Your uniqueness, your advantage
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest achievement."
- Ralph W. Emerson
A man had two children, both are identical twins that were difficult to differentiate even by their parent. Both parent would have to look closely to the chest of one who has a mark before identifying them. The children kept growing up and as they do, the father made sure to enroll them in school because he believed education is important to be a better person in the society. He never supported the myth in the community that says male children should not engage in any house chores, but the female ones should. Despite having male children, he made sure they helped and supported their mother in doing everything in the home.
As the children were growing up, he made sure they read a book before bedtime as he was bent on sending them to school even when he wasn´t privileged during his own time. When the twins got to Primary school, one was doing better and was brilliant than the other. The mother shifted her attention to the child who was brilliant and took him as a special being. The man got confused and worried and decided to visit their school because he was of the thought that if both children have been given informal education at home equally and nothing is exempted with the way they trained them, then the school must be the cause of the other child not brilliant.
When he got to school, they noticed a teacher who had been adding to the problem of the child with his non-chalant attitude and not being serious. The father got angry and after all said and done, they decided to replace the teacher and after some months, there was still no changes in the boy´s academic performance.
It dawned on the father that education wasn´t meant for him but the other who was brilliant and can easily retain information quickly than his other brother. Both parent supported him into finding a vocation as a farmer for him and he was doing fine.
In life, every human being have a uniqueness and with an advantage to help such individual excel. Just like the parent who quickly noticed the problem on time, not all parents would reason to that extent to know the ability of a child. Many would instill different type of parenting styles in nurturing their children, not having time to monitor or study them to know what they are good at. They keep blaming a child if he isn´t doing well in his studies, but forgetting that we all have our uniqueness and which would be advantageous in the society.
Nobody is a reservoir of all abilities and talent, but surely, there is a talent deposited in every person which life is expected to find an expression from using it.
When we are trying to force an individual into what he or she isn´t destined for, it becomes a problem to such a child, parent and the society he or she belongs to.
I have a friend who keep saying education isn´t for her and during our studies, she will not read but would depend in copying in the exam hall. When we finished the last paper, she said she isn´t going to further because her brain cannot carry book. She has a skill she is good at which is hairdressing and that is what she planned doing to survive. In fact, coming to school was like being coerced into education which she managed to.
Not everyone would like to go to school because they aren´t good, but are very intelligent in other things. Our uniqueness is important to identify quickly so that we can focus on it and make headway.
A friend kept telling me to go into handmade skills, but I am always declining her letting her know it´s not my calling. No matter how hard I try going into such, I will not focus neither would I even make it.
Everyone of us must identify our abilities, know our weakness and work towards doing what work for us on time. It will be dangerous to be influenced into doing what you aren´t capable of, all in the name of "my friend is doing fine, let me do it too." Such person would regret and a lot of time would be wasted.
If every parents could take note of what the parent in the story did, recognizing quickly the weakness of their children and finding the best solution, the better it would be and also an advantage to the child and his parent. Also, the sky is wide enough for the birds to fly without disturbing another. If one is committed to whatever any profession they choose with hard work and with God´s blessings, no result short of success will be produced.
Thanks for reading
Photo by Gurpreet Singh
[February 26, 2022] (No 57 article for the year)
We are all unique but in different situational life, ways, and cultural behavior. Always understand that you are the one who will gives you self to achieve goals.
Btw hi I am you new supporter here.