Dear Boy Child, I know how loud the voices can be, the voices of your parents, your teachers and persons around you. The ones that already picked your career, your hobbies, even the way you should walk into a room. They have picked what kind of colours you should and shouldn’t like. Maybe they said, “This is who you must become,” as though anyone’s life was a Nollywood script with no room for edits.
But abeg, hear me: your story isn’t pre-written. You’re not a character waiting for someone else’s direction, you’re the author. Your pen is in your own hands. Explore boldly. Ask questions, even the uncomfortable ones. Try the sketchbook even if everyone expects a calculator or a gavel. Pick up the microphone even if they thought you’d choose a stethoscope. Explore toward the things that light up your spirit, even if they don’t look “serious” to others yet.
And don’t let anyone box you into thinking only a few paths are “worthy.” The world is wide, and its colours are endless. The engineer, the fashion designer, the farmer, the poet, the teacher, the tech bro, the craftsman, all have space to matter. What truly counts is the heart you bring to your work and the honesty you bring to your journey.
You’ll make mistakes, and that’s okay. Even the best stories have plot twists. What matters is that you keep writing, keep dreaming, keep choosing the life that feels like you. There’s no rush to arrive; growth takes time, and every page you turn is part of the masterpiece you’re creating.
The world doesn’t need another copy of someone else’s dream. It needs your colour, your angles, your heartbeat. So, hold the pen firmly, Boy Child. Write a future that makes you proud to say, “This is my story, and I chose it.”
Rooting for your wild, wonderful chapters,
Your friend at Boys Without Borders!
