by Mustapha Rabiu

Today is the day I will think like a man, speak like a man and act like a man.

I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what it was. But for all my life I haven’t been a man.

At any point in my life I can say “this, this is why I didn’t need to grow up”.

I was protected by my parents.

I was protected by the money I earned.

I was protected by people going easy on me.

And never did I take responsibility. Never did I work hard. Never did I do things because they needed to be done – instead I just did the minimum to get around – and for the rest found excuses.

I have lived like a child, all my life.

And I am in my twenties and still I live like a child.

I complain about the things I lack – instead of working for them.

I complain about the things others don’t do – instead of doing them myself.

I worry about what might come – but I don’t plan anything.

I pity myself in my sadness or worries – instead of acting upon them.

I wonder why I sit alone at home – instead of going out and making friends.

I hate myself for not learning the skills or languages I want to learn – instead of making the effort.

All my life I have lived like a child. All my life I was too scared or worried or lazy or distracted or immature to stand up and say:

This is what I want, and I will make it happen.

This is the person I want to meet and I will meet him.

This is the job I want and I will fight to get it.

This is the book I need to know and I will sit down and I will not eat or drink until I have finished it.

This is the world I want to conquer and I will not give up until I have conquered it.

Now is the time. Now is the time that I need to stand up and fight.

Why now?

Because else it is too late.

The longer I wait, the longer I keep thinking and speaking and acting like a child, the longer I will stay a child.

The longer I wait, the more unreachable my goals become.

The longer I wait, the less time that I can be a man.

The longer I wait, the more of my life will I have wasted.

Today is the day I will become a man.

Today is the day I will think like a man, speak like a man and act like a man.

Today and every day from now:

I will be there for those that need me.

I will stand up for what is right.

I will do what needs to be done.

I will fight for what I want.

I will persevere, even when things get hard.

I will work even when I feel lazy.

I will do sport even when my body aches.

I will learn even when my mind feels numb.

I will meet people even when I’m scared.

I will speak when I need to speak.

I will work when I need to work.

I will be what I want to be.

Today I will be a man.

 

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Mustapha Rabiu tweets from (@malign)

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.