I grew up in a home where we were constantly woken up with music on the radio by my father. It usually started with gospel music, followed by preaching and then a string of beautiful and soul catching country music. At that point, it was unwanted disturbance from my father as my early morning sleep was a very precious part of my morning.
But gradually and as I grew older - specifically when got into high school - the tone gradually began to change, the feelings became much less laboured and my spirit began to tolerate the noise so much that it felt like my day was incomplete without the prophetic declarations of the clergy and the soulful and melodious voice of the artistes serenading the early morning calm.
This was what initially triggered my interest in radio presenting. I always admired the concept of sitting behind a microphone, entertaining and educating people while still maintaining my ability to stroll through the streets without being noticed or known. Something I often referred to as ghost entertainment.
That was how I started talking to some of my elderly friends who advised me that the first step was to learn how to open my mouth and speak. The advice was as a result of my reticent and antisocial nature. I was worried that I might never be able to get to that point as I was extremely shy and to some, I was even timid.
Throughout my high school days, I strived to improve my oratory abilities, but to no avail. Every time I stood in front of people to make a sentence, it always ends up in tears trickling down my cheeks. I kept on trying though, but the constant stares and the mockery from my peers kept on getting the best of me.
At some point after I graduated high school, I decided to give up on the the path and just live my quiet and peaceful life the way God created me. My consolation being that I had already made a mistake with my choice of subjects in the O'level exams, which meant that I couldn't study the course in the university.
That was until I got admitted into the university and I started noticing some of my seniors - who were comrades and school politicians - presenting in front of hundreds of students. The confidence they exuded, the wordplay, the charisma and even the jokes they made rekindled my love for the art.
Immediately, I knew that was where I belonged so I set to perfect my skills, first by convincing some of my colleagues to pay me to do some of their assignments, then mustering the courage to address the whole class irrespective of who was involved. That's how my journey started up until I met my departmental president and faculty president.
I started speaking at departmental congress and then joined the school political business fully. Eventually I developed my own strategy of communicating with crowds intellectually without losing composure or breaking down midspeech. The ability to hold the audience's attention without boring them to death and then delivering your message to receptive minds.
That brought about the opportunities of going beyond the four walls of the school to the greater society to offer lectures and seminars. This I have also done competently and still planning to do more till I can speak before kings and queens.
I might not have fulfilled my long term dream of being an OAP, but I have definitely conquered one of my biggest achilles heels, and have grown from an amateur public speaker to a competent and confident one.
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