Don't Give Up Writing Stories!!!

It is funny but some people scoff at me for writing. I have the habit of writing stories. It is more than just my hobby. It has become part of my life. Most people don’t seem to appreciate this. It is funny how much people tend to poke their noses in other people’s lives and dictate each aspect of their existence.

I have learnt that when one listens to all that people say, he may never accomplish all that he wants to.

In my country Zambia, where the economy is extremely poor, making a living is very hard and there is this mentality that unless you go to university or college, you will never get a good job; and by good, I mean…

A job that can afford you three square meals a day, a cell phone, a house, and perhaps a car.

Therefore, someone who decides not to go to tertiary school and devote his life to writing or any other ‘demeaning’ occupation is considered a nobody.

In short, the good child is he that goes to school, gets a trade of some sort and starts earning income as soon as possible. Hence the whole idea that one should do what he likes the most is nonexistent. Well meaning people will urge you to do what will put something on the table—period. Most people who engage in the arts are considered losers. So, trying to be that good child, I decided to go to university and learn Electrical Electronics Engineering. I have always been fascinated by electricity and I assumed; “Ah! This is right for me.”

Me at university, being a cool engineer.

However, it did not take long for me to realise that I was learning little about engineering. I soon became disillusioned and could not put my heart to it any more. What was more, if being an Engineer meant abandoning my love for writing, I would have nothing of that!

Hence, I always found time to write and thus wrote a number of stories. This of course got on a number of people’s nerves. Was I not an engineer? What had an engineer got to do with poetry? I was thus urged to study instead of wasting time writing stories.

Well, I failed my exams and was kicked out of university. I can partially attribute this to the fact that I loved writing more than making complex and often abstract calculations. But more truthfully, I became disillusioned.

It was at this point that my dad came up with this idea of creating my own website while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. God knows where he got the idea from.

Recently I asked my friends the following question:

“Give a fellow man an apple and people will think you are very kind. Give an apple to a girl and what will they think of you?”

What do you think? Guess what answers I got...

Here is a sample of some of the answers, some of which I presume are not an honest assessment:

“They will think you are up to something.”

“They will think you are acting unusual.”

“They will think you are being generous.”

“They will think you want to win her affection.”

“People will definitely think you like her and you’re pushing…in this world there is hardly any good deed for a girl for free.”

“They will also think of you to be kind depending on the situation, place, time and people present.”

“People will generally say there are strings attached.”

“Hey, people won’t deem it a gesture of Kindness. Rather, they would think you have hidden romantic ideas!”

You got the point, right? People will reach so many conclusions about what you do and some of their conclusions may be miles from the truth!

For example in the hypothetical situation above, if one was to take into consideration everything people say, he may fail to give the needy girl the apple that she so badly needs.

It is the same with writing. If you take into consideration all that people say, especially the scoffers, you will end up not being the writer you so badly dream of being!

Of course, I am not saying that you should not listen to anyone at all. Some criticism is in order for everyone. In fact it even brings the best out of us. But it may also make you quit on your first try. Do not let that happen to you! No matter how discouraging some people may be, do not let that stop you from doing what you like!

There is a famous saying that it is foolish to quit before realising how close you are to success. I am sure you have heard it too. So let us echo it together: DON'T GIVE UP!!!

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