"Hear your mama, hear your papa, life go better for you" - Mike Okri
This was a popular song way back in the early 90s.
Growing up, I loved football with uncommon passion as was the case for almost every young boy those days. I joined All Stars FC of Warri. Went for trainings for long hours, played in age grade competitions with clubs from neighboring towns. When my father found out, he was mad. Gave me one of the beatings of my life, saying football was for Igbo-smoking, wayward and unintelligent individuals.
"How could you throw away your outstanding performances in academics for football" - he said in a bout of rage. I wept profusely at the prospects of not being able to hone my deftness on the round leather game. My coach and fellow players were disappointed that my father didn't let a budding talented striker have a chance at following his passion. Many players who weren't as talented got opportunities to ply their trades abroad. I watched in frustration as some went to Europe. I listened to my father, and here I am today.
I called him recently to ask if he heard about how much PSG bought Neymar Jr, he replied-"my son, that money big oh". He then asked, "wetin happen to your football career that time sef, you been dey play well well na"?
Abeg na wetin I go answer am?
The import of this is, obeying one's parents could be dicey when it comes to lifelong career choices. In fact it often turns out wrong as even when the children eventually become what their parents preferred, they end up not being satisfied and fulfilled.
Most parents want us to be lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants and other professions at the expense of our passions and innate talents. Today I'm an engineer but I haven't invented anything. I don't feel passionate about it. There are many others like me who just went to school, acquired degrees and labels without really having any love for such professions.
We need to redesign our educational system to suit the talents that abound in children. We can structure it in such a way that one can become a footballer, musician, mechanic, hairdresser, seamstress or fashion designer, building technician, shoe designer, electrician etc while still acquiring education up to university level. We must not alienate, denigrate and trivialize those valuable skills that are vital to the scientific and technological advancement of a country.
All professions must be given a platform to allow their growth. Killing some for others would lead to failures
in the society. This explains why we can't fix our roads, schools, electricity and other infrastructures. We have wrong people in places they shouldn't be.
Parents must come to terms with the fact that they must not force their children to tow paths that they dreamed for themselves but failed to realize. The children must be allowed to live their own lives. All they need is a platform and support. Do not dictate to them.
Who knows what I would have become if I had continued as a striker?
Written by my friend, Daniel Okojie!