OPC (Other People's Children)

I don't have anything against other people's children but tell me why I gotta pay for their tuition? If your child is in private school, this is not for you. Maybe. Maybe not, private schools do fundraisers too. My tax bills came with a deadline for October. I went ahead and paid immediately because whether now or October, I still have to pay. I wrote the check automatically like a robot without looking at the details. However, this morning when I checked my account online, my heart sank. The checks (one for the city and one for the county) have cleared and my eyes have opened (how do you say mo la ju?). It hit me hard like a ton of bricks coming towards me at no less than 60 miles per hour. I checked the details of the tax bill and what did I pay for? I just paid to educate OPC.

What's my business with OPC? I mean, I'm not even sure I will be sending my kids to public school so I definitely don't consider it advance payment. Pray tell me, why is three quarters of my tax bill going towards something that does not consign (concern) me? I get it. Teach a child to fish and s/he'll never go hungry. And I respect that. However, that's too much now. It would be nice if I had a choice in the types of OPC that I educate. I'd much rather see that money go to Mobolaji Bank Anthony High School near Sabo, Lagos. However, the government doesn't give me that much choice on where the money goes. I've got follow their orders and pay up or go to jail. Fine. I've paid. Now, I will appreciate OPC not asking me for any more money.

This leads me to my next point. Why are kids here always selling something? If it's not shiny wrapping paper and useless gifts around Christmas, it's magazines, lame @$$ chocolates, cookie dough, fruit, and what not. Leave me alone! I am not buying. I've already bought coupon books that I'm not planning to ever use. I've bought a tub of frozen cookie dough for cookies I never baked. I've bought subscriptions to magazines that abruptly stopped coming after six months. Dude, you charged me all that for only six months??? Isn't one year the minimum subscription time? I've also bought a Domino's Pizza Card that'll give me a discount every time I go to Domino's. I NEVER go to Domino's!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from a member of the OPC club. I knew immediately that it was to ask for money. I didn't open the email. Then on Tuesday, I got a reminder email: "My school really needs your support!" I succumbed and bought a $24 subscription to a magazine. That was Tuesday and I still ain't got a Thank You yet from child, parents, or school. It's all good. I've done my bit for the year. Please, don't ask me to buy anything else. Don't ask me for a DIME. I don't care if you won't be able to get into basketball camp. There are children in my country that don't know what basketball camp is. I won't be rude, I'll just say, "I'm sorry, I don't have any cash." If you think you are smart and say you take credit, I will respond with, "Aw, my husband and I have strict rules about using credit cards for emergencies only." If you respond with something even smarter, I'll show you what side of Isale Eko I am from. I have met my quota for the year, thank you very much. One caveat though, all Girl Scouts are welcome to come by when it's Girl Scout Cookie season. I was once a Brownie and I plan on always supporting my girls and their cookies.