SC-S29/W6 – Nostalgia Of The Little Me: A Childhood Story That Taught You Something

Whenever I remember this story, I burst out laughing — not because I was a smart child, but because I was a very shy one. I was the type of child who felt uncomfortable speaking English, even when talking to teachers. In fact, throughout my early school years, I never once had the courage to say, “Excuse me ma, please I want to ease myself.”

But the most unforgettable part of my childhood was not my shyness — it was the strange tradition that decided when I was allowed to start school.

I was born in 2001, but I didn’t start school until 2006. That means I started school at the age of five.

You might wonder: what was I doing from 2001 to 2005?

Well, I was at home waiting to “qualify” for school.

At that time, I didn’t understand why my older siblings were going to school while I stayed at home. Whenever I asked, they would tell me that I was not yet ready.

Where I grew up in Akwa Ibom State, there was a belief that a child was not ready for school until they could perform a simple test.

The test was to stretch your hand over your head and try to touch your ear.

If your hand could reach your ear, then you were considered old enough and ready to start school. But if your hand could not reach your ear, then you had to stay at home.

I tried many times to touch my ear, but my hand would not reach. So while other children were going to school, I stayed at home roaming around the neighborhood because I was bored. Luckily, there were other children like me who had not yet “qualified,” so we became friends and played together every day.

Finally, in 2006, my hand reached my ear — and that was the year I was allowed to start school.

As a child, I felt confused. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t go to school like my siblings and other children.

Sometimes I felt jealous watching them carry their school bags and wear their uniforms while I stayed behind at home. I also felt left out because they would come back from school talking about what they learned, and I couldn’t relate.

At that time, I didn’t know it was a tradition — I just thought I was not good enough to go to school yet.

Looking back now, I laugh about it. Sometimes I even joke that they were trying to delay my destiny. Maybe they thought I would become the future president of Nigeria and wanted to slow me down.

But deep down, I know I felt delayed.

This experience taught me that some traditions exist for a reason, but not all traditions make sense in modern times.

I learned that just because something is accepted as normal doesn’t mean it is always right. Some beliefs can slow people down without anyone realizing it.

It also taught me that everyone starts life at a different time and pace, and that doesn’t mean they cannot succeed.

To be honest, this experience still affects me a little today.

Whenever I see very young children going to school and learning early, I sometimes imagine how things might have been different if I had started earlier.

For a long time, I felt like I started late compared to others. Even my shyness and fear of speaking English in school made me feel behind.

But as I grew older, I realized that starting late does not mean finishing late. Everyone has their own journey.

Today, I see this story as a funny but important part of my childhood. It reminds me how far I have come, even though my journey started later than others.

And whenever I remember how I had to touch my ear before going to school, I can’t help but laugh.

My invite goes to @wilmer1988, @suryati1 and @elsa-queen.

Cc;
@sohanurrahman