About Me — Samuel Uno
A glimpse into who I am — my memories, my dreams and my story
I consider myself to be a writer with a wild imagination.
Introduction
Hello everyone, I am Samuel. I am from the Southern region of Nigeria, particularly — Eyulor, a community in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa-Ibom State. But I was born and raised in another southern state in Nigeria. Rivers State, in the bustling city of Port Harcourt.
Childhood and Upbringing
I come from a small family of four — My parents, my elder brother and myself. I spent my formative years in Port Harcourt, with my family by my side. Our little world was rooted in this vibrant city. I cherish the memories I have of my childhood — from playing outside till sunset, to hearing my mom shout about the door being open at night.
I can vividly recall the days where we’d have long power outages and my dad will bring out a side stool and sit outside with a newspaper in his hand, of course this was before the news and media became digitalized. And I remember how I always went to meet him as a child and I’d ask him:
“Daddy, can they put on the generator?”
All because I wanted to watch cartoons, or sometimes Twist of Fate on Zee World by 9pm. It may seem funny now, but back then, it felt like the most important thing in the world. And without fail, my dad will respond most times with his sweet voice and smile.
“No. If It’s not yet 7pm. The generator won’t come on.”
But sometimes, I had my way and the generator came on earlier than expected. Looking back, it’s the little moments like those that made my childhood so real, so Nigerian, and honestly so unforgettable.
I always knew who i wanted to be from a very young age, but it always evolved from time to time, probably at different stages of my life. I recall me being in grade 6 and my primary school was hosting an event called career day.
I didn’t let my parents sleep or have enough rest because for the past few weeks i had been fascinated with pilots, flying planes. I was so determined in becoming a pilot, i made sure my parents got me the crispy white pilot shirts, the pilot caps, and the black trousers.
But by grade 9, the dream of becoming a pilot had been shattered. I now developed a new fascination and love for medicine — Specifically, pharmacy. I loved the idea of mixing things and making people feel better.
As time went by, I became determined. I was mesmerized with the idea of finding the cure for cancer. Not just a certain type of cancer, but for all the types of cancer.
Naturally, from Grade 10 into Grade 11, I leaned heavily into the sciences. I genuinely tried to push myself. I thought I could do it, I thought I would be the one to find the cure for cancer. But reality hit me. Sciences weren’t easy for me, but I persisted. Until somewhere in my second term of Grade 11, I had to be honest with myself…
I remember sitting down, pondering. I recall saying to myself:
“This isn’t for me, sciences are not my thing, I’m barely coping even with the extra lessons that my parents pay for,”
Honestly, it felt like a waste of time. I had to do a SWOT analysis… well in this case i only focused on my strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, I realized that my strengths were elsewhere. I loved stories, I loved drama, poetry, prose, people, culture, conversations, and everything that made the arts and social sciences come alive. So, I pivoted.
At some point while in the arts, it was almost time to graduate. This meant that it was time to choose a discipline. I decided to try psychology. It felt like a nice middle ground between science and arts. It felt fulfilling. But when I looked deeper into the career options, the pay just didn’t add up. And that mattered too.
Then, after secondary school, my path changed again. This time to tech. I found myself at NIIT, studying software engineering. It sounded cool, and the financial potential and benefits it had was even cooler. But the truth is, That was the only reason why i was there. My heart wasn’t in it. I wasn’t coding because i loved it. I was coding because i wanted the financial security. And that only lasted so long.
Occupation and Extracurricular Activities
I am currently studying Accounting and Data Analytics in a prestigious university here in southern Nigeria. I tend to express myself and how i feel into my writings. I am part of a creative club here at my university. I am always so eager to volunteer for our performances, creative writings, workshops, etc.
Writing and reading always help me destress when I’m overwhelmed with school. I tend to tap into my creative energy and just let words flow out of me.
Medium Goals
I recently joined Medium (three weeks ago to be precise). Although, i haven’t been here for a long period of time, i love it here. I love the stories, the culture, the people. I love how people aren’t shy about their art. I really admire the fact that this is a space where people can be expressive and creative. I’ve already read so many articles about culture, poetry, social issues, etc.
And to be honest, I find it very interesting, intriguing and educative to hear about people’s thoughts, their culture and to also hear how they feel about a certain subject or topic.
Another thing I love about Medium as someone who loves being a student and learning, is the fact that in just three weeks of being here, I have learned something about writing that i never knew, something that’s going to be very valuable to me. Something that I can apply to my daily life and to my academic pursuits.
Furthermore, I would love to take writing on Medium more seriously, because as a creative and someone who is an empath, i write not just for myself or for my personal experiences, but I write for those who don’t have a voice, for people who are restrained. For people who don’t have the courage to speak up.
My ultimate goal is to truly connect with people. One thing i have noticed so far is, many people tend to feel lonely, and over time, I’ve come to realize that loneliness isn’t always about being alone. Sometimes it’s about feeling unseen, even when you’re surrounded by others.
PETS?
As a child, I recall being afraid of dogs and cats. I hated when dogs barked at me, it always installed fear in me. And I also had an irrational fear of cats. My country (Nigeria) contributed heavily to this.
However, at some point, things started to shift. Because of rising security concerns in Nigeria at the time, and the fact that we had already been robbed three times, my parents eventually gave in and brought home a puppy, mainly for security. I’ll never forget coming back from school that day and spotting a Caucasian dog sitting on our veranda.
I was hit with a mixture of emotions, mostly shock, but also an unexpected wave of affection. Without thinking too much about it, the first name that came to mind for the dog was “Whiskey.” Till today, I still question why I named the dog Whiskey — lol.
Over time, we had other dogs too, including a Lhasa Apso that sadly died, shortly after we brought him home. That one hits differently. I remember arguing with my mom, insisting that the dog was going to sleep in my room. I was so excited about him. Losing him felt personal.
TRAVELS
I haven’t traveled much, but the few experiences I’ve had have stayed with me. I got the chance to spend Christmas and New Year’s in Europe in 2014 and 2015. Well, mostly in Aberdeen and London. Those trips felt like stepping into a different world. I remember going sightseeing with my family, visiting the London Bridge, the London Eye, and all the places we’d only ever see in pictures or on TV. Everything looked magical, especially during the holiday. The lights, the cold, the snow. It was truly special.
Even though, I haven’t traveled widely, I know for sure that I wanted to see more of the world. Not just for the beauty of new places, but for the memories I’ll get to create with the people I love. One of my biggest life goals is to travel with my family… to explore, to experience, and to enjoy the world together.
THE WAY FORWARD
As I look back on my not so short journey and all the experiences I’ve had so far, I’m grateful for the lessons and connections I’ve made on my journey. I’m excited to keep exploring opportunities, improving my skills, and connecting with others through my writing.
Whether it’s topics that inspire me, causes I support, feminism, personal stories, I’m committed to making a positive impact with my time here on Medium. Here’s to embracing new possibilities, endless opportunities and growths!🥂
