BY ALL MEANS, KEEP MOVING! “If you hear the dogs, keep going, if you see the touches in the woods, keep going, if there’s a shouting after you, keep going, and don’t ever stop. Keep going, if you want a taste of freedom, keep going”. Harriet Tubman. I heard the above quotation for the first time in August 2008. In one of the most memorable parts of her speech at the Democratic National Convention of that year, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, used this Harriet Tubmans quote to suggest that her dream of becoming the first female president of the United States was not crushed, but only deferred, by her loss to her most formidable opponent and eventual winner of the Democratic ticket; then Senator Barack Obama. Six years after the deferment of her dream, and two years to another round of presidential election, Hillary Clinton, standing head and shoulder above any journey man or woman in the Democratic field, is poised to make a mighty leap towards historic immortality; a proof positive that, for those who are intelligently bent on succeeding, failure is never final. The question is why do so many dreams die and the dreamers consigned into the dustbin of history? Dreams die when the dreamer no longer believes in his dream or when he considers the obstacles standing on the way too insurmountable to warrant another try. So, he quits. He throws in the towel. But let it be said loud and clear: dreams of destiny answer only to runners, not to excusers, and certainly not to talkers. Prophet Habakkuk said (2:1-2) “run”. Apostle Paul said (1Corinthians 9:24) “I run” and he counselled you to join in the race. In spite of your past misadventures and fiascos, you must run. If you want to take delivery of all that is yours in destiny keep running. Let me end this piece by making a personal recollection of “those days when men were made of steel and boats of wood”. I’m talking of February or March of 1979. It was at the school inter-house sports competition. The race was one hundred meters. I was to represent my house “Yellow House” in the 100m junior category. I had won the mock race we ran a day before the D Day, so I stood a chance of winning the maximum points for my house. Then something unexpected happened. On the day of the inter-house sports competition, I developed a fever, I mean real fever. I lay on the grass in the open field “enjoying” the heat of the sun (in these parts that could only mean malaria fever). I was also crying because malaria infection meant I couldnt compete in the race I’d spent several weeks preparing for. When time was approaching for our race to be called, my house master (those were the days when ‘master’ meant ‘master’ and there wasn’t anything like child abuse) came looking for me . With the back of his hand he felt my body temperature. No doubt, this was a case of fever gone bad. Rather than looking for how to get me treated, he began to shout and plead at the same time. “This boy you must run. If you don’t run, our ‘house’ is finished. I’m saying to you now, you must stand up and run”. I looked at his face; the pain he was feeling was probably more than my own. And being ‘master’ I had no choice than to obey him. I stood up, walked with him towards the starting line and took my place among boys my age, all eager to bring glory to their respective ‘houses’. When the race began, for the first few meters I was expectedly sluggish. But then something happened. I looked up and I saw people (boys) in my front that had no business being there! During practice, I had earned the nickname “HERO” not only because the T-shirt I was running with was emblazoned with that word, but also because I was coming first. Now, in the actual race, the most important race of my life (up to that point, at least), I was in the middle of nowhere. In my front were boys who, on a good day, I would beat no matter how much they tried. But now, majority of them were in my front! In that split second, I got angry, picked up myself and was surprised at the speed at which I overtook them. I beat the most stubborn of them to the finish line. My joy knew no limit when I saw members of my house jubilating for the maximum points won. Though my instant rewards were a tablespoonful of sweetened glucose, a paper certificate and a preservation of “HERO” as my alias, the enduring rewards surpass all these. I learnt that if I just hang in there and stick to it, I will overcome the odds. I learnt first hand not to be a quitter. Today, there are people in your front who have no business being there. This year, if you won’t quit and if you won’t flinch you will pursue and overtake them all. If you will do this, then, allow me to say in advance, Welcome to the finest moment of your life. Bode Kayode Maxwell.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 12:14:23 +0000
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