Yesterday turned out to be more memorable than I expected considering it was a anticipated stressful day, that i just wanted to go smoothly and end, when I went to sign and submit my project work at school. While waiting around, at the faculty building. I met an immediate past student who graduated just this year, and what surprised me first was how naturally he struck up a conversation with me, we sat at opposite sides for some time and even though I was clearly a bit older as i graduated university about 5 years ago and just returned to do my masters programme . There was no hesitation or sense of distance, he was open, relaxed, and genuinely interested in talking, which immediately drew me in cos i always consider myself to be a bad storyteller or talker , I'm more of a listener.
As we talked, he began to describe what his school days were like, and I found myself almost stunned by the routine he had lived with for years. He said he woke up as early as 4 a.m. every day, left home before dawn, and took multiple taxis just to make it to school. After classes and other activities, he wouldn’t get back home until around 7 or 8 p.m. This sounded like the stories grandparents used to tell about students walking miles to go to school. I aske d him why he didnt just get am on campus hostel and he said they were expensive and after he told me the price , i concurred. The way he spoke about it was calm and matter-of-fact, as if it was simply something he accepted and committed to.
What stood out even more was how deliberate he was about being social. He explained that engaging people in conversation didn’t always come naturally to him, but he made a conscious decision to push himself to talk to people, In a way, he “forced” himself to be social because he believed it mattered. That really contrasted me, because I’m someone who is completely comfortable sitting in absolute silence for long stretches of time, without feeling awkward or compelled to speak. I’ve always seen that as normal for me, but hearing his perspective made me reflect on how different approaches to interaction can shape one’s experiences, at the very least if he didnt talk to me i wouldnt be making this post. Lol!
Despite the exhausting commute and the long days, he did exceptionally well in school. What impressed me wasn’t just his academic success, but the balance of discipline and humility he carried. There was no bragging, just quiet confidence and honesty about the effort it took. By the time our conversation ended, I felt genuinely inspired not in a dramatic way, but in a thoughtful, lingering sense. Meeting him reminded me that resilience comes in many forms, and that sometimes growth isn’t about changing who we are completely, but about learning from others who choose to stretch themselves in ways we might not have considered. For one closed mouths dont get fed and success is on the other side of fear.
