The Morning Journey
This morning what A morning indeed, the experience I had leaving my abode in Rumuola Aba road, Port Harcourt Nigeria to go to work some 25km along this same Aba road turned out to be one of Life’s learning experiences, that I most certainly learned a thing or two from.
I boarded a Bus from my usual spot close to the Bori military camp; the journey proceeded as usual with the Bus making stops here and there, picking passengers along the way. In my Mind and from the watch on my wrist I figured that in 30 or 35 minuets tops I will be in the office and beat the 8.00am resumption time. Having been issued a warning for coming late a few days in the month of July, I was trying to do a lot better with my resumption time.
The Bus got to Eleme junction and what do you know! a real crazy traffic jam, I said to myself "please not today of all day" . The Bus driver as with the usual impatient attitude of most commercial bus drivers made a quick U- turn and headed for another road, the east west road. As we approved the oil mill Junction were he will make a turn off Aba road into the pathway that leads to the east west road, I said to the bus conductor, why not ask the driver to go through the Elelewon axis instead, but its either they did not want to use that route for reasons best known to the driver and bus conductor, or I said it not quite audibly enough for both of them to hear.
As the bus driver took the turn to east west road I saw my colleague- Ike, driving by and heading for the clogged Eleme Junction, I chose not to join him for reasons i don't even know, but I called him instead and told him “Eleme junction is blocked", so just go through the Elelewon axis” and again the bus driver and other passengers in the bus heard me talk about using Elelewon road.
I guess just like the driver and other passengers, I too was hoping that by some stroke of luck this road that the Bus driver took will be a through fare with out any hindrance, but alas !, the road was blocked to the teeth .
At this point again, like the first traffic jam spot, I had the option to come down from the bus, walk some distance and then take a commercial bike (Okada) but I chose on some subconscious level not to do this, because maybe I didn’t want to go through the muddy Eleme junction still under re construction or I had come kind of really wired confidence in that driver’s ability to find a route that will take us out of this dreadful morning traffic jam.
Still seating pretty by a window side seat, I watch the driver turn swiftly, drove some distance and decided to take some kind of crazy mud puddled water road a short cut I guess, he managed to stair the bus till we got stuck right in the Middle of this very awful muddy waters.
I took a look at the other passenger inside the bus, two men, two women and plus yours truly. While the driver and the conductor got knee deep into this muddy waters, push and push to try and get us out of the spot. I started to thinking, if I had really used all the options I had along the way maybe I would not be stuck at this point . I took out my phone turn on the camera and started making a video
QUESTIONS AND DECISIONS
Why am I stuck here, this morning? I realized its all about the quality of decisions I have made thus far.
I had three good opportunities to change the out come of events that morning, but chose not to explore even one.
1.The simple truth
I was just being lazy about taking a firm decision on the way to go, after knowing the road was all ready blocked and the traffic jam terrible if I had taken my chances by getting out of the Bus, walking through the human traffic at Eleme junction,getting a bike I would have been in the office in about another five minutes, but I failed to take that decision because I just wanted to arrive my bus stop seating in that bus.
2. Passive towards the Bus driver
The driver was making all the bad choices and like others in that bus I really didn't become assertive and out-rightly question his choices, despite the fact that the ride was not free. It’s costing me a 100 Naira and yet I don't get to say anything ?
3. Outspoken
I love being an introvert if I can help it, but being not too outspoken when you must, is another thing altogether and a bad thing one at that . I realized that if at the point the bus driver made the turn to access the east west road, and it had occurred to me that there’s still another access road through Elelewon. I should have been more outspoken about it, if not for anything this could have at least given me the chance to better confront this driver when we got stuck in the mud. On the other hand if he had actually followed my advice and still got stuck on the Elelewon axis, then it’s my beat to face him fair and square.
4. Pray
In my bid to get ready for work on time, I didn’t do a simple but Powerful thing, say a prayer, commit the day and my outing into the Gods hand to guide and help me along my way.
TURNING POINT
While in my thoughts, I made another call to Ike my Colleague I saw earlier on, and as expected he was in the office already, and he even said “Wilson Thanks for telling me to go through Elelewon, it was much better then the traffic jam at Eleme junction” . There and then more than ever I knew I had to get out of that bus that has been stuck in that muddy waters for close to 20 minutes now, even if it means taking off my shoe, and walking the waters.
I looked out the bus, and saw it was possible to stretch and place my feet on ground without really stepping into the waters, I did this, pushed some bushes out of my way and eureka! I was on dry land, without getting my feet or my cloth soiled.
I walked as fast as I could, out of that spot not evening knowing exactly where I was, but just looking for a major road, I looked back and saw all the other passenger getting out of the bus the same way I did and I thought to my self on a deeper level, (In live most people will most like wait, except someone takes the 1st step and with the risk of being the one who took this particular1st step, I can say its worth being a trail blazer).
I navigated my way out this uncharted path way, came to a major road, and stopped the very 1st bike in sight and in less then 5 mins I was at the entrance to the place I work , Number- km16 PH/ABA express way.
LESSONS.
You must make decisions at all levels, from the mundane to the sublime issues of our everyday life.
The quality of decision you make, will definitely show because that’s what you have as your results at the end of the day, if you are making quality decision you have good results, on the other hand ,bad decision you have bad results period!. Not making or taking a decision, it’s in itself a decision already.
When your personal safety time, and money is involved you have all the rights to be outspoken, never choose to be passive, otherwise shut up and leave with the consequences of your decisions and lack of action
Pray! People of faith, especially the christian faith to which I belong,believe and practice. Prayer should be a way of life, and not used like a watch or clock, "you only use it when you in trouble", so why not ask for Gods grace to lead you through the day before even starting the day, because as a human being exercises faith in God, who else is better to ask from then the creator and custodian of all things both seen and unseen, The Almighty God . Take time, and out Pray
So my lessons are learnt because nothing just happens, they happen for a reason but I have chosen to take this unusual journey experience to work as part of my learning curve experiences.
This morning what A morning indeed, the experience I had leaving my abode in Rumuola Aba road, Port Harcourt Nigeria to go to work some 25km along this same Aba road turned out to be one of Life’s learning experiences, that I most certainly learned a thing or two from.
I boarded a Bus from my usual spot close to the Bori military camp; the journey proceeded as usual with the Bus making stops here and there, picking passengers along the way. In my Mind and from the watch on my wrist I figured that in 30 or 35 minuets tops I will be in the office and beat the 8.00am resumption time. Having been issued a warning for coming late a few days in the month of July, I was trying to do a lot better with my resumption time.
The Bus got to Eleme junction and what do you know! a real crazy traffic jam, I said to myself "please not today of all day" . The Bus driver as with the usual impatient attitude of most commercial bus drivers made a quick U- turn and headed for another road, the east west road. As we approved the oil mill Junction were he will make a turn off Aba road into the pathway that leads to the east west road, I said to the bus conductor, why not ask the driver to go through the Elelewon axis instead, but its either they did not want to use that route for reasons best known to the driver and bus conductor, or I said it not quite audibly enough for both of them to hear.
As the bus driver took the turn to east west road I saw my colleague- Ike, driving by and heading for the clogged Eleme Junction, I chose not to join him for reasons i don't even know, but I called him instead and told him “Eleme junction is blocked", so just go through the Elelewon axis” and again the bus driver and other passengers in the bus heard me talk about using Elelewon road.
I guess just like the driver and other passengers, I too was hoping that by some stroke of luck this road that the Bus driver took will be a through fare with out any hindrance, but alas !, the road was blocked to the teeth .
At this point again, like the first traffic jam spot, I had the option to come down from the bus, walk some distance and then take a commercial bike (Okada) but I chose on some subconscious level not to do this, because maybe I didn’t want to go through the muddy Eleme junction still under re construction or I had come kind of really wired confidence in that driver’s ability to find a route that will take us out of this dreadful morning traffic jam.
Still seating pretty by a window side seat, I watch the driver turn swiftly, drove some distance and decided to take some kind of crazy mud puddled water road a short cut I guess, he managed to stair the bus till we got stuck right in the Middle of this very awful muddy waters.
I took a look at the other passenger inside the bus, two men, two women and plus yours truly. While the driver and the conductor got knee deep into this muddy waters, push and push to try and get us out of the spot. I started to thinking, if I had really used all the options I had along the way maybe I would not be stuck at this point . I took out my phone turn on the camera and started making a video
QUESTIONS AND DECISIONS
Why am I stuck here, this morning? I realized its all about the quality of decisions I have made thus far.
I had three good opportunities to change the out come of events that morning, but chose not to explore even one.
1.The simple truth
I was just being lazy about taking a firm decision on the way to go, after knowing the road was all ready blocked and the traffic jam terrible if I had taken my chances by getting out of the Bus, walking through the human traffic at Eleme junction,getting a bike I would have been in the office in about another five minutes, but I failed to take that decision because I just wanted to arrive my bus stop seating in that bus.
2. Passive towards the Bus driver
The driver was making all the bad choices and like others in that bus I really didn't become assertive and out-rightly question his choices, despite the fact that the ride was not free. It’s costing me a 100 Naira and yet I don't get to say anything ?
3. Outspoken
I love being an introvert if I can help it, but being not too outspoken when you must, is another thing altogether and a bad thing one at that . I realized that if at the point the bus driver made the turn to access the east west road, and it had occurred to me that there’s still another access road through Elelewon. I should have been more outspoken about it, if not for anything this could have at least given me the chance to better confront this driver when we got stuck in the mud. On the other hand if he had actually followed my advice and still got stuck on the Elelewon axis, then it’s my beat to face him fair and square.
4. Pray
In my bid to get ready for work on time, I didn’t do a simple but Powerful thing, say a prayer, commit the day and my outing into the Gods hand to guide and help me along my way.
TURNING POINT
While in my thoughts, I made another call to Ike my Colleague I saw earlier on, and as expected he was in the office already, and he even said “Wilson Thanks for telling me to go through Elelewon, it was much better then the traffic jam at Eleme junction” . There and then more than ever I knew I had to get out of that bus that has been stuck in that muddy waters for close to 20 minutes now, even if it means taking off my shoe, and walking the waters.
I looked out the bus, and saw it was possible to stretch and place my feet on ground without really stepping into the waters, I did this, pushed some bushes out of my way and eureka! I was on dry land, without getting my feet or my cloth soiled.
I walked as fast as I could, out of that spot not evening knowing exactly where I was, but just looking for a major road, I looked back and saw all the other passenger getting out of the bus the same way I did and I thought to my self on a deeper level, (In live most people will most like wait, except someone takes the 1st step and with the risk of being the one who took this particular1st step, I can say its worth being a trail blazer).
I navigated my way out this uncharted path way, came to a major road, and stopped the very 1st bike in sight and in less then 5 mins I was at the entrance to the place I work , Number- km16 PH/ABA express way.
LESSONS.
You must make decisions at all levels, from the mundane to the sublime issues of our everyday life.
The quality of decision you make, will definitely show because that’s what you have as your results at the end of the day, if you are making quality decision you have good results, on the other hand ,bad decision you have bad results period!. Not making or taking a decision, it’s in itself a decision already.
When your personal safety time, and money is involved you have all the rights to be outspoken, never choose to be passive, otherwise shut up and leave with the consequences of your decisions and lack of action
Pray! People of faith, especially the christian faith to which I belong,believe and practice. Prayer should be a way of life, and not used like a watch or clock, "you only use it when you in trouble", so why not ask for Gods grace to lead you through the day before even starting the day, because as a human being exercises faith in God, who else is better to ask from then the creator and custodian of all things both seen and unseen, The Almighty God . Take time, and out Pray
So my lessons are learnt because nothing just happens, they happen for a reason but I have chosen to take this unusual journey experience to work as part of my learning curve experiences.
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