Early last year while preparing for our final examination, one of my friends and I were strolling around the school, okay, I remembered; she wanted to go see her project supervisor and tagged me along. Some new students came around and asked for directions to a particular lecture hall. The hall was a familiar one which I assumed every student should have known or come across with, but suddenly, we noticed they were new students. When they left, I looked at my friend and said, "we were once like them, now we know everywhere in the school." We both laughed.
That was the truth. Being a first time student who just gained admission into the school, he or she won't know many places until such a student has spent, perhaps half of the first semester. It might be possible for such a person not to be familiar with all places for a short time except he or she is someone who likes to explore places and new locations.
Being an amateur in something is very normal because we never came from heaven with the knowledge of something until we come across life's guide or manual directing us where to go and what to do. No one came from heaven and is proficient in one particular thing, such a person had to go through some stages to learn, master it and became skillful in that area of expertise.
A newbie who entered into Hive wouldn't know everything about the Blockchain. At first, such an individual wouldn't get it right until he or she starts learning, exploring, asking questions, and putting into practice what he or she had learnt, and within a period of time, he or she would become proficient and would be happy guiding someone who is just coming onboard.
I wouldn't want to talk about my writing skill and how I started from being an amateur to someone who has now improved greatly. Even if I am still not a pro, looking at my few month's posts, compared to now, makes me smile. I even get embarrassed but it's something I am proud of today because I am not where I used to be as a blogger and writer. There has been a big difference today. I can proudly say that learning had taken place.
Okay, let me take us down to some years ago when I was an amateur in a particular work or skill from my Aunt. I started living with my Aunt in the year 2010 after I finished secondary school, and I believe most of you have read the story of how I ended up at her place.
My Aunt was a good dry cleaner and very good at what she does. Everyone prefers to bring their clothes to my aunt because of the way she always handles them and would be delivered depending on when the customer needs them. I never knew washing could go to another level because I didn't know what starch was.
All I knew when I was with my parents was washing and spreading clothes, ironing wasn't something I was used to. For the first three years that I have lived with her, she was training me on how to wash another person's clothes, especially one that was being paid for. She taught me how to handle them with care. I got shocked when I saw her applying starch on the clothes. I asked her about it and she explained.
My Aunt never left clothes for me to attend to by myself because she observed I wasn't that good at them. She had lots of employees that she had trained and they were good than me. I started learning and giving attention to how she prepared the hot starch; there is a difference between cold water starch and hot water starch. She never used cold water starch as it spoils clothes, and besides, ironing clothes that have cold starch on them is so difficult to iron. She did one for me and I knew the difference.
There were many times we fought just because I ruined customers' clothes on different occasions. When I am ironing, I wouldn't know which number I should set the iron to because each material of clothes depends on the number you'd set the iron to so it doesn't get too hot and burn the clothes. Many times, I have burnt clothes that she had to buy with her money and she would feel sad.
| Burnt a cloth | Improved |
|---|---|
Then, I started improving and my Aunt was happy. After how many years, but I tried my best. I never gave up because I do want to know how to wash, starch and iron customers' clothes all by myself without her guiding me. I became an expert according to her and I felt so happy that I am now a good dry cleaner.
She travelled one day for three weeks and I was left in the house. At first, she was afraid to instruct me to attend to any customer that comes around, but I assured her that I can do it without any problem. She felt relieved. She told me that I can use part of the money I make from washing to feed myself, but I must set some aside for her when she comes so she would be able to get more starch and other items for the work.
Before she returned from her travelling, I made over 40k and she was so happy that none of the customers called to report or complain about their clothes.
This gave me confidence everywhere I go because I am now an expert in the dry-cleaning job. With my 12 years of learning the work, I can do this work on my own and I have decided not to take my husband's or children's clothes to any dry-cleaning place, but to be their dry cleaner because I am very good at it today.
Though my aunt has left the work since she relocated to another state, and besides, she is getting old and wouldn't need any energy drilling or strenuous job anymore. But I can attend to any clothes without any issue.
Am I still an amateur at something else?
Yes, I am. Though I know how to cook, there are still some meals where I still consider myself an amateur. There are some foreign meals I want to try out on my own and be good at it, and I won't stop learning. Some new food I do prepare occasionally is what I watch on YouTube and that is my go-to when I need to keep learning.
