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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

School Ghost

Good week everyone! For some reason I am on a high this morning and I don’t know what it is I am so excited about, which is nothing. Maybe the reason I have so much adrenalin pumping through me is because I am biting my nails in trepidation regarding what I have to do today. Today I go to enrol in a three day course in a field that was responsible for my chronic truancy during my secondary school days – science. Ah, those were the days, the most horrible days of my entire life, and I refused to bow to the enemy – Physics, Chemistry and boarding school! Escape route? Truancy! Man, I was such a pro I had a radar in my head that went off anytime a potential threat – any adult with a questioning look in his or her mind as to why I was not where I was supposed to be, or why I was where I was not supposed to be – lurked behind me. I was so good at truancy that I was nicknamed The School Ghost. I remember my greatest feat; circumventing classes for a full year, and paying the price – I repeated the class. The good thing about my truancy, when I wasn’t roaming the length and breath of the country armed with my school fees and that of my younger brother’s, was that most of it was spent in the library, public or school. I loved to lose myself in the literatures and histories of different countries and times and sometimes hid among the shelves when the library was being locked up for the day only to creep out, switch on a discreet light bulb and continue my devouring of the delicious volumes of fact and fantasy. I learned back then that there is always a heaven in every hell on this side of the world. Now science, my past, has come back to haunt me – and I am ready.

I think I gained my confidence in tackling this monster when I prepared and sat for my GRE exams some years ago. I bought a preparatory book on geometry and algebra, and I think trigonometry, squeezed my eyes shut, prayed and opened it. It was amazing! I was led through a step by step ‘how to do it’ on all the mathematical problems and most importantly why and where it was all going! Suddenly I could see what all this was for. I saw myself, in my mind’s eye, writing calculations that would make the internet go faster, or designing the very perfectly symmetrical cars I loved so much. In short, the reason for poring over the complex figures became increasingly realistic and not abstract like my stupid and visionless teachers in secondary school made me believe.

I think we should be very careful with the way we guide our young ones as we guide them on the arduous path to becoming adults. Education means nothing if it is not going to be applied to some aspect of life in my opinion. Anyway I have a date with science tomorrow at seven and they’d better show me a road map of where what I’ll be learning for the next few days is going or I will take someone’s head off. Early morning tomorrow so early night tonight. Have a great week everyone and do please spare a thought for me. Tara!

11 comments:

  1. Nna, you have said it all. I am an Instructional professional and this is what we strive for. I look forward to real world problem solving becoming a part of our curriculum in Nigeria.

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  2. Sorry, I meant Instructional Technology Professional.

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  3. Hey Kalu, Oh my Guch,I love your blog. I blog about celebrities home and abroad. Please check my blog once in a while... You never know, i might blog about u too...lol

    www.sesheajames.blogspot.com

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  4. What has science got to do with acting and literatures! Any intended career switch? Just curious. Wish you success.

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  5. Hi K, your trauncy no get rival and your prospect really look grim as of the time. Can´t believe you are what you are now. It wouldn´t be a bad idea to educate kids about it. Some kids don´t know the harm until it´s too late. You were lucky to get back on track.
    Success on your course and do not forget to gist us.

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  6. "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan `press on`has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." Calvin Coolidge

    Joy

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  7. Love your blog. Very nice.

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  8. You seems to be very busy nowadays. Kalu, you were a very bad kid and I will like to know how you turn your life around. Thanks for sharing at least we get to know that bad side of you. We love you regardless! Keep up the good work.

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  9. I hope you have tackled the monster called science very well. Hope to hear from you soon.
    Regards.

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  10. School Ghost !
    Indeed. Government College Umuahia A.K.A Fischer High School the colonial derived name where the said incident occurred . Felt sorry for our Dad of blessed memory, searching the length and breath of
    the country for his Okpara(First Son). Dede! now you have confessed after a decades long of silence . I now need my Tuition, Boarding Fees & Pocket Money you appropriated to fund your escapeeds!
    Votre Frere !

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  11. lol, I love your blog, (reading this after reading the family woes post) you and your brother are funny.

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