Back in the days, when I didn't have anything to worry about, building a sandcastle was my go-to game and I had fun playing it on my own or with other kids in the neighbourhood.
It doesn't cost anything to play this game.
Nigeria has a lot of sandy areas so, sand was never an issue. Of course, it's a sandcastle. Who cares about the architecture of the house or any other stuff? Mixing sand with water and a little bit of imagination is all we need. And we had a bunch of that.
The way we started doesn't always matter. As far as we end up having something that looks like a house, we will be satisfied with that.
If you've ever tried this, you will know that building a sandcastle is never easy. You work hard to build it, but a little mistake can trash down all your hard work. Not once, not twice, it happens repeatedly. Even when you don't make a mistake, your 'friends/playmates' may decide to get diabolical and step on your work.
Shatters!!!
Everything falls apart and you are left with one of two options. Start again or call it quits!
Imagine that!
I hated things like that as a kid.
Being forced to choose one of two was a phobia I had growing up. Thankfully, I got to learn early enough that Choices are ours to make and we are meant to live with the outcome of those choices.
I can still recall how it felt to successfully build sandcastles after trying multiple times. Every time I successfully build one, it inflates my ego and makes me feel like I'm covered by a cloud of happiness. Funny enough, none of those sandcastles ever lived to see the next day. We treasured each of these sandcastles while it last.
Was there any lesson to be learnt from those childhood experience?
People are right when they say you never know what life has in store for you.
Back then, the whole process of building a sandcastle didn't have much meaning to me. It was just another game. But now, I've realised that the whole exercise was embodied with lessons that invariably helped to shape me as I grow older.
Firstly, I learned to be decisive and to take responsibility for the outcome of my decision. Secondly, I learned to be patient, resilient and to show a high level of perseverance. Lastly, I got to enjoy the feeling of being an achiever, so to speak.
It's still a sandcastle after all. Hehe
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop Or Comma
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