Against Cynicism: Hilda Baci’s Audacity in Her 20s and a Father’s Lesson in Hope
Scripture: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
I do not often wade into matters like this. But sometimes silence becomes complicity in the culture of cynicism. Today, I must say this: Hilda Baci deserves to be celebrated, not dragged.
The Egalitarian Vision I Carry
Long before I became a biological father, my mission was clear to contribute to building a world more equitable, just, and kind than the one I met. My values, fairness, kindness, justice, goodness matter to me more than any vision or mission. They are the bedrock of everything I do.
But fatherhood sharpened this mission. With a three-year-old son who will soon turn four, I ask myself daily: What kind of world am I raising him into? What kind of man am I modeling for him to become?
The truth is sobering: the fruit does not fall far from the tree. If I live cynical, my son will inherit cynicism. If I choose to honor courage, he will inherit hope.
Why Hilda Baci Matters
Hilda is in her 20s. At an age when many are still defining their path, she has already executed not one, but two Guinness World Record-breaking projects:
- In 2023, she cooked for 93 hours and 11 minutes, setting the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
- Now, she has achieved the record for the largest pot of Nigerian Jollof rice, another daring feat.
These are not small accomplishments. They testify to the weight of her mind, the empire in her brain, and the conquest in her spirit within the field she has chosen.
Her work is not perfect, no human effort ever is. But perfection is not the measure of greatness. The audacity to dream, to discipline oneself, and to commit to extraordinary pursuits, that is what makes history.
Cooking may not send rockets to the moon, but cooking feeds the world. Cooking sustains palaces, parliaments, and presidencies. Chefs like Anthony Bourdain and others have carved global legacies. Why then should a Nigerian woman, daring to break records, be diminished because “other nations are doing greater things”?
Such cynicism is the poverty of our spirit. It dishonors the audacity required to attempt something unusual and reduces ambition to ridicule.
The Tragedy of Cynicism
We live in a noisy world where everyone can publish opinions without accountability. In the past, editorial boards filtered ideas through ethical, legal, and linguistic checks. Today, social media has become a lawless marketplace of libel and cheap shots.
Most of the fiercest critics are not builders but armchair commentators. They have not risked, dared, or created anything that put their own names or their nation’s name, on the map. Their only industry is the ministry of criticism.
Yes, some say Hilda stepped into a pot and it was unhygienic. Others dismiss her dream as frivolous. But I ask: who has ever run a perfect project in this world? Not you. Not me. Not anyone.
What I Choose to Model for My Son
I refuse to raise my son in a world where cynicism is the default. I refuse to teach him that tearing others down is the measure of intelligence. Instead, I will model celebration, appreciation, and gratitude for effort.
Hilda Baci represents discipline, grit, creativity, and audacity in held field, the kind of mindset that combines brain and beauty in pursuit of legacy. That is what I want my son to inherit.
So I say this without apology: give her a break. Celebrate her. Critique if you must, but let your critique not erase the courage she embodies.
Because at the end of the day, the world I want to hand my son is not one of put-downs and cynicism, but one where kindness is high voltage, goodness is treasured, and effort is honored.
Do have an INSPIRED week ahead.
