Impressions: Changing careers

This is going to surprise you. It actually surprised me too! I woke up one day and I felt like changing my career. You see, I read just a few paragraphs of ‘Audacity of Hope’, I bet you don’t know this book. Or do you? Ok, this is the record selling book authored by Barack Obama himself before he became President. If you who haven’t read it, please, go and buy it. Mr. Editor, I swear I am not advertising. Just after a few pages, there was no need to read on or else I lose my ambitions somewhere in the middle of the book. We are not here to talk about the book anyway, but my latest ambitions. All this while, my friends have accused me of not being ‘so ambitious’ just like them. Apparently I set my standards so low, that I keep playing ‘second fiddle’ to other people….hmm! Personally I think those accusations are not true because I always strive to be the best in whatever I do ever since this childhood story that left me with no choice but to look up higher than where I thought was the limit. Let me take you through the story before I drop the surprise. It all started at around that age when my Dad thought I was old, rather grown enough to join school. He went to the market and bought me some neat pair of shoes, Khaki shorts, a bag and the small yellow shirt; My new school gear. It was a Monday morning and the old man, after ensuring that I was smartly dressed for school, gave me this assuring look that pronounces ‘there you go my boy’. Mum patted me on the back and off we went to the dreaded school, somewhere in Mubende, Uganda. Reaching the school, my Dad met his friend and a workmate who had also brought his son, of my age, to join the same school. After a lengthy chat with the Headmaster, Bernard and I were given places after a short interview. We quietly sat there as our Dads chatted with the Headmaster until that time when the Headmaster turned and looked at me…. He smiled widely and dropped the bomb, ‘So Edmund, what do you want to be in future?’ he asked. At the time, I was so obsessed with cars. I mean, I could not imagine a car and to me anybody driving a car was not just a Hero but ‘Superman’. So I also dropped the bomb; “I want to be a Driver” (No pun intended). He stopped smiling meanwhile and gave my Dad a glance as if to say ‘Man, go advise your son’ and then my Dad also gave me this hard look with signs of worry, they all stopped laughing. Then it was Bernard’s turn, probably the Headmaster wanted to quickly change the topic before I could add more harm to my already embarrassed Dad. “…and you Bernard?” asked the Headmaster. “A Pilot” answered this boy who was slightly smaller than me.You should have seen his Dad laughing like a possessed man. Meanwhile my Dad felt even more embarrassed. Rambling Mind continues with the story next Sunday, watchout! Contact: kagire_eddie@yahoo.com