Growing up, I had this faith or believe, so to say, that things will definitely fall in pleasant places for me effortlessly. I believed that I would just walk into a place I’ve never been before and whoa! people will see what I’m best at, my talent, boldly written on my forehead and applaud me.
But I was wrong! I was totally wrong. It never happened that way. It can’t happen that way. It never has!
I found out that I had to answer the look of askance I get to see everyday on people’s faces, everywhere I go. I had to prove to people that when I open my mouth to speak, I know what I want to say and I know how best to say it. I had to turn the tables against those who with raised eyebrows and twisted nose held up, say “come on! Show us what you’ve got.”
I fight to earn. Not just money but everything! You’ll have to fight to earn an applause!
I’ll tell you a story.
I have this beautiful, go-to, married woman who is a very close friend of mine. I know virtually everybody in her family. That’s how close I am to her.
One day, I met her somewhere after a very long time of missing her gregarious personality. Normally, she would hail me and shout till the whole world knows that I am with her but she didn’t do that that day. Immediately, I asked her what the problem was but she wouldn’t tell me and so I backed off.
Later on, she requested that I see her off and as we approached the gate, she said, “Jubilee, I have something to tell you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you back there when you asked because of the person in the room.” I nodded because I sincerely understood her. There was somebody else with us in the room.
She pulled me to a hidden place under the shade of a big tree and began to disclose some information I tag ‘top secret’. Her lovely and adorable husband had gotten a son out of wedlock after their blissful and enviable marriage. This woman was strong enough not to shed a single tear as she narrated everything. I cried a river for her within me. I cried blood for her. I tried to imagine what I would have done if I were in her shoes.
Why did I narrate this ‘top secret’?
Be prepared to fight! That’s the whole reason summarized in a statement.
If you have this talent that mesmerizes people – both your friends and foes – be prepared to fight to prove it. If you think that just like me, you’ll walk into a place and at the mention of your name and what you do, people would bow, my dear, I think you’re living in la-la land.
For joy? For love? For success? For respect? Name it!
Be ready to fight!
Just like this precious friend of mine, be ready to fight! She’ll have to fight, she’ll have to struggle, for her heart’s desire.
I’ve seen her husband shower her with so much love till at a point, I began to wish I were married. He takes her to places of interest and buys her gifts that are expensive enough to buy my whole wardrobe. Yes! I mean my whole wardrobe. That’s how much he loved her.
Ever since I knew them, everything had always been dandy-dandy until… Nonetheless, if she must lay claims to his heart, she’d have to fight!
Trust me, neither she nor even I, ever thought that things could go this bad but this is one thing we humans have to understand. If you must win, if you must survive, if you must lay claims to something without someone holding you by the collar to say otherwise or call you a liar, you must fight.
If you must survive that disaster, that heartbreak, that hurt, that disappointment, be ready to fight!
Again this morning, a friend told me the same thing while we were discussing. She said, “Ada eh… You see this world eh, you must fight o if you must survive.” This is nothing but the truth and the sooner we realize and accept this fact, the more we learn to accept challenges wholeheartedly and the easier life would be for us because we’ll get to smile more often.
Have you acquired new fame, new car, new hairstyle, new what-have-you? Be ready to fight for it!
You might want to ask, “hairstyle?”
Yes. I mean hairstyle!
Why would I say you’ll have to fight for a thing as weird or trivial as fighting for your new hairstyle?
This is because no matter how nice this hairstyle of yours looks on you, there’ll always be someone who would want to tell you how ugly this new hairstyle of yours has made you look. There’ll always be a critic out there who would like to rub in your face the cheapness of the weave-on or the hair cream that has an awful smell even though the fragrance of your perfume has permeated the whole place. So, for everything you wear or own, no matter how small or insignificant, be ready to fight for it!
Not everybody will commend it! And so if you must keep your self-esteem in place, if you must maintain that smile you always wear anytime you are wearing your favourite black dinner gown, that confidence you have as you rock your new heels, be prepared to fight. If you must smile at their harsh criticism and laugh it off, you must fight!
I don’t mean fighting with guns or matchets. I mean that kind of fight in which you get to use marvellous stratagems to prove to that critic that you just wanted to be simple and that was why you bought that cheap hair cream with an awful smell even though the truth is, you actually couldn’t afford that expensive hair cream with a powerful fragrance. I mean for you to fight on your knees for that blissful marriage you used to have until the enemy attacked. Fight to prove intelligibly and confidently too, to your equals, your superiors and even your antagonists that this singing or painting talent that you have is yours and you’re happy with you and that you have all it takes to prove it shamelessly anywhere, at anytime!
Please, don’t get the message in this piece twisted. I don’t mean to crash your faith or hope – to have a blissful marriage or be successful – that is as high as a minaret piercing the sky. I just want you to be conscious of this truth that we can’t run away from and buckle your belts to fight relentlessly and with such a resilient spirit that will make your critics herald your worth wherever and whenever.
Get used to it! It never ends! Fighting never ends! Save in death.
We’ll meet at the top!
We could connect, you know.
Facebook: Jubilee Adaeze Azubike
Twitter: @jubileeazubike
Instagram: @jubileeazubike
Do you know I have so many stories, poems and motivational articles and videos stored up just for you in my page on Facebook, Jubilee’s Pen.
Yes! It’s specially for you.
Let’s meet there!
