MY INSPIRATION AS A THROWBACK PICTURE...
I stared at this picture for a while, thinking of the best way to convey my feelings and thoughts; that is how much it means to me. For one, it was taken on a special day — the type of day people would describe as ‘auspicious’ — just before I started my external examinations (Jamb, Waec, Neco and post-UTME). But more than the day it was taken, here’s the part that inspires me.
Ever since I was little and under the control of my parents (not like I’m not still under their control, just less rigid), I’ve never been saddled with responsibilities or the burden of decision making, so I never paid much attention to it. After my birthday, I had to make one of the greatest decisions in my life. What do you want to be in the future? What do you want to study at university? I understood the seriousness of the task at hand and like my dad would say, this is your first big step. I resumed school that January with mixed feelings, I didn’t know what to do. I felt I wasn’t ready for this “big step”, I felt I was being rushed and it was clear to all my classmates that I was unsettled.
While others started their Jamb registration, I was always skipping mine. I didn’t realize my friends had been observing until one of them approached me to talk about it. I was tired and exhausted from running; running from this harsh reality. I remember I burst into tears as he (Oshokeh) asked me why I was running away from registering for Jamb. I cried my eyes out that day(I guessed I needed to ease out my tension) and when I was done crying and relaying my fears, I remember him saying “Seyi, you’ll be fine. It’s no big deal, forget about the pressure and just go for what you have a passion for”. I didn’t expect any magic after what he said but I felt really good and confident in myself (which was what I needed at that point).
I later did my Jamb registration and decided I wanted to study pharmacy. It was a fateful Sunday, when we (my friends and I), decided to take pictures before heading back to school. I remember returning to my hostel with all smiles and while looking at the pictures, this confidence was building out of nowhere. My smile was confident in that picture and I believed no mountain was too high for me. I looked at the picture and it looked so much like an office picture. It felt like I was staring at my future self and I was looking so beautiful in my attire. There and then, I began to see myself as a big person
The picture served as my pushing force from my Jamb examination, my WAEC examination, my NECO examination through to my post-UTME. I’ve always told myself that I’m getting there, and whenever I was down or felt draggy, the picture served as a friend, reassuring me that I should carry on. Most people might see the picture as an ordinary one, but to me it’s not. It is hope; a reminder that it’s not really that bad; a memento of clarity and friendship; a symbol of my aspirations .
I believe this is a pointer to how sometimes, the simplicity of things do not convey their significance. Seemingly little things — with the right context — hold different values to different people, and drive them to be a better version of themselves. Sometimes, it’s a simple picture. Other times, it’s just a book, a friendship, a person or even a place. I have mine, and I have chosen to forever cherish the memory behind it.