I don't know how many primary schools in Nigeria were like mine, but at my primary school, whenever a member of a class was celebrating his/her birthday, everyone in the class would be allowed to bring their party clothes that we called mofti to school for the celebration. We would wear our uniforms and carry our party clothes in our bag and change into it later when it was time for the party.
So when I was in primary 1/first grade (I had so many adventures in this class π), I had this friend who was to celebrate her birthday the next day (or so she said) and she told me this personally. Feeling so special and confident that she told me this exclusively π, I didn't wear my uniform to school the next day. I just wore my party clothes from home, after all, it was my friend's day. I had to come through like...
Well, I got to school that day and found that nobody was wearing mofti... not even the birthday girl. So I quietly called her to ask her about the birthday celebration. Then she laughed and said she was joking.
Ah! Joking? I had already come to school with party clothes. I didn't even wear uniform and put my mofti in my bag like people normally did. I trusted her fully and she joked my life away.
All through that day, everyone that saw me kept asking why I was dressed that way. I kept calling her and blaming her for it, but at the end of the day, I was the one looking like the clown all day, dressed in party clothes when everyone else was wearing uniform but as far as I knew, she was to blame and she was responsible for my 'foolish' choice.
Everyday, we are faced with situations like this. When you trust someone, something, some external factor so much and make choices based on this and for some reason, we get disappointed.
While it might be ok to blame the people, things or situations that disappoint you, you only rise above that disappointment by taking responsibility for your choices.
Think about it next time when faced with disappointment. Would casting the blame and responsibility on your source of disappointment like my primary 1 self did solve the problem or would casting the blame while taking responsibility for your choices be the better alternative? π
Comments
Nice lesson. Irrespective of external effect, take personal responsibility
Birthday clown π
Beautiful piece π