The first time he told my mate and I to see a poop as something inside of us, I knew he wasn't someone I’d like to copy or emulate after.
We recently had a civil education teacher. A retired soldier, but not new into the teaching profession. He rides a jalopy to school. The only way to know he was once a soldier was that he usually grips his body. I suppose it’s from a lot of shock he has experienced during the war time.
He wasn’t a bad teacher at all, but somehow obsessed with the way we, his students, handled our pen, when writing. He came into the class one day, spoke about not wanting us to hold but our biro in a certain way.
For me, it was hard. I have been writing in my own way since primary 2. I remembered aunty Yetunde made me the first among my mates. So how can I change this after so many years. He came into the class one day, flogged almost the whole class for not holding the pen the way he wanted.At that point, I adhered to his instructions, and yet it didn’t made my writing more beatific like he had said.
Anytime I look at the way I hold my pen now, I remember him. Somehow I think that was his initial impression. To be remembered.
My dad was a frequent face when I was in school. From time to time, he branches my school just to check on me and see how I’m doing.
This made him known within my mates and among the teachers. He was at the peak of his public service career at that time, a director, so his suits aren’t bad at all. He also had a nice car for that year, a Honda. One of those many days, he came to buy my books in the store. I accompanied him there and I met a couple of my female mates there. My dad, realizing there were my mates, brought his jovial self to the scene. Effortlessly cracking jokes and girls were shining teeth.
Even the bookseller wasn’t left behind. After he was gone, the girls all came back to tell me about how they liked my dad. He had his charm on them. Something like that also happened in my sister's school.At that point, I realized being jovial is the charm. Till now, I’m a very jovial person around women and I understand the power it holds in getting their attention effortlessly.
I just finished my best series, Suits, two months ago. It was a very nice one, which I really appreciate.My love for Harvey Specter, one of the best characters in the series grew more. I love his swag and his personality. Now I found myself placing two fingers at the back of my phone whenever I want to call. It was a thing I saw Harvey did in the movie and I just took it up. Checking who I am, I realized that I’m a combination of different things I have taken up from others. I’m a joint venture of different personalities of others which I have taken up to form me.
Thinking about these experiences, I see how much we are influenced by the people around us. My teacher through his hard on persistent order for change, I still hold my pen, till today the way he wanted me to. On the other hand, my father’s charisma and warmth showed me the impact of a friendly and jovial demeanor. These interactions and observations shape who we become, teaching us lessons that go beyond the classroom and into our everyday lives. We pick up traits, attitudes, and behaviors from those we encounter, forming them into our inherent personality. People and environment are the roadmap of whatever we become. Most of our personalities don’t form on their own. I guess we all are copycats.