Musings of an old man in his 70's

Son of my loins,

Life will always take you through many phases and cycles, hills and valleys. Each phase or cycle of life comes with certain unexpected expectations. Amidst these phases of life, much will be the regrets and the joy. The youngster wishes he grows to become an adult where no one will dictate what he should do. We often forget that adulthood comes with responsibility. The old man also wishes he could be a boy again to make right his wrongs. But the truth is, we grow never to be children again.

As the phases of life usher us into adulthood, the adult will wish certain things were very clear before old age. You will wish you had done certain things right when the time was right. Ones role as a student will come with regrets, remorse and joy. It’s not all rosy. Not forgetting the fact that roses even have thorns and thistles. All these stem from what we could have done but left undone.

As minutes culminate to hours and hours culminate to days, life will offer us many choices of which the outcome of our own choices and decisions will either make us happy or sad. Having said that, the youthful stage will forever remain an evergreen area waiting to be explored by all and sundry.

Be it a student or an apprentice, your journey through life will reveal that you could have done better. At the tail end of your mission, it may dawn on you that there was much to be done than what was done. These times will either be embraced with smiles or disappointments. So it is with students in all levels. As one walks through the walls of the school to the entrance, one would wish that he had graduated with a good class when given the chance again to do so. It all boils down to time and how we use it. Time is the coin of your life. Afua Sutherland, in her Marriage of Anansewaa asserted that “time is no man’s friend”. Do it right when the time is right.

Son, while in school, learn everyday as if you have exams to write the next day. Be serious with your studies. Most importantly, as you graduate from one phase of life to another, you will wish you knew that it’s not all about a degree or a certificate. Completing with a good class will be my delight. It is rather unfortunate that most people in their quest to make giant strides in the field of education turn out to forget other important factors. Such people who are enveloped in the joy of their books turn out to forget that their social life is equally important. Taking a time off your busy schedules to be a little sociable isn’t only a requirement but a necessity.

Explore the world and enjoy your youthful passions. You are at liberty to make your own mistakes. Sometimes our mistakes may be too loud that they may haunt us every day.. But you only have to be careful that you are not consumed by your own mistakes. Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear. Youthful desires are fleeting and deceptive. Nonetheless, some desires seem spontaneous but they should be carefully controlled before these desires ruin your life. Responding always to your raging youthful hormones will eventually distract you from your purpose as a youth.

Always have it in mind that time flies the moment we seem to be enjoying ourselves. Be a good steward of your time; keeping in mind that time is no man’s friend and that we all have the same 24 hours the in a day. Time, when managed judiciously, will always be a good master. It is very scarce so handle it with all diligence.

Save an amount of money as a student. It should be paramount. It is imperative to note you will never get enough to start saving. Start with the little you have in school. Little drops of water will eventually make a mighty ocean. A habit that is not built in your childhood stage will be difficult to build when you become a grown- up.

Finally, God should be the nucleus of all your life endeavours. He should be the first in all your dealings. Always know that to be a man is not about raising yourself high above the rest, but bending down low enough to wash another’s feet. Trust me, great men are not builders of mansions and egos but they are builders of lives, relationships and hearts. Grow with this mindset.

To stay true to who you are, you have to discipline yourself and be committed to a purpose. Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose. So be selective in your battles. You should know that, wherever determination exists, failure cannot dismantle the flag of success. You are the scribe of your own story. Make it right when the time is right. It is never too late to make right your wrongs. As America’s Longfellow rightly puts it, “ the height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flights; but they, while their companions slept were toiling upwards in the night.”

This is a figment of my imaginations. It was written when I was 70 years old in my thoughts. I dedicate this piece to my good friend (Ben Essien)