There are lots of memories we look back on and laugh about, some make us cry while some make us do both. It isn't like it would make you cry and laugh at the same time but the memory would make you do one of the two later in the future.
I have been through a lot and I just couldn't hold back the laughter while talking about some moments in my life with my brother and I felt the need to share it here tonight.
Have you noticed that struggle stories don't attract people if you don't succeed?
The billionaires and millionaires we have in the world today went through one or two things in life, their stories inspire us because they didn't end as struggles, they made sure they became successful, that's why we see them as mentors and other important figures today.
Any person who wants to inspire others must have a story huge enough to make people want to be successful in life. My story isn't perfect yet because I haven't fulfilled 1% of my dreams but I believe that things will be fine if I don't quit chasing my dream.
My life between 2015- 2017.
After my tertiary education, I joined the large numbers of youths seeking jobs in Nigeria. It wasn't my choice to fall into that category but I did because I thought education was the only key to success. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way condemning education but I have concluded that you need more than just education to be successful in this competitive world we live in today and that is one of the reasons why I always encourage parents to ensure that their children get a skill so that they can fall back on it if things don't go as planned with education.
It hurts me a lot that we spend a lot trying to achieve greatness with education but the disappointment you meet at the end is something else, the story is not the same for everyone because some people were lucky in life.
I tried getting a job, I didn't care if it was related to what I studied or not. I just wanted to earn a living, feed myself, and take care of my family but everywhere I seek for the job required knowing someone influential or a big boss in the company and since I had no one, I just kept trying and trying which was all in vain.
I kept my result since it wasn't helpful and decided to pursue smaller jobs that don't require having results, my mind was more focused on store jobs because I felt it was the easiest for me but I was wrong as well, a common store job required me knowing a senior staff and I gave up
I was living in a one-room apartment and had lots of debts on my neck, I had only very few clothes and only one could fit in for an interview even if I got a job call.
The Incident
On this fateful day, I was tired of life to the extent that I was rude enough to question God of my existence. Before completely giving up, I decided to go on the last try.
It was in the afternoon, I decided to visit some stores again. I do trek for my job hunt because even if I had the money, I would rather feed myself. My leather slippers were old and it made me very careful with the way I walked but something happened.
After checking the first store, I got the usual story of we are not employing now. As I was coming out of the store, a woman stepped on and I got the biggest shock of the day.
My slippers got torn apart and I was lost in thought for about 5secs thinking how I was going to trek for about thirty minutes without a slipper back to my home.
The woman cuts in, "Bro, I am very sorry about that. I was carried away, please don't be offended". I was called back to life and felt sad because I couldn't go further searching for a job and I had to go back home barefooted.
I started the journey and people were looking at me on the road, I pretended I wasn't seeing them but deep down, I was very ashamed of myself. A shoemaker saw me and called but I didn't answer because I didn't have any money on me, another one followed and was yelling "Oga, you no go sew your slippers" meaning "Boss, won't you mend your slippers". I ignored him for a while but he kept following me for over two minutes and I got really angry that I shouted at him to go back because I was frustrated.
The embarrassment doubled and I almost cried on the road but I was able to hold tears back until I got home. All that was on my mind was killing myself and I cried so much and slept off, I even saw myself crying in the dream and I saw my mom comforting me, she even assured me that everything would be alright. I didn't want to break her heart with the news of how worse things were with me.
The following week, I was called by the Indian boss I worked for before I went to school. He said, he needed me for a survey in my town and I saw hope again even though the salary was small. I told my mom immediately to tell her about everything, she was glad about it and surprisingly, she came with clothes to my house for me to wear when I resume work.
From the survey, I worked hard to become a sales representative and in the end, became a supervisor.
It was a very terrible time that made me weep always but today, I look back and laugh hard especially when I go through the same road again.
That road I walked on with tears has become the one I walk on with laughter today, there was a day I was wondering if people still recognized me on that road because some people laughed at me that day but who cares? It is a big world we hardly remember the faces we saw yesterday not to talk of two years ago.
You are one of a kind human being, this story of yours will inspire many people, and I'm on of those many, I think you did your best, you believed that you can achieve something, and then what you are and what you have right now is the biggest flex, your sacrifices and struggles is no joke, and you deserve what you achieve today, thanks for this inspiring experience you shared, I'll keep it and serve it as my inspiration to keep my life going, I know that I could be great just like you someday.