When my WAEC result came out, my parents got me enrolled in a pre-degree course at Ebonyi State University (EBSU) from where I wrote Jamb. Those days, Mathematics was my best subject. I was so good at it that I taught Maths to the fellowship I belonged to then in my pre-degree days.
While choosing my degree courses, I put different courses in my Jamb and pre-degree forms as my first choice. In the Jamb form, I put Accounting as my first choice, and in my pre-degree form, I put History/International Relations (HIR) as my first choice, same school.
Both results came out, and my name appeared on the merit list in both courses. I was confused about which to go for. HIR was a new course then, few schools offered it and much wasn’t known about it. I saw it in the choices and liked the ‘International’ there, nothing much. We were the pioneers in EBSU so it was difficult to get clues from anyone on the course. Accounting was a good choice given my love for mathematics, but something within told me to explore the uncommon. I was also good at literature and knew HIR wouldn’t be too hard for me.
Confused, I went home one weekend to ask my Dad about the choice to make. My uncle was with us that weekend, and together, they advised me to do HIR, as it may offer me better opportunities in the future. Again, I’ve always loved writing from childhood. It gives me a creative spark and some kind of fun. So I took the HIR offer.
That was how I dropped my interest in mathematics and switched from figures to words, effortlessly. I found joy in my new course and graduated with a very good grade.
How my interest in maths vanished is what surprises me and why I’m writing this. I lost total interest to the point of dodging the mathematics homework of my children sometimes. The only thing that makes me come in contact with figures now is when I’m calculating my money. Thank God for business.
Recently, I was doing some business calculations with my sister, who read mathematics, and she was telling me what to add and what to subtract. I told her that I wasn’t interested in that admission she was about to secure for me in her department. We laughed over it, but I meant it. I was not even paying attention to the explanations she was making. I completely relied on her to work it out.
Clearly, a lack of engagement can lead to a disconnect in interest and a change of perception. This happens when we change directions in life, either by choice (as in my case) or by compulsion/circumstances beyond our control. To some, the Interest may be lost partially and to some, it’s completely gone.
But nothing in life is set in stone. Some twists and turns may distort the plans we already set in place. When hard decisions hit our real-world experience, our best bet should be to accept it and push through it with all positivity.
To accept a change is one thing, and to find joy and contentment in it is another thing. Some people change their location, business, contacts, career, and so on. It seems like life is beginning afresh. But with acceptance, contentment, and the right drive, it’s easy to navigate, excel and be joyful in that newfound change.
Every child needs to be taught this. Some children find it difficult to cope when they change their school, their teacher, their friends, their environment, their course or career path. Acceptance and a change of perception are all they need to embrace their new-found path and find joy and fulfillment in it. What you can’t change, you can only accept, not partly but wholly.
Most of the things that come to us in life are joyful and joy finds fulfillment through acceptance. It is our perception of it that interprets what we make of it and determines how happy we are with it.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
