I never really started as the best in anything, but something God has given me is tenacity.
Oh yeah, except in primary school when I used to be the best except in Primary two first and second term (that’s a story for another day – lol), but it soon faded away when I got to secondary school. My first year in secondary school can be described as rough, I mean this guy loved to play, had a very small stature and loved adventure back then.
How I managed to become 5th still shocks me till date, I guess other students were just as unserious as myself (lol), I mean we were over 70 students in class, and if you know the average public school in Lagos, the classes can be very rowdy.
I eventually became the 4th position at the end of 3rd term, I mean that still stuns me. I am that short playful kid, whose class teacher wrote in his report card – “He’s intelligent, but too playful.” Mhen! How can my teacher write that. I thought he should cover me up and just stop at intelligent – full stop! After all, you’d find me among the top 5 in class, bla bla bla, but no ooo, he didn’t. Mhen! My Dad gave me a good bulala when I got home that day, I can never forget that day.
But eventually, l left that school and moved to another school somewhere in Abuja, Nigeria. Mhen! My first two years there were rough. Lol. I could play for Africa. Consequently, I never got close to being among the best 5 in those 2 years.
Chai! I can never forget how my dad threatened to literally deport me back to Lagos if I refused to bring back a good result, or at least a better result than I had in those first two years. I mean, in Js3 2nd termI had only one A out of 13 subjects I guess, and that day he looked at my colleague’s result (Haffner), mhen! He scolded me ooo, guess what Haffner had, 8A1s, and I only had one A1 out of 13 subjects.
The way he disciplined me then ehn! I can never forget.
My U-turn actually came in SS1, I mean a dramatic U-turn, a 360° kind of change (Smiles).
I remember resuming in SS1, and the first day or so we were playing ball in the football field, I don’t know what made my school dad (Mr. I.K) come around after my dad had dropped me in the boarding house, and lo and behold, he found me playing ball, after seriously warning me to read my books, and stop playing (Lol). Those days, I would play and not bother about anything in life.
Mhen! Mr I.K barked my name out of that playing ground, and dragged me by my ear out of the field, I can still remember the pain I felt on my ear on the field that day.
I tell you friend, my legs didn’t touch ball again till the end of that term. The fear of my dad and Mr I.K kept me from doing so.
Well, to the glory of God that became my best term in FGBC Apo, I mean I read like no man’s business for the first time on my own, and when the results were released, I had the best result in my set, I’m telling you I least expected it, because in my set ehn! I could count at least 10 other students that could beat me at anytime in Maths and other subjects.
But I had 7A’s out of 10, the highest anyone had in my set in SS1 first term that year.
I knew I had the highest number of A1’s because a senior student who helped our teachers to record the overall broadsheet told me so, like it felt too good to be true.
Thank God, my dad didn’t leave me to myself, or Mr I.K that scolded me.
So, what’s the lesson I’m bringing out from this story. Don’t give up! You might not be the best yet, but if you strive and do more with applied wisdom, you’d soon beat the best and be the best.
Should I continue my story?
I eventually graduated as one of the best students in my secondary school, dare I say – the best! Lol. Clap for me joor.
I mean in all the previous sets to mine, no commercial student had achieved that feat.
In my school back then, commercial and art students were seen as the dull ones and regular noise makers. However, if you were in science class, you were looked at as an intelligent somebody supposedly. I mean my maths teacher even told me to join the science class, because my level of intelligence belonged to the sciences and not commerce.
So, what am I saying in essence, friend – don’t give up!
To you my friend who feels discouraged, don’t give up! God has got your back.
Don’t give up, for in due season, we’d receive a crown of glory if we faint not.
So in essence listen to corrections, work hard, pray, believe, strive on and never give up!
My university experience is a story for another day (Lol).
See you at the top!
NB: Please don’t forget to check out this article by Ife Grace – Don’t Be Afraid to Try Again and this related article on the blog: He will hold me .