Defining the L in LEGACY
- Lolade Olayokun
- Mar 21, 2019
- 3 min read
I'm not sure if I told you all that I am the second to last of five kids. I probably did not as this is my second blog post. My parents relocated to the United States in their early twenties with a hustlers mentality to achieve the American dream. Their plan was to leave poverty, get an education, build a family and go back to Nigeria for retirement. My eldest sister, Rashidat, (Aunty Tope) who is 36 right now came here when she was 2 years old with my mother. 30 years, 4 more children, and 5 grandchildren later the Olayokun family continues to expand. Did I mention that we have all selected various professions to follow in life? Some professions not so strange than others to my traditional parental units.
I must say, I've been a pain in my moms' ass since birth, this is the story she tells everyone: "I knew Lolade would be a hard-headed child from the moment I gave birth to her. She refused to come out on her due date and a few days after that, I had to get induced into labor because her father said enough is enough you will not give birth to this child in the middle of the night in this house".. so off they went to the hospital. Out of all my siblings, I want to say I got suspended from school the most. Wait, maybe the second most because JR was a very stubborn and problematic teenager. I wish I could explain what was wrong with me and why I behaved like I had no sense whatsoever. I can't so let's move on. Luckily I cut out the weird behavior once I entered college because professors did not call your parents or ask for "parent-teacher conferences, they will straight up just give you an "F" followed by a "BYE FELICIA" take my class again... matter fact don't request me as your professor, just take this course again. I sharpened up real quick in college.
So I graduated, a little under four years, my dad sponsored my education and I had a full-time job with Enterprise Rental Car. I would say I was doing the right thing. Until I got caught up at the wrong place at the wrong time with office politics and was fired. Of course, I continued to leave the house normally for about 3 months until my folks suspected that something was not right and things started to change. I went from full time to a freelancer to traveling all over to becoming an EMCEE full time. Some gigs were paid some were for exposure, and here my parents sat looking at their investment (me) throwing time away, going out at different hours of the day and night all in the name of "pursuing her dreams". What a disappointment I was.
The Lolade go and find a job statements and stares started. Mid-January 2016. They did not support the idea of their child not having a secured and full-time job. That was a proooobbbbllleeemmm. Rightfully so, I was eating my mother's rice and stew and leaving 1 piece of meat in a big old pot, I would be upset too!
Traveling and almost running broke, my pride was my driving force to never let me ask my parents for money, because the moment that I do, I have failed myself on working hard to stay afloat and not sink. This is was a trait that my parents instilled in all five of us. No matter what the situation fight through, and do all things needed (that are legal) to stay afloat, after all this was their hustler's mentality when they moved to New York City from Nigeria.
Now I have done many things in my young years of 26, but the most memorable moment was having both of my parents in the same room watching me on on the big screen the night of Sunday, March 3rd, 2019. They watch me on the big screen in my very first acting role for "Second Generation Wedding" written and directed by Lande Yoosuf. It was such a surreal moment, my parents were celebrating a moment that was not my graduation, birthday or even my wedding day (by the way I'M still single ..HEYY #SOMEBODYSON). If they did not understand my journey in life any other day, I would say that night it was clear that indeed their child was hustling in her own way to make her dreams a reality the same way they too hustled to give themselves and my siblings a better life.
I've grown to love how my parents instilled the meaning of "L" in Legacy.
Till next time-
Lolade
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