Frank Tuesday- Our Gifts

Just yesterday, after church, I saw a proud mother introducing her little son to a friend as her 'future lawyer'. It was cute, and I was impressed that she could dream 'big' for her son yet, something else struck me. Why was she planning his future for him at such an early stage? The boy shouldn't be more than two or three yet his mother already knew what she wanted him to be in the future. My mind zeroed in on many parents I have met and I realized that some parents are the ones who make choices for their kids and vice versa. Let's look into Chinenye's rants with Timilehin at the assembly ground in the just concluded episode of 'Ruined' (Just In case you missed it: http://lifeofaveryfunkynaijateenager.blogspot.com/2014/07/ruined.html/ )

Chinenye has a talent or would I call it a gift, which is, to make clothes but her parents feel that being an Economist is better. Don't get me wrong, every parent wants the best for their child but when their 'so called' best is killing the child's dreams or gift, then they have to stop. I've seen instances of parents relieving their dreams in their children or threatening to stop paying their kids school fees all because they are not studying the courses of their choice.
I could remember that while growing up, I was quite the rambunctious one. I drew all over the place, painted a lot and wrote cartoons in papers and tore pieces of papers. My room was filled on a daily basis with short stories and cartoon drawings, all done by me. Even after my parents begged me to stop littering the house with my write-ups and pieces of paper, I never stopped, I wanted to but I couldn't, it's how I was created. Even in school, while the teacher would be teaching, I'll turn to the back of my book and draw cartoons or write short stories. Along the line, my mom discovered that I was really good at writing and encouraged me, my parents spurred my gift and here I am today.

Surprisingly, when I grew older, I would write stories and place them in my locker in school and whenever someone read it and asked me if I was the one, I felt too ashamed to say that I wrote it. Even when my teacher in school gave me a zero score in an essay homework because she believed I wasn't brilliant enough to write an exceptional essay. I actually thought she was right till my mom paid a visit to the school and you know what that means...lol.
In summary, life isn't the way it used to be back in the days. When kids sang career songs and aspired to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants e.t.c. Now, things have changed, everyone has a gift or even multiple gifts and no one should kill the talent of his or her child with their cravings or desires.
I do hope Chinenye is given a chance to do what she loves, even though I'm not going to write further on her story. Fashion is big in Nigeria now and with the likes of Mai Atafo, Lanre Da Silva, Jewel by Lisa, Iconic Invanity, Okunoren Twins, the list goes on, there's real money to be made and most of all, satisfaction. After all, your'e doing what you are 'gifted' to do.
I feel that the mother in my first story felt it's her duty to say what she wants her son to be 'anyway, he's after all, her son' but wouldn't it be nice to see parents watch their children closely and see what they are really good at?
I'll leave it at that...

Thanks for reading and sit tight for Senorita's escapade tomorrow.

Note: There's good news, I'll be launching a site soon and this means that all my blogs will be merged together (Thanks to Fab Melody for the wonderful suggestion). This means that I'll be introducing new series with more exciting episodes. Thank you all for your comments and views, you guys are the reason, I'm still writing. God bless you.