A Collection of Various Experiences
Written by OKEKE FRANCIS CHUKWUMA.
It is amazing how difficult people’s past can be yet they still nurture the resilience to overcome. We never get to know of this until they tell us about it. I once was in a conversation with my class prefect NDUBUISI TANSI FESTUS and he narrated to me the educational ordeal he faced as a growing boy in Kafanchan, southern Kaduna, Nigeria; how they sat on stones under trees to learn English language in Hausa. But he never allowed this experience to deter him from the beautiful life he desired to live; it may interest you to know that he now speaks English so well and fluently.
I really love the Catholic Doctrine on Penance. It gives me a clear Christian dimension on the issue of failure. It does not condemn the sinner but rather encourages the sinner to get up and turn away from his/her sin. Obviously, there are scriptural instances of this notion, if my little bible is something to go by did CHRIST not forgive the thief on the cross (Lk 23:43).
Upon seeing the title of this article, my classmate Ahar Jacob quickly told me that he sat for SSCE six times before he succeeded with the required credits. He is now a poet and has successfully authored a collection of poems titled “The Last Hope”.
I don’t even want to go into the stories of millions of business men and women who fail but yet nurse the ambition to still struggle for success of which my MUM is a reference point.
The Greek playwright and Philosopher Sophocles once said, “One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been”. Invariably, there is no need to be hasty in our conclusions to life.
While delivering a paper on ‘writing ability’ in the Spiritual year house, ADAGA BENJAMIN comically passed a message that we all shoved off in laughter. In a bit to encourage the audience on their capability to write he said; “YOU TOO CAN WRITE” implying that everyone could write if they desire to. Now this sounds so true and makes a lot of sense to me despite the humour.
I will like to conclude thus:
Failure should be our healer not our killer, our elevator and not our undertaker, It should be the spring board from which we rise in race onto the track just like the athlete. Failure is a delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can conquer if only we realise ourselves and put in more effort.
SALUTATIONS TO MY MASTERS, VERY REMARKABLE PERSONS WHO HAVE FAILED AND YET DID NOT GIVE UP.
MY FATHER, MR OBUMNEME OKEKE,
MY MOTHER, MRS NWABUIFE OKEKE,
MARTIN LURTHER KING JNR,
MY CLASS REP, NNDUBUISI TANSI FESTUS,
PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA,
KOSSY CHIKEME,
AHAR JACOB; THE POET,
AND TO THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE STRUGGLING OUT THERE TO SUCCEED.
We will never give up UNTIL OUR GOOD IS BETTER AND OUR BETTER BEST.
THANK YOU.
