Entry 24 by Blessing Abeng (Twitter: @Ms_Einstenette)
It was time for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posting
after graduation from university. I proceeded to the hall to receive my posting
letter which indicated that I was posted to Imo. I was happy and thrilled at
the possibility of a new experience. It was going to be my first trip to the
eastern part of Nigeria. It is important to state that my parents have always
been very particular about shielding me within their strong protective arms and
the only time they loosened their grip was when I started my education in
university because they trusted the spiritual and discipline driven environment
to keep me in check. I wasn’t choked, I was given a sense of freedom. Let me
frame it this way, I am not the ant covered with a glass cup, I am the ant in
the glass cup. I can see the skies, run around its base and try to climb out of
it but not succeed. So this Imo posting was an amazing chance to finally climb
out of the glass.
Unlike what many will think, when
I achieved my “sense of temporary freedom” I did not want to achieve social
pleasures. I wanted to see the world outside all the cities I’ve been in. See
how I can add to it, understand the lives of others, know what it feels like to
fend for myself, work and pay bills. I wanted to test my parents training and
my self control. When I finally saw it, I was disappointed, angry and honestly afraid.
I am from Cross River State and I was born in an estate in Jos and relocated to
Abuja at an early age. My relatives are well-to-do, so when I visit them in
Cross River or Lokoja, I live in a very conducive environment. I schooled in an
organized system that had amazing standards and made you feel out of Nigeria
sometimes. I went to Lagos often too. I was surrounded by a level of comfort
and I had unconsciously created a “comfort zone”. Imo was farrrrr from my
comfort zone. It was weird to be in a developing city that did not even
comprehend the importance of social media in business. I appreciated my parents
even more.
This year one of my goals was to
go through the whole year and subsequent years without borrowing and I also
planned not to live off my parents except they just offered to help without me
asking, ;). It was a challenge but I learnt to live within my means "19800
naira" and not even borrow credit from MTN. I respected my parents even
more. They had tried to protect me from the jaws of life but I needed to see it
to understand it and for their training to be complete. The camp was initially
terrible but what did I learn?
You can make the best out of any
situation. You would meet different people in life. Some would be pillars and
others caterpillars. Learn from both. The pillars would be blessings and the
caterpillars would be lessons. No one ever leaves you the same. Your company
matters a lot.
When I left Camp I had to stay at
a "corpers" lodge and it was one of those ones that belonged to
churches. Their doctrines were very strange to me but I learned to respect
them. I learned one vital lesson there and that was respect for people’s
beliefs. It may not tally with yours but it is their belief. Listen to them,
understand their point of view, and find a common ground to coexist. This was a
vital spiritual lesson for me. Evangelism is not imposing the word on people
but communicating your beliefs in a manner that makes them willing to listen to
you. The life that you live is the greatest evangelical tool, ask Jesus. Share
your thoughts to those willing to listen but do not impose. I also learned
tolerance and compromise but I realized that having principles and being clear
about them goes a long way.
I also embarked on reading a 100
books at the midpoint of my stay in Imo. There's so much knowledge and wisdom
hidden in the pages of books. If you never believed it, believe it now. There
are said and unsaid words in between lines and spaces. Draw the nectar and make
honey out of it and leave the chaff. Until you can use that nectar to make
honey, your reading is in vain. In simple terms, practice what you know. Apply
your knowledge.
During my stay in the lodge, I
tried to find a house. Agents and different people swindled and cheated me. It
was at this point I started understanding that people would go any mile to put
food on their table. I experienced some very sad things and this made me
realize the depth of selfishness from the grass roots to the top and how
shallow selfishness makes man. The deeper it eats into you, the shallower you
get. I spotted many ills and I realized that the only thing that pays, is
giving back to the society. Imo and Nigeria would be a lot better if people
actually paid attention to the needs of the country and dedicated themselves to
fixing it or letting it be fixed without thwarting efforts of individuals
trying to make a difference.
If you do not remember anything
else from this post, in your process of 100 days of growth, remember that no
matter how developed you are spiritually, physically, mentally, financially and
otherwise, until you can make a lasting and significant impact on a person and
your country at large in a meager or mega way, you are a failure. The
foundation you lay today, no matter how insignificant it may seem at ground
level is what will strengthen the walls and roof for a long time. The
foundation is crucial. Don’t think of just yourself and keep all the wealth of
your knowledge and money to yourself. Be generous and be driven to give back to
your nation.
I hope my 100+ days in Imo would
be vital to the #100daysofgrowth and help you figure out 100 ways to grow.
Love,
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