For routine dulls the edge of originality

Cathy and I are at the stage where we are getting our ears wet trying to pave the pathways to success. To put it in common terms, we have rounded up our university applications and are working towards our exams in the summer. Naturally we both want to get into the very best of British universities (WE DESERVE TO!). The thing is that at times like this I begin to question the definition of success and what it means to be accomplished in the eyes of others. Surely, Mark Zuckerberg would not have had the inspiration to invent a lucrative social network such as Facebook, if he had not taken time from life to sit back and be creative....to dream. This is  in much the same way Einstein became the father of modern physics (having established the general Theory of Relativity and developed Newtonian mechanics) after battling with ninth grade algebra. The definition of success is broader than the criteria is judged by and even when we fall short the chances are that we can still achieve so much more.


I have never actually believed that any one person can determine  intelligence or potential using even the most accurate of measurements....but when you see someone who is destined to be unique it always shines through. We live in a world where people get so lost in the need to meet the requirements of society that ironically they fail to achieve as much as they can. And sometimes I fear that in all the efforts, the late nights, the extensive reading and the chasing of perfect grades, I might forget who I am an what I set out to do. Life is a marathon in much the same way, academic qualifications are simply a means to an end and that is something we should never forget. What really matters are the dreams that keep us awake.....the goals we want so much to achieve that the mere thought of failure makes us edgy....and sometimes even the changes we need to make in society to ensure that  our smiles would one day be complete.

These are really the reasons I want to become a human rights lawyer; The 14 year old Pakistani activist ( Malala Yousafzai) who was shot by the Taliban for protesting against their atrocities, the Bangladeshi family that lost all their money to government fraud, the working class woman in America who should have been raised to the position of company director 5 years ago but wont....simply because she is a woman, and here in Nigeria the millions of poor people in the Niger delta that suffer everyday with little or no means of survival  because their needs have been ignored by the state.

It is true that even a strict education can dull the sharpness of our creativity and render the strength  of our imagination void. And with time and experience you would find that it takes a lot more than good brains to get ahead in the world but a striking personality, a stubborn determination and an even sturdier heart.

Duby