Waiting for a dream

I had to go to the hospital today. One of my friends have to undergo appendectomy.
As I stepped into the building, my mind raced back to those days in school and those dreams of becoming a doctor. But then, that mixed look of pains and fear on every eyes, that strong smell of injection and drugs, that worried atmosphere everywhere, made me wonder if I would have coped afterall.
I didnt grow with the idea of being a doctor from the start. I've always thought of been a mechanical enginner; probably because my dad is one. Besides, for someone like me with such flair for creativity and love for handcrafts, that to me was the best idea. But then, I had to give up the dream along the way. For one, everyone around me wanted me to be a doctor. Even at school my friends always try picture me with the white overalls, steths round my neck, prescribing drugs, taking care of the weak and the likes. Funny enough I eventually turned out to be the Health prefect of the school. Moreover, there was this crazy bug of it within my mates then - everyone wants to be a doctor.
The academic situation in school warrants this anyway. We all had this misconception that medicine is the hit profession, where you automatically get a work immediately after school, and earn 'the best' of income. We were totally oblivion of the price we all had to pay to get there. There was actually no one (wonder what the counselling unit of the school were doing) to advise us on the choice of right career path. And again, further Maths, an important subject which is part of the mathematics exam for people with a second option of some other science program was no where in our school syllabus.
It actually took me so long to eventuall make up my mind on my choice career. I can vividly remember that even in my final year in school, I wasnt still sure of what exact course to take on. But I couldnt help it. My dreams were beginning to be molded to the everyday admonision and situation around me, espectially the everyday things I see about graduates leaving school to seek endlessly for a job, ones even with job but have to live from hand to mouth. I finally gave in for medicine. For all I care, if only for the heavy earnings attached to it.
Unfortunately, it wasnt to be as easy as I thought. For two good years, I waited patiently for an admission into this dream course, rejecting the chances of admission into other courses and oblivion of others. It took me too long to figure our I might have to wait for ever and when I did, I eventually had to give in for Plant Science at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife (OAU). I wasnt alone anyway. A great deal of other freshers in my faculty (agric) were 'Medicine dropouts' (as we were generally called). Many had to even wait longer than I did.
Looking inwards far latter, I found out Medicine wasnt something I would not have enjoyed afterall. A week ago, I was online with one of my keen pals far back then in secondary school. Though he had to wait a year longer than I did, he finally got the course at the University of Ilorin. he was like telling me about the tense situation around, and there was this question he asked, "Is it all worth it afterall?"
It's four years I left secondary school now and I'm happy I know better. Medicine remains one of my most respected profession till today. That strong passion for lives...that dexterity and skill in handling different ailments...that calmness even in the worst situations. And it is that passion for lives that should be the primary objective for any student thinking of going into it. If it is the money (which actually got me at first), then look in another way coz by the time you find out it's nt worth it, it might be too late.
It actually took me another year to finally get a course I can really smile into the future with. I look into the future with great hopes now because I believe what Im currently doing is something I can feel within me, somewhere along which I have a passion. It might have been better is I found out the right way from the start. It's not like I'm having any regrets but I hope the next boy don't make the same mistake I made. And for this is why I'm writing this.

(c) Opeyemi Obembe (23-08-2006)

My worst fear

I know I want to write something
Thats why I'm doing this
But then the words just wont come
No. Not because I dont know it
But because there is so much in my mind
And to put that much into so little is....
It's the same with saying it
And even with a million words to tell you how I feel
Not being able to say those words
May be my worst fear.

 

[self composed - 10/08/'06]

[joke] Tonight, we are Zulu's

An aeroplane was flying over the US one night,

"Ladies /Gentlemen, the plane is losing altitude and all baggages must be thrown out", announces the pilot.

A little later, the pilot says "We're still losing altitude,so we must throw anything out in the cabin".

Despite more things thrown out,the plane continues its descent.

"Still going down-we must throw out people".

There was a big gasp from the passengers!

"But to make this fair, passengers will be thrown out in alphabetical order. So A....any africans on board? No one moves. B...any blacks on board? No one moves. C...Caribbean's on board? Still no one moves. One little black boy ask his dad, What are we?  "Tonight son we are ZULU", replied his Dad.