The Good Boy || An Award I'll Always Cherish

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(Edited)

Parenting is one of the most challenging things to deal with in life. This is because there is no "handbook" tailored to a specific (personal) parenting situation. There are, of course, countless resources made to help with parenting, but they are never built specifically for the parent that may be needing them.

Bringing up a child and training them in the way you want them to go can be challenging sometimes. You are just going to have to learn on the job because every child is different.


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Now, hol 'up! Relax those brows, if you are wondering who this young chap is to be talking about parenting. I am not here to talk about parenting, as I am not even a parent yet, but to share with you something I would love to see should when I become a parent someday.

Actually, I wish to become a parent. I want to, because it's a part of the cycle of life that I consider beautiful. I want to be responsible for someone. I want to be a part of the shaping of the destiny of a person into something great. Who wouldn't want that? Not everyone, I guess.

I grew up single-parented. My mother has just two of us, my brother and I. I am the first, but I did not receive an upbringing that was different from my younger brother. I only had to grow a larger sense of responsibility by being the first child.

You know those mothers who have yells that are as loud as thunder? ...beating on the back, powerful enough to wreak earthquakes? ...stern looks at you (in the midst of your wrongdoing) that make you wish the ground swallowed you up? Yeah, you do know them. You either had one just like that while growing up, or you had a friend that had such a fate. My mother was much like that while I grew up as a kid.

My mother is disciplined, strict, and keen on perfection. She never spared the rod and spoiled her kids. She never tolerated lousiness, nonchalance, or even laziness.

To be honest, I used to believe that I (especially me) was adopted. I think that I was found at the doorstep of our house and then she just took me in. I thought so because I felt she was just trying to be wicked to me. At the time I was much younger, the discipline she was trying to impart on me was on a whole other level in my eyes.

She is, however, the sweetest woman in the world. With one hand, she uses the rod, and with the other, she uses it to draw the child with. She would always still shower you with love in the midst (much after, actually) of the whole fight.

She is just as caring as she is strict. As a matter of fact, I would like to say she is strict only because she cares and loves. and wouldn't want to see her own fall astray in her hands.

The Dreaded Mornings...

Growing up with such a mother made me different. It made me different in the sense that I developed the propensity to behave well-mannered just about everywhere I was found. This caused me to be unaccustomed to some things, which in turn made me seem "unexposed" to my peers.

Fast forward to a time when I was in secondary school...

I attended a military secondary school. The Nigerian Navy Secondary School I attended (as there are many) is actually a "boy's only" school. As the name implies, there were no ladies present, only boys.

I will be blunt here: life was basically tough there. It was especially so because we were all guys. It may not have been so if it were mixed.

Being a "good" guy was not something that would come naturally. Everyday was a living hell for me, and I hated every single one I spent there. Well, there were definitely some good days, but I was always anxious about the day I would graduate and be free for life.

I got into a lot of unpleasant situations for things that I never did or things that were totally unrelated to me. I was beaten a lot (mostly by everyone) for pretty much anything, whether it was a senior or an officer. In fact, as a junior student, I often took a few strokes of beating every morning for breakfast. It wasn't just me, actually.

But I digress...

There were bad things that anyone could be influenced into getting into. These would basically be things that the school prohibits.

Simple things like sardines, noodles, phones, electronic devices, and many more were not allowed. So, having them (or getting them) was more like a crime then.

But that is not all. Fingers were never equal then, so many of us had different levels of "buoyancy." It was very easy to want to get into things like stealing or bullying some junior students to obtain their belongings.

But somehow, I never really did any of those things. I'd say "really" because I am not a saint either. I know it's nothing special, and it's not like everyone was a thief or something like that.

The Good Boy...

I always kept my head down and tried my best to stay out of trouble. And then, I got noticed. I wonder how, because we had over a hundred students in my set.

On the day of our graduation, I was awarded with an award that never really existed, making me the pioneer, if you will. I was awarded as the best-behaved graduating student in my set.




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I mean, I did not exactly work for it, as one would with the awards we are used to (the best in physics, etc.), but being different and not conforming to the opinions of people that had quite a different perspective.

It is an award that most definitely made my mother proud. And I too was most ecstatic to receive it right in front of her eyes. She had taught me to make her proud wherever I went, and I did just that.



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ℍ𝕖𝕪, 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥, 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥, 𝕣𝕖𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕘, 𝕠𝕣 𝕦𝕡𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖. 𝕀𝕥'𝕝𝕝 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕖 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕.
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T͜͡H͜͡A͜͡N͜͡K͜͡ ͜͡Y͜͡O͜͡U͜͡ ͜͡F͜͡O͜͡R͜͡ ͜͡S͜͡T͜͡O͜͡P͜͡P͜͡I͜͡N͜͡G͜͡ ͜͜͜͜͡͡͡͡B͜͡Y͜͡



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17 comments
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Wow, this is wonderful... It's not easy to be a good guy in that kind of difficult situation but still you stood your ground even to the point of being noticed by the school that you're well behaved. You deserve some accolades bro. 👍

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There were some backlashes simply because I was awarded such. I was seen as one kind of snitch. There were rumors of some people giving the school authority info about some secret things going on between the students.

I just knew that one day one day, I would leave. And here I am now, after many years, doing just fine.

Thanks for reading, man.

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You're welcome, that's interesting... It's good to do good.

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Now I understand why you are this well behaved, I'm proud of you too Joe. It's one thing to learn and it's another to do, your mom will surely be happy that she has a son like you.

Going to a military all boy school is not something that is really easy for anyone to go through and seeing that you maintained your standards there, I'm very sure God is very proud of you more.

Keep being a boy that make yourself, God and others proud, this girl is always rooting for you 😊.

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😂😂

I am just gentle person that does not like wahala in my life. I am sure glad I made my mother proud.

To be honest, I really was not perfect. I did some things that were wrong. But they never stuck with me. I am glad I went back on track.

Thank you for always rooting for me, Hope.

How have you been?

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I can see that, that's why you love your space too, right?

Of course, you made mistakes but you corrected them and avoided them, that's what matters 😊.

You're always welcome Joe, it's my pleasure really, hehe.

I'm doing fine, just feeling tired sha. How are you?

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Wow... It is so good to be recognized for just being yourself. You just acting as you were brought up and then people recognizing you for that. Something to be proud of indeed.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

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Being myself and trying to be good as much as I could came with some backlash. I somehow pulled through and managed to stay that way.

Thanks for reading.

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Bro, when you were talking about your mother, it was as if you were giving a very typical explanation of how my mum was. I think they have exactly the same attitude when it comes to disciplining a child. My mum was equally very strict and loving. I also once thought she adopted me and she was not my real mother because of how strict she was with me..

We have so many things alike, I also got the award for the best well-behaved student in the school. I was happy to receive the award because it made mama proud.

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(Edited)

You and I keep discovering things that we have in common with each other. My mother did a very good job, wonderful in fact, as a parent; she still does, and forever will. Their "red" side is only necessary so we do not go astray.

Making them proud is the goal.

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Making them proud is the goal.

Hopefully, our children would get to make us proud too in the future...

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Omor, so na only me never collect award like this.
God. Why?! 🥲

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Omor, so na only me never collect award like this.

He never too late, you fit go back secondary school. then behave like good student.. I swear, them go give you headboy..

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They didn't give me when I was there, I don't think they'll change their mind this time around.

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You see that shouting thing ehn, it's a general thing. My mum ehn... Make I no talk too much before she shouts at me again. 🌚😂
I think it's one of the many packages that comes with being a mother.

I never knew you were an ex-boy o. I wouldn't have guessed it in a thousand years sef.

All the ex-boys I know are nothing like you, so it's no surprise that they had to create an award just for you.
I salute you boss. Shaun sir. 🙌🙌😅

The horrors I've heard about military schools are countless, I don't think I'd have survived that kind of thing. I thank God for IOSHS. 🤲

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I really do not think there are many Nigerian mothers that did not shout at their kids at some point or another. It is their default setting.

People say that I so not like the ex-boys they know. I am not sure what they expect ex-boys to be like, maybe like wild lions, but I know that the stereotype does not apply to me.

No salute me o. I no like military life.

Military schools can be really tough, I won't even lie about that. But somehow, I am really glad I went through that school. I am a much better person than I would have been if I had not been to that school.

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The thing is that there's this general notion that the majority of boys that get sent to military school were sent there because there are rebellious in nature, and in most cases, military school only end up toughening them up more.

Glad you turned out better than the rest sha. That's a major thing to be proud of.

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