One Life, Cherish It Danielle Chioma Irechukwu   © Copyright 2018 by Danielle Chioma Irechukwu

I go by the name Danielle Chioma Irechukwu. I am thirteen years old and I’m a native of Igbo land, a major tribe in my country, Nigeria, which can be spotted in West Africa. My nursery and primary education was done in Festac Town, a suburb of Lagos. I currently reside in Amuwo Odofin. My nursery and primary school was and is still called Early-Life Nursery and Primary School. It was one of the best things that happened to me and because of that; I owe the school a lot. It was one of the best schools in Festac Town then, but later in life I found out that, there was also another reason behind my enrollment. From what I’ve heard from my family members I would never come back from the nursery without any history of crying or of soiling my nappy. Why? You may ask, because crying was my specialty and even I know it.

Earlier, I mentioned that my enrollment in my school wasn’t as clear as it was. My grandmother was the headmistress of my school. Not very typical isn’t it? I was seen as a very special kid so I was told but then life was truly a bed of roses like it looked.

Having your grandmother as your headmistress wasn’t as cool as it seemed. It was a blessing but yet a curse. “Why?” you may ask. I found it very difficult to make friends and everyone seemed to be too afraid to talk to me because I could report them to my grandmother and honestly, I didn’t really have a fair share of friends. I can even say I was hated. People would come up with rumours about me and would report me to my grandma and I would get my fair share of scolding while they just laughed and ran away scot free. At the end of this long journey, I ended up maturing and I found friends that loved me and appreciated me for who I was and I knew them and still keep in touch till this very day. Let us mature a little bit further and move to secondary school.

Secondary school was an entirely different ball game and I remember the first day in high school. I had just celebrated my 10th birthday and I felt reborn and fully mature because I had finally achieved my first two digit year and I was also going to a secondary school called Chrisland College, Idimu. I even heard that Chrisland operated a British curriculum and I had only known about the Nigerian curriculum so I thought I would not fit in so I suggested another school but my mum convinced me that there was nothing to be afraid of. Entering secondary school was a very big step into maturity so basically; I had every cause to be elated. Until, I had my very first clash with one of my first roommates. From then I assumed that we were never ever meant to be friends. When I first entered secondary school I felt mature but what I didn’t know was that I came in with no experience whatsoever so when I look back, I realize that I am now still maturing. I met people from different backgrounds and different stories and I also learnt to tolerate people and accept them for who they are because everyone is trained and brought up differently and no one is perfect.

The rest of junior school was like a swift breeze on the crook of my neck. I am now in the final term of my Year 10 in the Medical Science class and I know that I have been through a lot this year; I’ve learnt a lot of things from my experiences. At the beginning of Year 10, I had and I still have this particular group of friends. We've had our own fair share of bad moments but at the end we always find a way to come together and I love and appreciate them for that. I also ended up befriending someone I could never have imagined being friends with. Remember my first roommate that I had a fight with? That’s the one. Life is a rollercoaster and trust me it shocks you in the most unexpected of ways. I find it very surprising that the girl I called a ‘witch’ in my first term of Year 7 ended up being one of my closest friends. My Year 10 has been my most memorable year in school so far because it has taught me so many things and I’ve been through so many adventures and I don’t think I’ll ever have any regret concerning this session because it has been the best so far.

I learnt something from an article by Ted Rubin and I quote ‘Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ Life has put me through a lot but I think this particular lesson is the icing on this cake. Everyone has their differences and nobody can be perfect but at the end, everything would work out beautifully for you. You might be a student, bricklayer, carpenter, labourer, farmer, servant, civil servant, governor, a president and what not, but whatever you do, whoever you are, just make the best of your life and the end result would be an illustration of perfection. My life might not have been the best or the rosiest but one thing that’s for sure is I love my life. Latins have always been known for their wisdom and I personally love this quote “Tu tantum vivere aliquandosed si feceris quod rectum, satis esse semel” which means “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”. So, make the best of your life and you’ll be sure that you didn’t make a mistake.