There’s a memory I have from when I was a little girl. I was about 4 or 5 years old but it is very clear in my head even today. A family friend dropped me off at kindergarten but when I walked into the compound I noticed that there was barely anyone around. One of the Reverend-sisters, who managed the school, walked to me and led me to a few kids who looked just as puzzled as I was. She sat us all down and said that it was a school holiday and we weren’t supposed to be in there but since our caregivers had already left we would all stay in the school till it was closing time. She added that she would come back to help us with our lunch when it was lunchtime.
I must tell you that I didn’t like going to school when I was in Kindergarten. I loved being at home a lot because it was all I knew. I could play with my toys and I didn’t have to listen to so many people giving me instructions here and there. I did have many friends in school but being at home was always better. You see, most people don’t like change. They like the things they can get from change but not necessarily the change itself. I sometimes wonder why this is but this is a discussion for another day. Now back to my story.
Immediately the Reverend-sister went to her office, I’m guessing to do some work, I grabbed my backpack and my lunch box and started walking out of the school. I saw the expressions of some of the children who were seated. They looked at me like I was crazy. In modern Gen-Z lingo, I may have been delulu. With my backpack behind me and my lunch box in my right hand. I started my journey towards home. It was a holiday after all and I wanted to spend that holiday playing at home. My house was quite far from the school. We lived across town. And my school was right in the centre of town but I wasn’t scared. There’s a fun lesson here, children don’t know fear until they experience it. I was also not thinking about how long the journey was. All I could think about were my toys and how much fun I was going to have when I got home!
I walked using the route that we always take when I was driven to school but there was one interesting thing on the way. Right in front of the regional office were two statues of lions and I remember that my father once said that if you look into the eyes of those lions they’ll come to life and devour you. My little self believed this wholeheartedly! To be very honest this was the only part of the journey that was a bit of a challenge to me; not crossing the road, not being kidnapped, not even getting lost! I got closer and closer to the statues and quickly came up with a plan. I stopped right in front of the gate, clenched my lunch box, closed my eyes as tightly as possible, and ran across the gates. When I passed the gates I opened my eyes and even though my heart was racing I felt amazing. I had done it! I had passed the lions successfully so now the rest of the journey was a total breeze.
When I finally got home the first person I saw was my uncle. He was busy doing some work at the back of the house and I greeted him like I always did. He looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and asked me why I wasn’t in school. I explained to him that it was a holiday and so I walked home. My uncle burst out laughing because he could not believe what I said. “Oh you mean someone dropped you off at home right?” He asked and I shook my head. “No, I walked home because Uncle had already left,” I replied. My uncle grinned and nodded. Till today he still doesn’t believe me. My parents struggled with my story too until I tried to walk home another day and they felt I could have been telling the truth. Honestly, it’s quite the story. I was very young and the route was very complex.
From this story, you can understand why entrepreneurship feels so natural to me. I’ve always been the type to ask questions, attempt to solve problems, and do things that weren’t particularly the norm. I must say, looking back at when I was a child, my zeal is not as strong anymore but the fact that it’s still there is good enough for me. That little girl will always be inside me and all I need to do is find her. Do you have a brave strong willed little boy or girl inside of you too?
