Child's name, origin and determinant part two
In the previous post I discussed the determinant of child's name in African tradition and I discussed the reasons behind every name in Africa most especially the traditional names and I stopped at Competition so I will continue from where I stopped.
COMPETITION
There is nobody born in a polygamous family that is enlightened, educated, famous, and knowledgeable enough that is not strived by the competition in the family. In fact your heroism or wealth and leadership status cannot be ever emphasized without regarding the competiveness in the family where you came from.
Again, one good thing is that this competition did not just start when one is born it has been in existence even before you were conceived. Imagine my name Promise Ogemdi, the competition was that my mother will not have a male issue again because she lost her first son and now she is getting advanced in her age and as such reaching her menopause and her contender has had up to eight (8) issues among them are boys and girls. Consider this to be truth my only biological sister was at her sixteen (16) before my mother gave birth to me. So you see Ogemdi which literally means my time lives with the English name ‘Promise’ which means that my name existed before I was born. And that neglect to her womanhood made her to name me after her circumstances. So it now becomes obvious that I must be focused to protect my name which was originated from the disregarding attitude from my father and other family members who mocked my mother and make her a fool simply because her first issue who supposed to be the eldest and first son died.
Remember that I told you earlier that you and I inherited a problem that we do not even know where, how or when it started. Checked your name compare the story I illustrated above you will agree that the competition was not intentional but forcefully and under duress which in turn makes it a distraction in our life because some of these names constantly reminds us the stories we had in the past from our parents and also remind us that there is fire on the mountain and as such call for urgent preparation even when there is no evidence for such threats.
Again the question comes, can a child compete alone?
World, my son starts school today! World, take my child by the hand-he starts school today! It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while, and I wish you would sort of treat him gently. You see, up to now, he has been king of the roost. He has been the boss of the backyard. I have always been around to repair his wounds, and i have always been handy to soothe his feelings
But now things are going to be different. This morning he is going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand, and start on a great adventure that probably will include wars and tragedy and sorrow. To live in his world will require Faith and Love and Courage. So, World, I wish you would sort of take him by his young hand and teach him things he will have to know. Teach him-but gently, if you can. He will have to learn, I know, that all people are not just, that all men and women are not true. Teach him that for every Secondary, there is a hero! That for every enemy, there is a friend. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest people to like. Teach him the wonder of books. Give him quiet time to tender the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill. Teach him that it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong.
Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his son’s teacher.
even the parents know that the task is too big for the innocent child so they must equip him/her and the only way or means of doing that is to take him/her to school where the Child will meet ups and downs, failures and passes and good and bad. Life is not easy for the innocent child; consequently the child become guilty of some non-scrutinized allegation that must attract punishment sometimes, the punishment becomes unbearable that the child will never forget it.
Here the child focuses on revenge instead of pursing the primary purpose of life. Retaliation strategies will be the mission of his/her life, the evil he/she never know about will start taking root in his/her mind, at some point they take total shape. As the child grows by them it becomes a problem in the society where he/she belongs. The child becomes a terror, there is nothing you can do about it meanwhile the issue has gotten out of hand. The child became a subject in the society while some will be fighting to kill or stop him/her, the child who face of these distractions will either think of running away or fighting to finish especially when it has to do with the society at large. This time he/she drops out from school, he is no longer young to learn a trade or serve any master for some years. He/she becomes too big to take advice and becomes too smart to be a Thief, gradually an armed robber and eventually a terrorist. What a distraction!!!
You see the innocent child initially did not wish to be a problem to him/herself neither to trouble anybody but the distractions has subjected the child to failure or bad and turn down of nature. But I have good news for you,
Distractions know that they are the processes that embellish the journey of Destiny to any great personality born of a woman. What do I mean by this? Many of us have heard much about Joseph in the holy Bible, how he shared his dreams to the members of his immediate family and that attracted him a very big distraction that he never know the cause of his mistake that led his brothers to sale him into slavery, as if that was enough, as a slave he also did not stop his dreaming habit, in fact he went beyond dreaming and became an interpreter of dreams. All kind of dreams were all interpreted by this slave yet the distraction of life could not let him go without pains, this Joseph was also accused by his master’s wife over a rape which no man could bear it, Joseph was sent to jail. You see great people will first serve as slave and then graduate through prison before they can actually mature to be leaders of their destiny. Every other thing about Joseph’s life remain a story but one thing to note is that Joseph’s dream exposed his destiny to danger of envy, jealousy and hatred. His journey into slavery was the school of destiny and the allegation that actually sent him to prison as the distraction to his destiny. But did this distraction stop him from reaching his destiny? The answer is no! Why? Because he went beyond dreaming and became an interpreter of dream which literally means that he has visualized the outcome of his distractions and he remained focus and courageous till the end of the wind.
Now outline your life process from birth to the schools days. You will find out that your name had in one way or another attracted you some of the problems you are facing at present. It is now obvious to accept the fact that your name was the first dream you ever dream, willingly or unwillingly, the reactions of people around you over your name is that envy, jealousy and hatred you encounter. Here it is your parent that called you a dreamer with a name, now sent you into slavery and this kind of slavery they sold you, they did not collect any money rather they paid for your care. Eventually these monitors will misunderstand, misrepresent and misinterpret your action in turn penalize or punish and even push you to the wall where you will never have option than to quit but, brothers and sisters that is just the distraction to your true destiny. Believe like Joseph that you will go beyond dreaming and know how to interpret them. But do not forget those dreams. Stay courageous and start thinking what you will make out of that your name and forget much about what made up your name but do not forget your name.
Take this back-up and move to the next chapter. The hardness of life nurtures and prepares the greatness of a man.
A problem becomes smaller when you don’t dodge them---MAMIE MC CULLOGH.
God gives every bird its food......he does not throw it into their nest------J.G HOLLAND.
A man is never a failure until he accepts failure as his permanent defeat and quits trying-----C. HROLD KEOWN.
Every problem accepted is a challenge, every challenge will yield success. Challenges are gift that strengthens and prepares us for life. Do not fear it just sit and think out ideas in other to materialize it into success and greatness.
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