PEGS AND HOLES

When I was in secondary school, My dad took the family on a visit to his boss who lived on Snake Island Apapa. Then I thought the Island was the coolest place I'd ever seen. Having to cross water to get to this cozy little paradise reminded me of some of the fairytales the novels I loved so much filled my head with. Looking through my fantasy coloured eyes, everything about the Island was perfect including my dad's boss. Well, until he spoke. My dad told him that I loved to sing and the man exclaimed "Don't sing o!, you see all those singers, they are very poor. They borrow even the clothes they wear to sing" He then went on to tell me about how poor a particular popular musician at that time was. He painted very vivid gory pictures of their miserable life. I loved singing but I didn't want to borrow clothes for my daily life. I never pursued music. I wish that that my dad's boss was alive today to see Tuface: he's a singer and I don't think he's miserable or begs for clothes to wear. I remember a testimony that was given in church by a chief who had children enough to make a football team plus substitutes all from one wife. The chief thanked God that his children had gotten admission into school to read the courses he the chief wanted. Is it wrong for parents to guide children? No! However, many parents and adults tend to push children in directions which are not their true calling. Not to hurt them, no! But for security. Job security. Food on the table, clothes on their backs, good houses to live in... The quest for these sometimes puts round pegs in square holes. That's how you have politicians who do not even know the meaning of service, nurses who are so mean because they hate their jobs, lawyers who hate the inside of a courtroom, doctors who hate to see patients, customer service officers who find it difficult to smile and snap at their customers, policemen who have no humanity, who would ask the parents of a four year child that was raped to bring money first before they can begin investigations. You ask yourself what is their duty then? Maybe the pegs should just have been put in their right holes.