This post is in response to this prompt
2️⃣ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇs ғɪɴᴀɴᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴsᴛᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ. sʜᴀʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ, "ɪ'ʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ," ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇs sᴘᴜʀʀᴇᴅ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅs ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ.
Posed by HiveNaija in the HiveNaija Community.
I love what this prompt did to me, even if I got all teary-eyed at the start, I also got excited and proud.
This is not a sad story I promise. Though a story for sure, it is filled with hope, experience and whatever you dim fit to label it. Yes, I would love for you to label it whatever you feel after all it is HER story.
An ideal time to have used this phrase "ɪ'ʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ," should be from a grownup or at least a teenager.
Nope! In this case, it was from an 8year old who already felt ostracized and pushed away by her peers because she was poor.
Believe me, she wasn't poor, far from it. Her parents were living in the centre of town and she schooled in an Anglican private school that was a 5 minutes walking distance from home.
Her parents were going through a trying time where the school fees weren't always readily available although it was eventually paid the damage was done.
She will be called out in the classroom that had bougie kids that felt so rich and can never be listed as being unable to pay their fees. We would be asked to wait under the tree till our parents came to pick us up or pay our fees. Although kids played and she should enjoy it but she was very aware of the negative treatments she has received in the past.
Being segregated during playtime and not allowed to play with her classmates ‘She does not belong in outer Class’ they say.
When a new session for the fourth grade began. She had neither a school bag nor books but was promised by her parents to be gotten in time. She went to school.
In her new class, she saw unfamiliar faces and did not want to begin the term with the same labelling as in her previous classes.
Before the teacher arrived to use this statement that is all too familiar ‘How can you come to the farm without your tools?’ she sneaked out of the classroom and hid behind the nursery section building that backed an empty playground where she will not be noticed.
At first afraid that she will be noticed then later broke down in tears saying to herself when I grow up “I won't allow myself to be this broke or ashamed ever again”.
She ignored bullies and stayed away from the cool kids and has been open to learning so much and getting better academically.
Whatever she uncovered or learnt that will add to her, she delved into. From workouts to building her hobbies and consistent learning from reading books as well as practising the things learnt.
She has worked in several private firms that paid stipends although for short periods to charging stipends when she started out her tutoring firm because she didn't know her value. She finally saw her worth.
Have there been times when she had no cash? Of course, there were but she had plan B’s to fall back on as she planned and thought ahead.
She created different streams of income using her hobbies and interest as field marks as she discovered that civil servants and employees don't always have it good at the end except for those who sacrifice comfort in the start to build other streams of income. She delved into entrepreneurship, discovered Hive and still at her game.
She is me and I am HER.
®️Whitney Alexander
~Whitney Alexander; a lover of God, life and knowledge; an accountant, a fashion designer, a part-time foodie, a resplendent tutor and a blogger/writer/storyteller in the hive family and loving every bit of it. Thanks for stopping by. Your comments and inputs are very much welcomed. xoxo~