A FRUITFUL YEAR

by ene ijato - December 31, 2018

Happy new year

Amongst the many things that life presents us with, hope is one of the thing we constantly latch unto.

It is such a beautiful thing to be able to live life knowing exactly what you want and how to get it. I’ve had no such luck. Growing up, I’ve wanted to be many things. A writer, a pilot, a painter, a nun (blame my sister’s act phase), a lawyer, a journalist, a surgeon, an astronaut… All of these things because at some point, I was either inclined towards them by external influences, or by sheer youthful whim.

But as I grew older, the list grew shorter. I was realizing that there were things I couldn’t pursue simultaneously because they singularly required a level of stringent educational pursuit.

And when I was in the transitionary class from junior secondary to senior secondary, I was required to properly narrow down my career choices by choosing to either be in the Arts, Science, or Commerce study curriculum. A time when I still wanted to be a lawyer, a surgeon, an architect, a painter, a musician, a writer… I was still divided. It was like my heart had been cut into several tiny pieces and each was beating in a different direction.

The school administration placed me in the sciences due to my junior WAEC examinations performance, my parents steered me in the direction of the sciences because of their worry for job opportunities in Nigeria, I half-heartedly chose the sciences because I did like it too, even if I was divided. And the other pieces of my heart that did not fit into this categorization of the sciences slowly began to wither.

I have come a long way since then. Because even though I did not end up studying to become a lot of the things on my dream list, I made decisions that have worked out for me. I am studying a science and engineering course in Uni, even though it took me a while to decide. I am involved in journalism working at a radio station, I write, I am a fashion creative director and photographer… I have discovered that I did not need to severely follow the path that has been set out for me. I have discovered that some dreams don’t die at all.

I am still learning, I am still discovering, I am still dreaming, and I am still becoming.

Although I am not one to keenly observe the new year indulgences, I still enjoy the bits of reflection it brings, and acknowledge that it holds a certain propensity to give hope. This year, I have no resolutions. This year I hope to simply find more ways to follow my heart and hope it is a fruitful journey.