Who Knew? Ears DO Have A Purpose.

You know what's stressful? Growing up. Growing up can stress someone out to the point of complete insanity, because while it seems to be exciting and fun, you have no choice in the matter; you have no options, no chance to say no thanks I'm gonna return that, and maybe I will come back next week.

For those who think you are ready to take the steps toward adulthood, to make the move to be independent from all you know and have become comfortable with, congratulations, because you are farther along than most of us. You have a plan, you have a goal, and you are ready to be on your own and make that goal your first independent achievement. You consider yourself a go-getter prepared for anything that comes your way. Why do you need anyone's advice or voice? Why do you need to listen to anyone?

However, the best laid plans are meant to be broken. It's always at the point when we think we are set that everything goes awry. It's a classic case of attack of Murphy's Law. Here's a classic example:

When I was younger, the Nigerians in my community, of which I was one, had a yearly celebration that commemorated the independence Nigeria achieve from its formal colonizers, Britain. It was a time where we would dress up in our loudest and proudest regalia, and eat Nigerian food and socialize with Nigerian people. We took this organization seriously by having monthly meetings, a scholarship fund, achieve tax-deductible status: we took this organization very seriously.

Of course, my father, being the person that he was, found himself in a place of power. He was the president, which meant the planning of this occasion was his responsibility, and this was the year we decided to make it profitable. Show the world a taste of Africa for a price. We were inviting "African" dancers, having African drummers, there was a DJ, though whether or not he was African was not determined. We were making this into a full-blown African extravaganza.

My father entrusted me with the task of getting the Nigerian anthem to a playable forum. I had it all figured out. I had recorded the anthem from the computer to the recorder, then I had planned to play it over the microphone at the part. Everything was set. Nothing could go wrong. When my dad told me to go to the front and stand by the podium just in case, I refused because I knew everything was all good. At the tender age of 14, I knew what I was doing, and that would be the day with some crotchity old man would tell me what to do.

Now don't go pretending like you can't relate; like you weren't totally resilient and strong and grown as soon as teen was at the end of your age. I had done everything: I had a great idea and I was sure that the excution would be as flawless as the planning because I had done it. But, as I said, even the best laid plans were meant to be broken.

Of course, when the time came to do what was required, I stood in the back of the room, not the front as I was instructed, and watch the pre-recorded anthem go up in flames. I watched and listened as the recorder would start, and then went on to play the wrong thing. I watched as everything that I thought was so flawless, came out to be as tainted as sewer water.

This is when I learned the valuable lesson that part of being grown was listening. Here I thought I knew it all, and when the person who knew way more, who was older and wiser than me, the person who tried to help me, told me exactly what I should do, I turned a deaf ear and I paid the price. If growing up stresses us out, maybe listening to someone who genuinely wants the best for us, could help us along the way. Tell what's right and wrong, tell us what's good and bad, tell us what we need to know, but maybe not what we want to hear. Sometimes that little annoying voice is right, and maybe just maybe if we open our ears, and our minds, we could make this growing up thing a whole lot easier.