Einstein once said that “A man’s life begins after the university.” I think in this part of the world, we all agree with the philosopher. Question is, what have we really been doing before the university? Why does life have to begin after school? What happens to those who never got the chance to attend a citadel of higher learning? How about those on the streets? When do their lives begin? These are questions a man would want to ask himself. A man suffers to go through school all his life only to graduate and find no job.
A man reads through school to get the best grades only to find out that his brains wouldn’t bring him a job but “connection” especially in this part of the world. Question is, what’s the hope of that man in school right now? What’s the hope of that man who is about to graduate from school? In Nigeria, a first class student graduates from school and still ends up on the streets like one who never went to school.
Let me tell you the story of a young man in a bit.
One day, a little boy who was 7 walked up to his father and told him he was tired of school.
His father asked him “Why my son?” David had been flogged by his maths teacher the previous day for not being able to solve fractions.
David said to his dad “My teacher said I was a dull kid because I couldn’t solve a question on fractions.” David wept.
Then his father came closer to his son knelt down and hugged him. David couldn’t hold back his tears. Then his father said “You’re not a dull kid. You just haven’t read enough to prove that to everyone.”
David sniffed a little and drifted away from his dad’s bosom. “How do you mean father?” David asked curiously.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t read my books. Life’s tough but if you can study hard enough then you can make it in life. Great readers are great leaders. When you study, life becomes easy my son less you end up on the streets.” his father assured.
At this point, David was calm. His dad had inspired him giving him assurances that the only way to prove to his teacher he was smart was to read.
Then he asked “…So you mean that’s all I need to do? Study?”
His father replied “Yes my son. That’s how to be successful.” he assured again with a nod.
David was relieved and he hugged his dad with a smile this time.
“Thank you dad.” he said with a huge sigh.
Today, David is about graduate and still life ain’t as easy as his dad assured him years ago. David has been studying just like his dad said he should but life still ain’t easy. He’s still not been getting the results to make his life after school better just like his dad said. He knows he needs to be in a first-class to be guaranteed of a good job after school. But it really doesn’t seem so even though he studies hard. The first-class seems far off at this point. David is scared.
He wonders if he has failed his father. He wonders if his teacher was right after all. Maybe he is actually a dull kid. He wonders if he’s ever gonna make it in life. He’s scared of what the future holds for him. He wonders if his dad lied to him. He wonders what life after school was going to look like. He wonders if he was just going to end up on the streets like others who didn’t study just as his dad said. It seemed like the more he looked at the situation around him the more it seemed like nothing was ever going to work out for him.
The more he read the more he got worse grades. Then he thought praying to God about his situation hoping for a change. So he prayed with pain in his heart and still he heard nothing from God. The more he prayed the more he felt God was far from him. David is frustrated even thinking about graduating. Question is, what do you think his dad’s gonna say to him this time? This time, David is a scared man and no longer a boy. David doesn’t believe books are gonna cut it for him any more.
Perhaps he should accept that things were gonna remain that way. Perhaps the best way to deal with fear is to accept it’s never going away. David knows his father will be done paying his bills after school and so he had to get the best grades to fend for himself when it’s time. It really doesn’t seem so right now.
What’s his hope? Is there even any? Has God failed him? Is it okay to be scared? David is scared of graduating. David is scared at life. Maybe there are no assurances in life. Maybe Einstein was wrong after all. Maybe life begun right from our mother’s womb cause we’ve only been living at different stages. Maybe it’s okay to be scared. Maybe it’s not. Maybe I’m that scared man. This is Danny world….
DANNY WORLD 