Ever since I watched The Prize (1963), an American spy/thriller and romantic-comedy film, about the Nobel Prize when I was a pre-teen, I was in awe of the ceremony that takes place when an award of such a magnitude and importance is given.
I learned from this film that it's an annual award of international standard given out to people who have distinguished themselves in these disciplines: peace, chemistry, physics, literature and physiology/medicine.
I realised that the men and women who have obtained these awards in the past have gone to great lengths to be the very best in their fields. This would have required sacrifice of time, money and even family to get this award.
Have I said I was in awe? Yes, I was in awe. The exhilaration of knowing your hard work and sacrifice had paid off. The elation of watching the world acknowledge that your efforts had contributed significantly to its development in any of the listed disciplines. So I made up my mind to be one of them! 😂
Do you know what I did? I strived for excellence. I worked hard in school and was a bit competitive. Of course, I received awards of distinction through school and when I did, I remembered this film. I wanted to be the best. For me and for my family.
Was the journey smooth? No. I faced challenges from fellow students who wondered why I had to always be at the top or be 'seen' by teachers/lecturers as smart. I did not mind. It was the price I had to pay for the prize.
Along the way, I lost my fervour due to a life-changing incident. I realised there was more to life than being the best. The lesson was costly and timely.
Now that I am all grown up and wiser, I think, hehe, I have not stopped believing in this possibility. But I have realised that it takes A LOT to be one of these people of distinction.
I admire Nobel laureates like Woke Soyinka, a Nigerian, who won the prize for literature, Marie Curie, who won for Physics, Martin Luther King Jr, who won for Peace, Desmond Tutu, who won for Peace, Ernest Hemingway, who won for Literature amongst many others. They are blazing the trail for others to follow.
It's never too late to be the best.
I hope you enjoyed reading my piece. This freewrite is inspired by the prompt "Nobel Prize". Join the 
