Where Would You Look?

Recently I have been reminiscing about my late dad and all of the lessons he taught me. The funny thing is, I don’t even think he was aware that he was doing it. It wasn’t until much later in life that I became aware of what was being taught.

For instance, one raining season on a Saturday in Ikenne Remo in Ogun State, i helping him out in our farmland. Oh yes, I use to be a farm boy and I am still.

When ever we are on break from school, i use to find pleasure helping out in the farm. There i was on that day, his proud assistant and like all assistants (especially my siblings), I was sent to fetch things as we farm. In one of such errand,he wanted me to go to the shed where we keep farm tools and bring back a hoe.

I stood in the tool shed looking everywhere for that hoe. As does a typical child I yelled out “I can’t find it.”
He yells back in Igbo “odi nee eba a,” translated as “It’s in there.”
I hollered out again, “I didn't see it.”

At this point I think he became irritated with his little assistant. He came into the shed and exclaimed “Tobechukwu” in a soft tone while waving his arms wildly, “You look across here, it’s not hung there. Impatient impatient, you didn't look in the right place.” He continued to rant “You will not find anything unless you look at the right place not anywhere.”

Yes, back then I was a young igbo boy with little impatient and with his help I finally found the tool.
We both headed back out into the farm where he showed me how to use it the hoe properly and effectively. I worked until sundown. What an accomplishment for a young boy.

As I continue to reminisce I wonder if as adults, sometimes we look in the wrong place for our own tools; such as talent, self-esteem and even love.

Are we generally looking around high and low to see where our tools are, only to find that they’re not there?

Maybe we should be looking within ourselves for the tools to bring our attributes out, instead of at the wrong places where our working tools cant be found.

God and the Universe gave each and every one of us something very unique and special like no one else has. Our perception of who we are lies within. If we keep looking for it in other places, we won’t find it.

My name is Emmanuel Tobechukwu Aniagoh and I just want to make typical sense.

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