#BeInspired Mondays: About that Fight with Anderson*

Whether it was a Wednesday or Thursday, I cannot remember. I know for sure was that we were outside our school building, but not outside the school premises.

My high school was built in such a way that the classroom blocks and offices constituted a rectangular fence around a space we use for playing football.

We were outside the classroom block,s but within the school premises. Break was over, and we had gone inside the class; but came out again while trying to dodge a teacher who was coming to collect an assignment we hadn’t done.

Somehow a fight broke out between me and another boy in the group (we were 6). Normally, high school fight starts with, Push me, I push you back.

I didn’t want to fight, but I won’t be the one to be seen as a weakling. For God’s sake I was, I still am, bigger than this boy. So yeah, I pushed him after he pushed me, and we set our like trained boxers – not Soulja Boy and Chris Brown – in the ring.

Anderson threw a punch, I blocked it, he threw another, and I kept blocking with my arm. Long story short, he kept throwing blows and I kept blocking. Some of them found their way to my chest, face, as well as other parts of my body, and I was there pretending to be defending myself without throwing a single punch! No attempt whatsoever.

He beat me black and blue. My eyes became red, and I literally saw star-like creatures flying in the air. Something you see in ‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoon. (Sing me that song – aiye le o ikosi oh…. aiye dorikodo ko ye mi oh).

As expected, I refused to let a single tear of the fountain of tears in eyes, drop. I still think I should be applauded for that.

No one attempted to separate us, not like I expected them to anyway. Then, nobody separates a fight if he/she is a spectator. I guess Anderson got tired of not having a suitable challenger and he stopped throwing punches. I brought my hands down too and was breathing heavily – as if I did all the work. I was happy the fight was over.

As an adult, anytime I remember that fight it makes me smile, and reminds me of a critical lesson. That I stood no chance of ‘winning’ that battle because I never threw a punch!

Sometimes that’s how we are; allowing life to happen to us. “Whatever happens, I’ll take it,” some will say. We must commit to ‘happen to life’, to let each day give us what we demand by careful planning and action.

Throw your punches and get things done. Even if you miss, at least you tried. #ShootYourShot! (Whatever you take it to mean).

This is not some motivational mumbling to elate you; it is truth.

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Photo Credit: Dreamstime