Rading’

32 Days of Christmas: Day 29

I had second thoughts about writing this. But someone told me I should just do it and forget about it. You know, make the mistakes now and deal with the consequences later. They even sent me theirs, so here goes:

Spotify Wrapped dropped the other day, and it was no surprise to me that Johnny Junior’s Rading’ was my most-played song for the second year in a row. Ever since John released his latest album in June 2024, I’ve listened to that one song every single day for nineteen months straight. Without fail. And somehow it keeps getting better.

When I was devastated after failing my CPAs, I listened to it. When my girlfriend said enough is enough, I was listening to it in my earphones. When I travel home, it’s the first thing I play. To say I’m obsessed would be unfair to how beautifully that song is composed. What makes it even better is that almost nobody knows it, except a few scattered Johnny Junior fans in random pubs. That means no one can ruin it for me by confidently singing the wrong lyrics.

Sometimes though, I wish someone else knew it word for word and beat for beat the way I do, just so we could karaoke it on a cold night with beers in our hands. But it still remains timeless to me.

This year I also discovered other Johnny Junior gems like the unreleased George Ja’Sare, Ken McAyoo, and Pamela Daktari. I danced a lot of rumba this year, and my jelly feet can testify.

The thing about music is that you can’t stay loyal to one artist or genre forever. That would be like refusing to travel outside your own village. There are beautiful songs out there: some ancient like Franco’s rumba, some brand new.

After Spotify Wrapped, friends sent me recommendations and my playlist became a beautiful mess of sounds. People out here have incredible taste, especially those who don’t listen just because something is trending. I love people who have personal stories attached to songs, who feel like the music was written for them. It makes listening feel intimate.

Honestly what would we do without music?

One of the best things I read this year was Jackson Biko’s Bubbles on Nipples. I won’t explain what it’s about, nor attach its link here, but just know the article humbled me as a writer. It made me realize I am not as creative a writer as I think I am. If curiosity always pulls you toward knockers the way it pulls me, you’ll find that article quite easily.

Biko might be the writer I read most this year, even more than my schoolbooks. I bought Big Little Fights mid-year and it was a game-changer. Short, real stories you can read anywhere. If you’ve ever been confused by relationships, I highly recommend it. Next year I’m getting Let Me Call You Back, also by Biko, because I also hate phone calls and I need validation.

I read a lot of articles this year, about two a day, but I won’t bore you with a list. One I have to mention though, is You Know Nothing About Whores. It was easily one of the most interesting things I read all year. Might tickle your fancy too.

All my close friends read this blog, religiously. So listing them in order of favorites feels unfair. Also some value their privacy. Others don’t know how highly I rate them, and I prefer to keep the dynamics that way.

But in a nutshell: people matter.

In high school, while going through a rough patch, I once told a friend that after school I wanted to disappear to an island and never talk to anyone again. He told me the old adage no man is an island. I hated that answer, until I grew up and realized it was true.

Luo musicians always sing about osiepe [friends] for a reason. No Messi or Ronaldo becomes a legend without teammates. No politician ever reaches the top alone; it takes others to do the dirty work and spread the propaganda. No one becomes rich in isolation either—wealth is built by finding a way, fair or not, to move money from other people’s pockets into your own. Life is collaborative, whether we like it or not.

This year I learned to value good friends, and to let the bad ones go. To value good friendship is to value yourself.

I’m not an outgoing person.

Most days the comfort of my room is more than enough. That’s something I hope to change in the coming years, because every time I do step outside, it’s almost never as bad as I imagine.

Still, there haven’t been many moments this year worth writing about—except for the recent Christmas Eve party with Johnny Junior. That one deserves its own story, and I won’t waste it here.

Should I mention my room again? There is no safer haven than it.

I think every child should have a room of their own, somewhere they can decorate as they please and learn, within reason, how to take care of their own space. That kind of freedom builds independence long before you ever have to share space with the wider world.

That said, I need to travel next year. That is a goal. It sounds easier on paper, but this piece makes me accountable because you’re all witnesses. The world is far bigger than my room, and far bigger than the walls in my head. Staying in one place limits not just my writing, but my understanding of this massive ball of dirt we call home.

A lot of people these days have microphones who probably shouldn’t. So you learn to find the voices that are worth listening to. I found mine in ShxtsnGigs.

It’s mostly the only thing I listen to now: just two guys who turned their everyday conversations into something people actually want to hear, without forcing ads or fake courses down our throats. Just vibes and shit. Oh, and gigs.

There’s endless noise online about “the boy child”, but very little that’s real and helpful. Daddy James and Lord Fuegs do something far simpler and far more useful: they show what brotherhood looks like. They TALK. About what’s actually going on. They don’t shout on social media about men while ignoring the brothers, friends, or even the addicts right next to them. Their conversations—about university life, growing up in different countries, relationships, politics, food, women, alcohol, and everything in between—are open, unfiltered, and human. They talk about SEX openly without pretending it’s unfamiliar. That kind of honest, funny, sometimes awkward talk between men heals more than a thousand think pieces ever could.

My sister calls them misogynistic. I don’t agree. I think they speak their minds honestly and respectfully, even when it makes people uncomfortable. And yes, that ruffles a few feathers of course, sometimes even male ones.

But not every podcast is for everyone.

ShxtsnGigs is for me. Especially for people like me who grew up with very few male figures to learn from. In a world where men are taught that asking for help is weakness, those two have been influential.

Oh and PS, telling men that ‘men used to go to war’ won’t make them better men, goddammit!

Michael Jackson’s biopic is coming out in April next year. Probably the best news I’ve heard all year. If you’re an MJ fan, DM me and we’ll count down the days together. I’ve already found a few fellow Avengers fans to geek out with, which is even cooler.

I’m really starting to love cinema. I think more of us should embrace it. Or, to be honest, more of my friends should, because theaters are always packed on big movie nights. It’s just my friends who never show up.

In 2026, we’ll also get Spiderman: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, among others. Buana I cannot wait. Add these to my goal of going out more, it’s official now. I just hope they live up to the hype.

My favorite show I watched this year was Modern Family, aside from re-watching Hawaii Five-O for what feels like the hundredth time. I laughed so hard! I can’t even give spoilers for Modern Family because it stopped airing in 2019. But what a show! The writing is brilliant, full of jokes that only land if you’re paying close attention.

I’ll leave you with a few gems from Phil’s book, Phil’s-Osophy:

That’s enough about my favorite things from the year.

What about you?

What fun, weird, or memorable moments did 2025 bring? Did you meet someone from Chad? Did a crab bite your small toe? Or maybe you convinced your aging mum to subscribe to this blog and read it in her free time?

Reply and share your story—I would love to hear it.

✍🏽Reagan.