Its not often that I sit down to ponder at the paradox of the choices that we make in life, their origin and how we end up eventually. However, it occurred to me one day when I was faced with a scenario that I feel worth sharing. I am a student volunteering as a part-time tutor of English language in one of the schools in the country (Uganda) and I did a combination that had history, divinity literature and economics. One day I returned home and found my mother with one of the qualified teachers at home. Little did I know that she was my visitor and when I sat to talk to her, she told me to draw an art piece that she would use. It was general family knowledge that my average mark in art had been 35% and here I was with a task to draw!! Ironically, my mother who knew my weakness kept egging the lady on and saying that she thought I could do that which was before me. I kept silent. Later that day, I had to find a friend that had excelled in art to draw the piece which I took to this lady. "this is nice!" she exclaimed. "I will keep disturbing you for more..." she added. Now look what my mother was putting me through!
This may sound
weird but in real life, there are times when parents run the lives of their
children even to directions that they may not be suited for just because they
want them to be a particular kind of people and they ignore the fact that they
could be wrong for once at least. Funnier to note is the fact that some
children will swing to this rhythm until later they discover what they actually
want and yet the time for effecting a real difference has long lapsed. Moen, a
friend of mine, whose father owns an architectural firm was determined to be of
a similar trade as the dad for he had been involved in its work often times.
The conflict developed with his interests in school in that he seemed to
gravitate more to the debating society and the writers club. He was not only
ardent but also proficient in these societies. He even preferred to do
technical drawing, mathematics, physics in his high school. However, all his
free time was spent in the faculty of the arts chatting with the literature,
history and divinity students. He never enjoyed much of what he did. Lo and
behold!!, today he is doing a diploma in law. I still wonder where the
architect in him went, or should I say the architect he had wanted to be, in
order to carry on the family business. He is one among the many.
Objectively, I
think that it is only wise that parents leave their children to have some bit
of soul searching and self discovery and not plant decisions in their way that
may end up making the children's lives but a misery. In an interaction with a
gentleman that runs a shop of music and movie equipment, he told me that he had
done a degree in environmental science and took it to his parents for it is
what they wanted and not his desire. His passion is in music and his hairstyle
is a signature of this. If all parents do not desire such, then they should
carefully guide and talk to their children from informed perspectives based on
the interests that their children seem to subscribe to.
If that lady had
brought me a task of writing a poem or composition, I would have been more than
glad to oblige and I would fire at all cylinders to do my utmost best for it is
therein that my interest lies unless of course I discover that am good at
something else or abstract art that can not appeal to the human eye...., all am
trying to say is that I have never been good at it and I realize I am good at
something else for all humanity is endowed with different talents ... thank
you..
OMODING
GEORGE EPHRAIM
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