Ah, the African broom. For many, it's a simple household item, but for those of us who grew up in Africa Naija to be specific, it's much more—a symbol of tradition, a rite of passage, and occasionally, a source of little childhood trauma.I n various parts of Nigeria (Africa), the broom is an essential tool made from the midrib of palm leaves or thin twigs.
It's lightweight yet incredibly efficient at sweeping away dirt and dust. Every household has one, and its use is a daily ritual, keeping our homes and surroundings clean.
But there's a lesser-known side to the African broom—a darker, more chaotic side am sure at some point those of us that used this broom experienced this. You see, when this humble tool gets scattered, it transforms into a nightmare of epic proportions. Imagine hundreds of tiny twigs or fibers twisted about, each with a mind of its own, evading your every attempt to gather them. Let me take you back to a fateful day in my childhood.
I was young, naive, and unaware of the torment that awaited me. My mother handed me our trusty African broom and, with a stern look, instructed me to sweep the courtyard. I was about to watch a movie it was cartoon, they had just brought light so I wanted to rush and finish up guess what my excitement was short-lived. In a moment of clumsiness, I dropped the broom, and it exploded into a million tiny pieces. Each stick seemed to mock me as I desperately tried to reassemble the broom. I crawled, I scrambled, and at one point, I considered offering a prayer to the gods of housekeeping for divine intervention, lol.
My mother, watching from the sidelines, couldn't suppress her laughter. "This," she said, "is why you need to be careful and be patient." and NO I wasn't assisted, The task was ridiculously difficult at this point . Every time I thought I had collected all the pieces, I'd find another stray stick hiding in a corner, laughing at my misery. By the end, I was sweaty, frustrated, and had gained a new respect for this seemingly simple tool.
Humor aside, the African broom teaches us valuable lessons in patience and resilience it brings you down like people over here would say "E go humble you". It's a reminder that even the most insignificant objects can have profound significance in our lives. So next time you see an African broom, remember its dual nature: an efficient cleaning tool and a crafty trickster waiting to scatter. And if you ever find yourself tasked with reassembling a scattered broom, take a deep breath, muster your patience, and maybe—just maybe—have a good laugh about it.
The images above are all mine the second reminded me of how it felt years ago that's why I wrote this post hope you all enjoyed it thanks and hope to be back tomorrow to share my day with you all. Bye for now.