Before we zoom off, let’s do some basic house cleaning. Some time is neither sometime nor sometimes. (Some) time can be a second or seconds, a minute or minutes, an hour or hours, a day or days, a week or weeks, a month or months, a year or years. Give it (some) time simply means be patient.
Whatever the circumstance or matter or situation, the best approach is to give it (some) time. Are you planning to destroy the foundation of what you built? Give it (some) time. Something will happen the next second or minute or hour or day or week or month or year that shall prove conclusively you would have regretted that decision for life.
Give everybody (some) time. Give everything (some) time. Give yourself (some) time. Take your mind off, go somewhere, relax.
If you start feeling you are the best thing since ice cream, give yourself (some) time. If you start feeling depressed because you think you fall short, looking at your colleagues, friends and mates, give yourself (some) time. There is nothing that time cannot equalise or prove or resolve. Give yourself (some) time, even if you think you don’t have it.
Your blood are your bedrock even if and even when they are not. No matter what happens, don’t give issues affecting or concerning them some time. Give them all the time. Blood is thicker than water: there is nothing or nobody before and after blood.
I know you are wondering about the black sheep of the family; how you just need to exterminate them from your lineage as well as from public glare. Cool down, give them (some) time. Most black sheep go the whole cycle of 180 degrees to become the darling, the pride, the pivot of the family. In the same vein, give the current family sweetheart (some) time but pray they remain so.
Next, let’s discuss your friend or friends who gave everything to get you into poll position (with so much money and power). Suddenly, they get on your nerves and you decide to throw them out; you know, to show them their place (as if they didn’t already know). Give it some time. Never lose age-old or childhood or pre-top friends because of ephemeral mirages (emphasis mine) like money, power, sex, etc.
Your boss is a wicked man. Everyone agrees with you that he is a stingy sadist. He has been in office for years but has developed no human being. You are waiting to teach him a lesson or two, please just calm down: give the man time.
In future, you shall see that same boss was the best. Give it time. Another leader shall come and you shall wish back the one you cursed. Life plays much games with those who don’t know these things.
You currently hold a high or small office? Give every action, every decision, every policy, every response, every staff member (some) time. You shall regret it if you don’t, when your tenure might have ended. Human beings always discover when it is too late that the person or thing they had underrated or undervalued all along went on to overachieve or shock them.
Never be hasty to praise or condemn. Otherwise, you easily come to the point of foolishness. That is, you get to apologise too frequently for having praised or criticised in error. Give them (some) time before you praise or condemn.
The truth is that an individual’s name not having a nice ring to it in the public ear can be a function of they being notorious for inopportune judgementality. Nobody takes seriously anybody who in the eyes of everybody is fond of judging somebody too hastily and incorrectly . If you recommend a candidate who ends up misappropriating confidence or trust, who can trust you again? If you condemn the accused who at the end is acquitted and discharged, clean and honestly, who then is the criminal more?
Learn from that natural scheme of trajectories. Give everybody (some) time. Give everything some time. You should never outspeed speed.
Give life (some) time. Yes, be ambitious; yes, have dreams; yes, work hard. However, remember to balance the equation. Never forget that just as all play sans work makes Jack a dull boy, all work sans play makes him a mere toy.
Really, there is no hiding place in life. A little to the right, a little to the left. Don’t be too in front, don’t be too behind, and of course, don’t be too in the middle. Balanced diet means a little from here, a little from there.
If you are too in front or too behind, prepare to be called names, to be poked fun at, to be ridiculed as oversabi or good-for-nothing. Most people are never emotionally or psychologically ready for these concomitant attacks. On the other hand, if you are too in the middle, your visibility chances are next to nothing. Don’t be too anywhere!
Furthermore, if someone is messing with your head, give them (some) time. Talk things over and over with them. If to no avail, and you have prayed, give them (some) time can mean give them space or let things be. Yes, you are free to flee or if you prefer gentle doings, you are free to move on.
Is there a new truth that you know is the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Sssh, I understand that you are too far gone down the hill and are wondering how to return and restart, but instead of becoming defensive or hypocritical or rude or vainglorious or worldly and making a fool of yourself all over the place, give it time. Please note though, give it time here certainly does not mean delay for a decade or for even a half of.
Did you recently encounter someone who has impressed you to no end? Or, yours is someone you want to pour venom on? Head or tail, give it time. If such a one is with you for the long haul, a year or two is good before praise or condemnation; you should know what is (in)appropriate for short timers.
You almost always know how much time you have, per time. Measure it for those in your life, accordingly. Alas, no matter what, don’t be a fool forever but don’t also give up on anyone or yourself so easily. Know when to give it time and when to say enough is enough.
As we approach our last bus stop, there are some things you must know. One, in this give-it-(some)-time matter, there are two fronts on which you should never apply this wisdom. Namely, when it comes to doing good and when it comes to shunning evil. Never give the pair (some) time; not a second let alone a year.
Always attend to people who truly need your help instantly, the moment you can. It is a sin to hold back. Conversely, never entertain evil for even a nanosecond not to talk of jumping on board the bandwagon. That too is a sin.
Number two, if you didn’t give (stuff or people) time when you should have only to find yourself regretting that little costly failure, give it time still. This is crucial. It is never too late in life to give it time: in guilt, in prison, in regret. Always remember to never dwell in self-blame or -pity.
Behavioural medicine maintains that attributing consequences and experiences directly to one’s actions or character may be either beneficial or harmful. Of course, if it leads to positive behaviour change, all correct. But, how often do we see that? Almost always, what obtains is raised negative affectivity or no behaviour change at all.
This will not only be antithetical but also counterproductive. Love thy neighbour as you love thyself is a call to allow time or space, up and down, horizontal and vertical. Give others and yourself (some) time. There is so much magic or sense in patience, in understanding, in waiting.
God bless Nigeria!