Driving to work today, I saw a learner driving on the major bridge in Lagos, the Third Mainland Bridge, it was an interesting sight as it brought back all the emotions of my days as a learner. If you have ever been to Lagos and especially learnt to drive in Lagos, you will know that driving on third mainland bridge is a rite of passage of some sort.
As I watched her, sit back straight , two hands straight on the steering, no looking to the left or right just straight on, I remembered my first time driving on the same bridge, scared I would scratch or be scratched because of the nature of traffic on the bridge, especially at rush hour.
Just as I thinking about this, I felt a rush of empathy. She took me back to where I used to be and I felt like telling her not to worry, soon you will become a lion of this jungle.
As this thought crossed my mind, I wondered about our lives and how we treat those who come after us, passing through same emotions that once overwhelmed us.
A typical scenario that played out in my mind immediately is the daughter in-law, mother in-law relationship. It's interesting that mother in-law stood in same position daughter in-law stands today, decades back yet there is no enough empathy to create a relationship that will help daughter in-law do better than she did back then. Am I saying this happens to all, no but its prevalent, not just in daughter in-law, mother in-law relationship but in all relationships, Father-daughter/son, Mother-daughter/son, Teacher-student, Boss-surbordinate, new neighbor, etc
Can you and I just light up someone's world with the knowledge we gained while going through the wilderness they now face? Be someone's light! Remember you were once a Learner!
Shalom
