Omotola Jalade Reveals Real Age, Says She’s Not Afraid Of Aging

Excerpts from Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade’s recent chat with Lanre Odukoya.

You celebrated 20th wedding anniversary with your husband a few weeks ago. That is quite a feat rarely achieved by people in your industry. How does this feel?

I’m just thankful because I’m married to my friend and destiny supporter. There’s no relationship without its challenges. When people say 20 years, the first thing that comes to the minds of many is ‘Oh, my God, you guys must be really without stress.’ I just want to tell people that if you’re determined to do it in life, you would make it.

You have troubles everywhere in life, you have with your parents, your siblings, friends and so on. So, it’s a normal thing; don’t use any quarrels in your relationship with your spouse to justify the claim that marriage is hard. It’s not any harder than any other relationship you have in life with maybe your business partners, siblings and friends.

I understand there can be abuse in some marriages and in the event of that, I think you should find your way out as quickly as possible. But if there’s no abuse, there’s nothing that you cannot overcome. I’ve had a very wonderful time with my spouse. And that’s what matters- just be friends.

Are there things on the cards for the future?
 

If you know me very well you’d realise I don’t talk about future plans because by God’s grace, my life happens very quickly and sometimes I can’t even catch up with myself. So, it doesn’t even make sense to talk about the future. But I guess we all want to be healthy and alive; that I think is the most important thing.

You’re growing grey already, does that convey any feelings?

Well, I’m 38 years old and I’m not scared. But even if I was 51, that’s not the point; there are younger people with even more grey hair. The point is that in life, we should accept who we are. And you’d notice that when people feel a sense of sufficience in life, they wouldn’t be afraid of aging.

People are actually afraid of age when they look at where they are in life and feel that they’ve not achieved much. So, they think time is running out and that’s why people are actually afraid of aging. If you really probe it, you’d realise these things.

But if you are content with what you have in life and know that all fingers are not equal and that you’re actually where you are meant to be because you could as well be six feet below, that helps. That you’re alive and well in itself is a reason to celebrate.