Epiphanies

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” 

I recently had three epiphanies. The first one probably would not be so shocking to the people that know me quite well; I am not planned. I have never used the word “plan” in any way to describe any aspect of my life. I do not store dates down in my calendar (I don’t even have one), neither do I set reminders on my phone. I can’t even remember the last time I was awoken by an alarm. I remember and do stuff according to their importance. So as you can imagine, for a final year student, I am constantly tormented with the remembrance of my thesis. I was enduring one of such torment. Just a week to the mid-semester break, at the library. I stared at my computer screen which was blank except for the heading “Data analysis and interpretation”. A friend of mine, approached me at this moment and asked me to join him on a trip during the mid-semester break. I would have laughed it off as a joke, if I already didn’t know how crazy this particular friend was. Then, I asked where exactly this trip was going to be to. The North of Ghana he said. This time I couldn’t hold down my laughter. I mean there was no justification for this level of craziness. After my laughter, I shook my head and sort to concentrate on other importance things. But then, he (my friend) asked me why I wouldn’t go? As he asked me this key question, I had another epiphany about myself. The thing is, even though I am completely unplanned, I am not spontaneous either. I don’t just get up and do crazy stuff for the fun of it or for the thrill of it. I am far from what you would describe as an adrenaline junky. I do things at my own pace, in a comfortable and safe space. Why would I pack my bags and go around aimlessly in the North, when I can comfortably work on my thesis in the safe Ashesi Campus? As I thought this question to myself I had my third and probably the most important epiphany; I’m a sheep. A sheep here defined as a person with the inability to make choices, for fear of failure or major indifference to the outcome. I was herded into school. I chose Business Administration as a major, because it was close to accounting (my mum’s predicted profession for me). The most exciting choices I had to make were electives. Even then, except for a few exceptions, I always chose the lecturer which was most generous with grades, or the course which I thought was easier (this rationale always led me to horrible choices). So instead of telling my friend no out rightly, I told him I’ll think about it.

So for the next week, I thought about it. It was like a battle between my thesis and the trip. I hear my classmates talking about their thesis and deadlines, and my heart skips a beat out of fear. I see my friend searching through the internet for sites to see in the north, and I grit my teeth as I imagine the potential regret. I have not always been so excellent at setting my priorities but I had done ok. I knew that rationally, my thesis should come first. However, my mind seemed to be appreciating the idea of a trip more and more. The chance to break free from the monotonous routine. The time to break the boundaries of my comfort and safety. I thought to myself, in the next ten to twenty years, what stories would I have to tell about my time in school? Would I be excited to tell people about all the times I was half asleep in class or would I want to tell people of a faltering and funny journey from Accra all the to way to Paga (A border town in Northern Ghana)? It should be noted, that this is not only about being able to tell a story. It is also about knowing that this is probably the only time I would have enough time and energy. Baz Lurhman said in his song, sunscreen “Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth… you would never understand the beauty and power until they’ve faded”. I want to look back at this moment, with an appreciative nod of satisfaction and fulfilment, knowing that I utilized my youth well. Again it’s not just about getting up and traveling. It’s about doing something. It’s time I stopped hiding under the excuse of “I have work to do” or “I have an assignment due”.  Our education is not only in the classroom, our education is the wholesome experience of the entire four years away from home. On the day before the trip, I made my decision (I guess I am spontaneous after all).

On the 2^nd of March, I had my backpack on, my heart was beating a tad bit faster than normal. I was standing beside my friend in a line under the scorching sun of Accra, ready to board the Accra bus straight to Paga. Below is a picture to testify that I would never ever regret or forget this trip.