It is not every time you see the kind of elegance and style that this writer has deployed in a work that is a faction, or better still memoir. In fact, majority of biographies you see around are often praise songs and replete with information that shouldn’t come into serious or academic cogitations. They are always the kind of work, where after the first reading; you allow them to gather dust in the tyros and a corner downstairs.

But not with Middlebelt of Enlightenment!

Published by KDP, in 2024, the author interrogates the spiritual essence of humanity. He deepens the narrative with anecdotes and concrete analysis of issues.
Writing with pace and flair, in 12 chapters, Joshua Omeke shows that writing has a life of its own and can choose its path.

In simple and lucid language, he takes the reader through a trajectory that is a sumptuous spiritual meal, with a special focus on leading the reader through a path that is not only fruitful and fulfilling, but is cadenced by enlightenment.

And what is this enlightenment?

The fuel of possibilities, the adrenaline for impact and the rocket for an enduring legacy: enlightenment stresses the action or state of attaining or having attained spiritual knowledge or insight, in particular, that awareness, which frees a person from the cycle of rebirth. Even though the work has no political undertone, which might inspire conflicts of interest in the title the author has chosen, he delves into this subject with a different sense and approach.

The ‎ 61-page book discusses the author’s experience of parenting while growing up in his community and the susceptible knowledge he had come to acquire over time.

Deploying deep commentaries, the author emphasises reason and individualism rather than tradition. The author awakens the reader’s sense of imagination as part of quest for enlightenment. That is why in reproduction, he espouses the opinion that “sex is not just coitus but a wave of connection or chains of energy that could spark a soul and keep it on fire until death do them part.”

In the book, he shares his personal upbringing and relates it to how up-and-coming or already parents can benefit with how he was brought up and how the upbringing of other people’s children
kept clashing with the lessons from his parents until he surrenders to the training he received at home and how it has helped him stand out from the crowd. Not only does he share his experiences, he also relates them to facts stated by other authors to prove it is not just his upbringing that makes his statement a valid fact, but other writers’ experiences.

He says, “when you are spiritual, people would say you’re going mad, but you are not the mad one. It is those living by the rules of this world who forget their nature, desire, values and purpose just to fit in the world.”

The theme that runs through this book is seed germination. A seed is a mature ovule that comprises an embryo or a miniature undeveloped plant and food reserves, all enclosed within a protective seed coat. Seeds are a way of reproduction for all flowering plants: a source of development or growth.

Omeke believes children (seeds) should be allowed the freedom to make choices that pertain to their lives. He sees parenting as a journey of self-discovery where the child and his parents are always discovering themselves through their constant interaction. He asserts that a child must enjoy some level of exposure to the outside world to garner sufficient confidence to conquer his fears and embrace the totality of his destiny.

The author uses the first person pronoun to discuss seed growth and development. In the first chapter, he talks about the ‘Process of Reproduction’. The chapter interrogates formulation of babies and progresses into other aspects of life.

The second chapter talks about ‘The Development of Seed,’ while the third and fourth look at ‘Birth of The Growth Seed’ and ‘Upbringing of the seed’.

In each chapter, the author discloses techniques that can advance growth such as ‘Purpose of the seed’, ‘Exposure to the Outside World’ and ‘Communication with the seed’.

In analysing the development of seeds, the author reveals how readers must embrace the right knowledge to achieve quality growth just as children need the right nutrients to grow healthy. He asserts that “children are inherently formless; you chisel them into the shape you desire.”

In chapter eight, which he titles ‘Communication with the seed’, Omeke feels that communication is the livewire for shaping and sharpening a child’s mindset. The necessity of communication is integral and to be able to alleviate and concretise the right thoughts in seeds, constant communication in an open and corrective approach.

In the final chapter, ‘The Re-effect of the seed, Relearn, Reproduce, Reasoning, Revitalisation , Responsibilities’, he discusses the effect of the seed, and how that individual must be open to five germane Rs. The world is fast changing by the day and a lot of skills are becoming obsolete. To stay relevant, the need to unlearn, relearn and revitalise cannot be overemphasised.

The purpose of the book is to inspire growth through a positive, step-by-step approach, which allows for discovery, realisation, pace, transformation, achievement and fulfilment.