As children, we all at one point in our lives develop some interest in an activity or job area we get attached to. It grows to become a dream of ours to pursue such activities in the future – for it has fast become something we highly cherish. With this, it was not any different for Jamus and I. We used to enagage in little arguments when we saw newscasters eloquently reading out news items with such precision and flawlessness. I adamantly say that newscasters memorize everything and just looking at our faces from the television to spill the words out. On the other hand, my twin disagrees vehemently and makes a case that it has been written somewhere and that they certainly read from a source.
I still found it difficult to believe because, with the rate at which the news was presented, one could have hardly convinced me that the readers refer from something because their concentration was almost always fixed on the screens. It seemed a miracle to me whenever I saw that. Admiring this act, it fast-forward developed the love and joy I had for writing and merely penning down my thoughts on paper respectively. Although I found myself in a society where regard for highly professional activities of such nature are not really cherished, my love for journalism, in general, appreciated when I got to know of one amazing veteran journalist by name Ben Ephson on the Television.
I knew him better when he was mostly a host for a show on television somewhere in the early 2000s. This man spoke with finesse, a touch of patriotism, and above all was the Chief Editor of a Newspaper which run on a daily basis.
“The whole content of The Daily Dispatch newspaper had to be approved by this man before it could be published? What an influential person this man could be.”
Those were thoughts that run through my mind as I watched him manning his journalistic affairs like no one’s business. At that tender age, I was not capable of following all of his activities on a continual basis but one thing for sure was that I try to learn one or two things from the great veteran journalist. In those moments, all I needed in this world was that in the next few years I would want to be as flawless as the newscasters and as commanding as Ben Ephson.
Later in my Junior High School days, an event crossed my way which undoubtedly had an impact on my longing dream. I had to visit the clinic as I was not feeling well one morning. An old woman who apparently came to the hospital all by herself in a wheelchair wanted help to skip the short staircase at the entrance of the Out-Patient’s Department (OPD) . The nearest nurse although hearing the plea ignored the old woman just like a devoted Muslim would shun wine anytime anyday. Luckily, another nurse without hesitation gave this old woman a helping hand. Sitting on the sick bench feeling discomfort all over my body and pain deep down my heart, I wondered how a sector as critical as this could have such individual contrasts in reacting towards their patients – the sick. Since then, I promised to myself that wherever I get an opportunity to cause a change in the health setting, I would not relent in getting involved so as to bridge that gap of unprofessionalism. I now became forever indebted to making a mark in this field as well – aside my journalistic hopes.
I was offered Business as a program in Senior High School and pursued Administration in the tertiary institution afterward. As if destiny was my shadow all along, I had to specialize in a field within my program and fortunately, there was a clear path I could take towards enforcing the change I once thought of. Health Service Administration was that option I finally settled on as I currently intend to pursue as my career path. See how fast dreams could change and how swift our aspirations could be diverted due to events we may encounter. In my mind, I still believe that journalistic dream has taking a divergent turn but deep down within, the love and zeal for it is still blazing like wildfire.
We may take longer routes to achieve our cherished goals. The roots might not be as smooth as we envisage.
There likely would be many standing blocks; being good or bad, stopping us from quickly realizing our childhood dreams. But those should not be allowed to shutter our cherished aspirations. One thing for sure is that the more experience we gather in our daily endeavors, the better placed we are at being successful in executing tasks and pursuing our heart desires. If the African Proverb,
is anything to go by, we will come to the realization that no matter the pace at which we go, with focus and determination, we shall reach our cherished destination.
This, therefore, must give us hope that we should not easily give up on our dreams just because it has not been fully realized as planned.
If nothing at all, I have not given up on my dreams so why give up on yours? I still have belief that my initial childhood dreams; to be like Ben Ephson and even in the modern era, Hayi Moomen and Bernard Avle, would be realized. For, “however long the night, the dawn will surely break” as our fore fathers have professed.
Peace 🕊️
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