"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest achievement."
A man had two children, both identical twins that were difficult to differentiate even from their parents. Both parents would have to look closely at 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 enrol them in school because he believed education is important to be a better person in 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 is 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 more 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 from 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 nonchalant 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 were still no changes in the boy´s academic performance.
It dawned on the father that education wasn´t meant for him but for the other who was brilliant and can easily retain information more quickly than his other brother. Both parents supported him in finding a vocation as a farmer for him and he was doing fine.
In life, every human being has a uniqueness and an advantage to help such individuals 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 instil a different type of parenting style 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.
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 keeps saying education isn´t for her and during our studies, she will not read but would depend on copying in the exam hall. When we finished the last paper, she said she isn´t going to further because her brain cannot carry a book. She has a skill she is good at which is hairdressing and that is what she planned to do to survive. In fact, coming to school was like being coerced into education which she managed to do.
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 nor would I even make it.
Every one of us must identify our abilities, know our weaknesses and work towards doing what works 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 a person would regret and a lot of time would be wasted.
If every parent 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 one another. If one is committed to whatever profession they choose with hard work and with God´s blessings, no result short of success will be produced.
Thanks for reading