Since I was a kid, everyone has already tagged me as a doctor. ‘Smart’ kids are seen as doctors, lawyers, engineers, or professors. You never dare say you want to learn a trade or do anything that won’t align with any of the 'exalted vocations'. As a little child, I was thinking of being a lawyer, and my dad had a different plan. He believed we needed a health professional in the family, and that must be me! He unveiled his hopes and dreams by getting me enrolled in a science class at one of the best private schools in my town. I fell in love with Further Mathematics because I realized Mathematics had always been the side chic I thought I loved! But meeting with Further Mathematics brought such a new chemistry. Chemistry and Physics! They both chased me from science class; the rest of the subjects were still understandable back then. In short, I left my dad’s dream and had to go for mine.
One of the things I keep learning about as I grow up is how to deal with success, failure, and expectations. There is what people expect from you (just like my dad), and there are your personal expectations. For me, often, I don’t like failing myself, and then people come second. However, I believe achieving my hopes and dreams is not just dependent on me but also on a few other factors. “Hey man, how are you doing today? I hope you dreamt about evil spirits?”, Ayo asked with intended sarcasm. “Yeah, you were the first I saw,” I replied with an evil grin. Ayo is one of the factors that influenced my success. He is a friend during my undergraduate days. I have a lot of friends, but he is one of my closest. “When are you coming home? I need you to buy some materials on your way, and I also have some work for you”, says my mom as we talk over the phone while I was at the university.Of course, she knew I wouldn’t be coming home any time soon, but I won’t find any excuse for not buying her materials this time. The family you’re from is another factor that affects the achievement of your hopes and dreams. These two categories are at the top of the list of influencers that can help you achieve your hopes and dreams or help you fail at them! Friends and family!
In my own case, my dad wanted me to be a doctor, and when that didn’t work, he tried making me a banker. “You can still try commercial classes, or what do you think?”, that’s my dad having a conversation with me after discovering I couldn’t cope with the science class. I appreciate his periodic patience, because there are times when whatever he says is final, but I guess God was on my side on this one. “Daddy, let me go to Arts class; I have always loved mass communication." He was surprised to hear this, but after some time, he reluctantly gave his consent. I went into the communications field after discovering my talent as a guy with a good voice and the ability to carry the crowd. My very first encounter started with participating in drama, literary, and debating club events, to mention a few. Although my dad said yes to my decision, I didn’t get his full support, which really affected me. To make matters worse, some lecturers made life hard for me during my undergraduate days. One lecturer back then went to a science department to pick a statistics-related course that he didn’t even understand and decided to teach us even though we were mass communication students. On a day after his lectures, which can be quite frustrating, I got a call from my dad, and I almost drooped out after the call! “Hello, Folu, how are you?”, my dad asked. “I am good sir”, I tiredly replied. “What’s wrong? You sound tired?”, he inquired. “There is this very frustrating course, and it’s really exhausting”, I answered. The next words he said were an honest comment, but I almost decided to go for a doctorate degree. “You chose it, and you have to face whatever comes from it”, he said. After the conversation, I wondered why I decided to go for a course I couldn’t handle.
A few years ago, while at the hospital, I came across blood flowing in the line passed to a patient’s wrist, and I almost passed out. Who knows what would have happened if I went for a doctorate degree? Even though I had my challenges, I am glad my hope and dream of becoming a communicator materialized.