SEC-S16-W3 | Art inspires | A Letter To My Dear Self
A letter to my dear self.
Sitting down there and watching the ocean, my mind is taken over by how beautiful the ocean was. I could feel the ripples from the waves on my feet. Lost in thoughts, I couldn't help but feel empty...It seemed I knew what was wrong but I didn't know what it was.
Stay with me, I am taking you back memory lane.. I was warned and advised but I refused to listen.
Being a young man, in the suburbs of Nigeria could be a little devastating. We call it the 'ghetto', we grow up to see everyone hustling for daily bread. I remember my mom holding me by the hand to church with my siblings.
My mom took us every Sunday to church to listen to God's word. I always thought in my mind that my Mom was too religious, why didn't she allow me to do what other boys were doing. Every young boy then was working for the Boss; A revered and respected drug Lord. All we had to do was work for him, help him distribute his goods to his customers...Could that be possibly hard to do?
It was in that moment that I decided to join my friends to do what they were doing. I was enticed with the clothes they had, their shoes, they were able to buy good things for themselves. I talked to my friend to help connect me with the boss, he said he would help me but I will have to be a man....I knew what he meant by being a man, a young boy like me wanted to be a man so much.
I was taken to the boss at night, wearing just a rag Jean and a t-shirt which my mom bought for me 4 years ago. I was shaking because I felt everyone there were not in my class. I could fill a 15kg of cylinder with the smoke that came from their cigars. I tried to hold my breathe, but I didn't want to look like a weakling. I needed to look strong. Few questions were asked, and I was initiated immediately, I felt like a star, joining the gang was now a dream that had come true.
Speaking of dreams, my mom wanted me to be the best, academically and all round. She wanted her son to be a doctor, someone who will save lives, someone who will be the light to other children. But who cares about being the light when they can use a torch.
Just like other kids in the gang, I stayed back from church and school against the wish of my mom. She cried bitterly but I was happy that I have a new family with the big boys. She never stopped praying for me, but I didn't even need the prayers, so I thought. How can one pray to someone they can't see?
Soon I was wearing the best clothes, I was pretty intelligent and I learnt the ropes of the drug business very fast. I made name, and soon I knew that beneath the drug dealings, were other dealings that claimed people's life. I became heartless and efficient in my dealings. The once church boy who sang in the choir is now the man who has written his name on the plate of wickedness.
Soon the Police came for me, all my earnings taken, houses taken too. I was arrested for a lot of crimes. I was sentenced to 21 years due to my crimes. My mom visited everyday, to pray with me and on one occasion she opened the Bible with me and said the three words that broke my heart...I love You.
I was wicked, heartless, I did a lot of bad things, but she told me how much she still loved me. I sat there with tears rolling down my cheeks, knowing fully well that my next 20 years is going to be wasted..I wrote a letter to the younger me who sat at the ocean..the moment my life changed.
How I wished I listened to my mom, how I wished I stayed in church listening to the word, how I wished I still went to school, how I wished I became a doctor like my mom had planned. I was overwhelmed by material things and money and I choose the wrong path.
This is a letter to my younger self to choose the right path.
Life is all about choices, make the right one!
Thanks for going through my post
I invite @patjewell, @imohmitch and @bossj23 to participate in this contest.
Thanks
Upvoted. Thank You for sending some of your rewards to @null. It will make Steem stronger.
Una carta muy sustanciosa y reflexiva escrita frente a la belleza de un océano que quizás le dio a este joven muchas señales pero no las comprendió . Una bella historia por cierto m, bastante común
Thank you very much, i appreciate. Only if he could see the signs, but he choose not to. We hope the letter gets to him before he makes the choice.
Hello @johnmitchel, nice letter written to you when you were younger, it is what happens in real life, boys want to be equal to others with material things, but there is no more wealth than our inner peace.
Friend success in the dynamic.
Thank you very much, i appreciate. And i hope young men choose the right path in life.
TEAM 5
Congratulations! Your post has been upvoted through steemcurator08.Thank you very much for the upvote on my post...i appreciate
Unas líneas en esta carta, muy emotivas, llenas de mucho realismo y verdad. Una madre siempre ora por sus hijos y el amor es incondicional. Ese amor y las oraciones lo cuidó de algo más grave.
"Life is all about choices, make the right one!"
No todos los jóvenes saben discernir entre la correcta o las consecuencias de la decisión incorrecta que en un momento de angustia y deseo de tener ropa, dinero... les parece lo mejor.
Saludos y bendiciones.
Dear friend, your letter to your younger self is both captivating and emotionally powerful. Through your story, you explore the heartbreaking consequences of choosing the wrong path in life. The way you describe the influences and temptations that led to this decision is poignant and revealing. Your final message, encouraging people to make the right choices in life, resonates deeply. Thank you for sharing this heartfelt and thoughtful story.
Thank you too for your kind words, i appreciate.
Que hermosa historia, es tan real que podría decir que es la vida de alguien relatada, Dios es bueno siempre, su misericordia todos los días es renovada, dicen que el amor de Dios es parecido al de una madre, a pesar de lo mal que se porten sus hijos una.madrr siempre estará allí pidiendo a Dios por ellos, y también estará siempre con brazos abiertos para sus hijos
Grácias por recordarme cuánto me ama Dios y mi madre. Bendiciones