DEFYING THE ODDS.
After standing for a few minutes at the roadside, I finally got a taxi to head into town. As the taxi driver stopped in front of me to ask of my destination however, I looked twice. I was not sure whether this was a man or woman I was looking at. Though this person had his or her hair cropped so low, he or she had the features of a woman and didn't even bargain as hard as any normal taxi driver would concerning the taxi fare.
In uncertainty, I boarded the taxi. For some reason, my uncertainty led to a little apprehension. As we got closer and closer to my destination however, I was convinced that this was certainly a woman. I decided to observe her closely and learnt quite a few lessons.
In Ghana, the taxi driver job is seen to be a man's job, full of so much hustle and bustle. This woman though, seemed ready to defy all odds. She drove as fast as any taxi driver would and even argued when she had to. Her fashion sense did not fail to catch my eye either...a big shirt and a pair of jeans, no doubt in an effort to make it difficult to identify her gender.
"What will make this woman do this?" I found myself wondering. Her attire just had a way of reminding me that we at times need to forget about our comfort in order to push into the extraordinary. It is not about "What if people laugh at me?" or "Will I be able to do it? " but rather about "How can I use my skills to earn a living? " These days, it is tougher for most people to get a stable job after school. Instead of that being a basis for excuses, it should be a time to test our creativity and our ability to weather storms.
Out of my discomfort (since I am not used to seeing a female taxi driver, I must confess), I missed out on an opportunity to ask questions, to find out what drove this woman. I missed out on a possible new learning experience. But you don't need to make that mistake too. There are always great opportunities to ask questions, to learn more. More often than not, we draw conclusions from afar and end up being very wrong in our opinion.
I was reminded also to never look down on anyone. No doubt, everyone has their struggles to face, and everyone is important in their own way. Every job is important. Without the cobbler, we most probably may have to do away with that otherwise good shoe. Without the electrician, we may end up sleeping in darkness (when there is no 'dumsor' that is.) Without the driver, we may most probably not get to our destination on time...just to mention a few. Everyone deserves to be respected. As it is often said, our fingers are not equal. Ghana may have fingers of different shapes and sizes, but each finger is equally important.
I forgot to add...In my uncertainty when boarding the taxi, I paused to look at the back of the car to see if it had any inscription, like most of our 'trotros' and taxis do. For some reason, the inscription I saw, "THANK U JESUS" helped me to relax a bit.
No doubt, this walk of life is not easy but at the end of the day, we must not forget to give thanks to God. He sustains us, and in the end, everything leads back to Him.
I am proud of Ghana, full of people who dare to be different...people like you and me who can make a difference no matter how bleak things may seem at times.
There are many beautiful lessons to learn out there in our everyday Ghana. Our lives in itself could be a lesson to others.
Defy those odds. People may laugh, but then again people may cheer. You never know till you try.
