture of him and his face isn’t even in it but I recognise him. Someone special. I can’t see myself copying his style, so he doesn’t give me value. He’s just someone special.

For my second instance, think about all the skit makers you’ve ever seen. If you’re Nigerian, I know you’re thinking of Samspedy and Mark Angel. They weren’t the first or the funniest. They were just special. Nobody did the woman thing like Samspedy did. Mark Angel’s characters had constant names and great storylines. There are millions of skit makers today with their own tag lines and method of delivery. Even though these two probably aren’t that funny to me anymore, I don’t think I can completely forget them.

The media personalities you remember the most aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, the most nonchalant, the ones that flex the most, or even the most articulate. They’re the ones with the flaws, controversial takes, personalities, and are probably the most cringe. They’re just someone special.

What makes you special?