THIS IS MY ENCOUNTER WITH A CHARISMATIC INSPIRATOR

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Sometimes, l really find it hard to draw a comparison between the current me and the person that l was in my childhood.

I have been recently called a talkative repeatedly but l don't see it as a hurtful remark because anyone that knew me some decades ago would have never believed that l will ever breath in the midst of people.

I had a completely different personality when l was still a kid that was only focused on eating and sleeping. I was a very unique kid; I was uniquely quiet to that extent that l never raised my voice even in the prescence of my immediate family members.

Calling me timid will definitely be seen as an understatement because my timidity was on a whole new level.

This personality that I had made me to always hide in my shell whenever two or three are gathered. I can still recall that I never asked any question in class neither did I make any attempt to answer anyone asked by my teachers even when the answer may be ringing in my head.

My mum understood what was going on and she tried everything that was humanly possible within her capacity to correct that attitude in me but all her effort were futile.

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It made her restless to always see me fixed into an edge of a cushion that used to be in our sitting room but the more she tried to save me from my cowardice, the more the act heightened until I started separating myself from her.

I graduated from one class and entered another after each year but none of my teachers knew me by name until when I got to primary 5. This was actually the hardest class that I have ever passed through since my academic pursuit and it was because of the type of teacher that I met in the class.

Don't Get It Twisted

The teacher does not lack any quality that qualifies someone as a good teacher. I would rather say that she was too good to be teaching at that level and she was too passionate towards executing her role as a teacher. She cared too much about the well being of the students.

Of course, all the qualities mentioned above are what is expected of a good teacher but a student like myself who always like to stay in the hidden part of the class without being noticed till the end of the session was already seeing this as an uncomfortable situation. I would have switched to primary 5B if I had the power to do so but I didn't.

It took just a few days for the teacher to find out the type of person that I am so, she sat me down during our break time and had a very long chat with me. I was 9 years old then and I always looked forward to each break period so that I will break free from the enclosed classrooms and have some moments alone but that Friday was different.

That meeting was the longest 30 minutes of my life and my eardrums were filled with countless words that escaped from the lips of my teacher.

Truth be told;

I'm sure that the words were entering from one ear and escaping from the other but I never knew that she had more plans for me. I went home that day with a sigh of relief for passing through the first week of resumption but that sign of relief ended my timidity for good. I came as early as usual the next week and was surprisingly called up to the school assembly ground in the midst of everyone.

It felt as if the ground will swallow Kene but Kene was unscathed despite all the eyes that were staring at him

I was made my class prefect on that spot based on the recommendation of my teacher and the round of applause that followed suit assured me that l'm destined for greatness. Alot of other things happened as l took my first step towards getting rid of my timidity but l will have to assure you that it wasn't gotten rid of in a day.

The first person that inspired me is Mrs. Ikwueme. Who was the person that inspired you?

Thanks for not missing any full-stop or comma

Crossposted from my blogpage