Colonialism limited the African’s ability to imagine. The colonialists controlled the vocations that the Africans were allowed, exposed and taught to do. That way a lot of our parents ended up being teachers or nurses. They could not dream of being neuro scientists or CEOs of big companies, because such ideas had no room in the system. Independence allowed us to choose from a greater variety of skills, but societal pressure has kept the chains on. In Zimbabwe, there are 3 professions that are recognised as being smart choices; Medicine, Law and Accounting. Anything outside of these is a risky compromise…and not valued. Because of such bias inclinations, we did not entertain other possible careers and tried to force ourselves in the path of one of them. We knew it would make our parents happy, forgetting that it was our lives that would be affected the most by the misery of a forced career. It looked like it didn’t matter what we did, as long as we made lots of money…no one asked us what we were passionate about, or what difference we wanted to make in the world. There were no discussions about the unique talents we all had and the purpose for which we would want to apply them.
Perhaps before independence, our parents gave up dreaming, and so did not model that for us. The model we got was; Go to school; become a doctor; buy a house; get married, full stop. So I chose law, and was miserable at it. Why do we think anyone can do any profession? We are wired differently and the way we succeed is different too. We have natural inclinations in the way we think, behave and feel, that affect our productivity. That’s why some people take to math or learning an instrument like a fish to water, while the rest of us can’t even keep a tune. Can you imagine Beyonce as an accountant? You get my point. As children we already have natural inclinations and interests towards something.
Parents, please let’s pay attention, and support our children’s talents. That’s what they were born to do. Not what we want them to do so we can live vicariously through them. If you are not happy with your choices, then make new ones for yourself. As long as you’re living, you can start again. Colonel Sanders, who founded KFC, did it at the age of 62! So, we must live our lives, so our children can live theirs, and have models on how to chase their dreams. We only have one life to do it in, there’s no coming back around. I wish my parents spoke to me about how short life actually is, so I could have focused on my purpose at a much younger age. Our children have all got something special to offer the world, the sooner they know it, the better.
Another reason to protect our children from doing degrees that society tries to push them to, is that once those 3/4 years at the University are done, it’s very hard to change careers to something you have no papers for. There will be the guilty feeling of spending all those years studying one thing, only to take up another. Also the money spent on that degree, and the sacrifice of those who paid for it, will weigh heavily on your conscious. I remember reading a story of a Nigerian man whose parents forced him to do medicine. What he really wanted to do was be an entertainer for children’s parties, and dress like a clown. He eventually followed his dream and started a children’s parties event organising company. He is now a millionaire. His parents thought the only way he was going to make lots of money was to be a doctor. They didn’t realise that creativity plus what we are passionate about, can do the same thing. We all need to be given the chance to go after what is pushing us inside.
Unfortunately, the teaching style I received at the University is also geared to giving information without practice on its application. Four years of acquiring vast knowledge, but not really understanding how it is applied. How it is applied is what determines whether you have the strength and passion for it. It’s great reading about justice and human rights, but the process of attaining such may be a nightmare, and there is more than one way to skin a cat. You don’t have to be a lawyer to impact human rights. You can influence it through journalism, activism, writing stories and producing films. Your strengths are what determine which way.
I studied law at the University of Zimbabwe. All I had to do was pass exams, just like in high school. That did not say much about the type of work it would actually involve. Turns out law is a lot more about being able to write legal briefs and outlines, based on rules and regulations, than attending court and impressing the audience with inspiring speeches. If your paperwork does not meet the legal requirements, you do not get the opportunity to state your case in words. In fact, what happens is that you get humiliated by the sitting judge on what your papers are lacking, and the ruling can be for you to go and make the corrections. Not exciting for those who are creatively inclined. I thought it was going to be as exciting as they depicted it in the movies…reality is much more sombre. I practiced for a couple of years, but the repetition and being bound by rules, killed any enthusiasm I had inside. Was this something that everyone just went through, and I should just accept it? Is this what it means to be a grown up? Is it possible to enjoy work?