He Had An Impatient Life
Failure is a lesson that teaches wisdom.
Reading Henry X's (Long) book: The Gumbo: Food For Thought and the 77th Ingredient says, “Shame on us when we fail ourselves.”
These words remind me of a child that went to the same primary school as my sons. He was six years old and he was always late for school even though he lived about eight to ten minutes away. It is amazing, but the children who lived the furthest are always earlier than the ones who live nearby. Devotion starts at 7:30 AM, and class begins forty-five minutes later. He would walk in after devotion. When asks why he was late, he said, “I have to get my sister up and get her ready for school. Then I must drop her off at her school, then come to mine.”
He would have to pick her up after school dismisses. That routine stuck with him for the next six years until he finished Primary School. He had a guardian angel because even though he had an impatient life, his attendance was sometimes poor, he was a very bright child. He manages to secure a spot in the top boy high school with a 92% average. Then that routine, which accompanies lots of responsibilities, rewinds.
The rules are different in high school. Students are penalized for tardiness. If it continues, then the school gets the parents involved. He would often come to my house complaining that his sister gives him a lot of problems in the mornings and that has contributed to his tardiness. When he complains to his mother, she would chastise him. His sister attends his former primary school, which was nearby. His school was about thirty minutes away and he walks. His mother was a single parent and she had to work, so it was his job to get her up in the mornings and get her ready for school. Plus, he also had a brother too, that was born when he was in primary school. So, now he had two children to get ready for school before he gets to his. And he had to make breakfast for them too.
He would confide in my sons and they would beg me to help in any way I can. I didn’t know how to intervene without a penalty to both of us. So I prayed, feed, listened, and encourage him when I can.
The responsibility overwhelmed him and started to affect his school work. It became a problem for him, and he started to rebel. He would come to my house complaining to my sons again. Then my sons would ask if I could help. Telling another mother how to raise her child, was not welcome in my world. So I decided that he was old enough to realize that his life was in his hands, not his parent. I decided to arm him with tools that would strengthen him. So, I pulled him aside and encourages him, “Son, your father isn’t a part of your life, and your mother doesn’t care that much, so right now, you have no one to rely on but yourself. You will have to learn to depend on yourself. Make yourself reliable on you. If you can’t rely on yourself, you will fail yourself. Humans will fail. Never fail yourself. Your life is relying on you to save it, and live it.”
I too had an impatient life, like thousands of children in my world who are forced to grow up too fast. Not many of us survived how we want to, but I have learned so much in a short time, it has transformed me into a better person. I have seen the destruction as it unfolds in the lives of many children who MUST grow up quickly. I thank God for the wisdom, understanding, and strength he has given me that has allowed me to not fail myself too often, and when I do, it’s a very important lesson that I must learn.
Failure is a lesson that teaches wisdom.
Today, he manages to finish high school with seven CSEC subjects in ones and twos. Went to college for two years and have been accepted into the Jamaica Constabulary Force. I see him a lot and he looks ao happy. He is a survivor.
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