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Essays, Writers

A Good Opportunity Which I Lost by Precious Ushang.

The age-old maxim that says ‘’A stitch in time saves nine’’ remains valid in all life situations. People who do not heed this advice will have only themselves to blame. Dealing with a problem at its initial stage requires planning, which is often taken for granted. As Benjamin Franklin first said in 1723, ‘’A stitch in time saves nine.’’ He was basically saying that if you sort out a problem immediately, it may save a lot of extra work later. I just can’t resist quoting the great man in this context. Little problems that can be solved easily develops into a huge one when we ignore it, thus, giving rise to confusion and loss of precious time and energy in untangling it. There is a small story to illustrate the point. The story I am about to tell is an extract from my autobiography. I want to narrate an experience I have had. I have chosen the extract from the bulk of the story because of its undeniable moral lesson to me and anyone who cares to give the story a glance, however casual. Before I start narrating my experience I have had about this saying, I would want us to know what we mean by the phrase ‘stitch in time.’ In fashion, if a piece of clothing is slightly torn from one side and if we ignore that for some time, that may result in a widened hole in that cloth and the cloth will not be of any use. By this explanation, I believe you must have had an idea of what a stitch in time mean. Well, let us go over to the story. It all happened on a Sunday evening in the month of August 2020 when the cmonionline essay topics for the first weekly essay competition were posted on Facebook and I was privileged enough to see it as soon as it was posted. I went through the write-up and the instructions to know how I would go about it. Then, I realised that the second topic which goes thus, ‘’Your Takeaway From The COVID-19 Pandemic.’’ I was wowed and i felt overconfident because I had already written about the topic for personal purposes and it was saved in my laptop. So, I thought there was nothing to worry about. Although, I knew my laptop was faulty but I did not bother to check it to know where exactly the fault was from. I felt that since the essay was something I already had an idea on, I did not care about that. All I cared about was how to go about other daily activities. On Thursday, when I was supposed to submit my essay on the website, my phone and laptop were low, due to the fact that there was blackout. I was hopeful for the next day being Friday, which was the last day of submission for the week. But there was power failure, as a result of the heavy downpour which occurred earlier that day. I had no choice than to wait till evening when the generator would be put on. At 8 o’clock in the evening, immediately the generator was on, i hurriedly started editing my essay—which became successful. After that I went to the website and carried out the necessary instructions. Then, I proceeded to paste and send the essay to my phone but to no avail because of its fault. I began to feel restless and I started running helter-skelter looking for who to help me but I couldn’t be helped. At the eleventh hour, I started praying to Mother Luck to turn back the hands of the clock, increase the hours of the day from 24 to 48 or, better still, cause the submission deadline to be postponed indefinitely .When it became so obvious that I could not help the situation, I resigned to fate consoling myself in the fact that what would be, would be inspite of all odds. I then thought that I should have taken action immediately. I regretted my nonchalance thereafter and did not know when I said in my mind ‘’It is true that a stitch in time saves nine.’’ But notwithstanding, I really learnt my lesson. Moral of the story: A Stitch In Time Saves Nine. The meaning of this age-old proverb is quite literal. It effectively warns us against our own neglect, laziness, ignorance, small faults, unseriousness and imperfections. It makes us realise that we must not ignore the warning signs of any kinds because someday the situation or condition may become unmanageable or may not be in a state to be remedied at all. This idiom is relevant even during this time. People should not become careless about the social distancing measures and face masks . Similarly, in life, it is better to tackle all problems at an early stage. Delay in finding a solution to a problem only complicates it further making it difficult to undo the knots. Precious Ushang wrote in via precyushang4@gmail.com

Essays, Writers

Present Pain As A Result Of Past Complacency by Olomu Oladipupo Michael

  How I wish, how I wish I could travel through time to correct the ignorance of my past life. Harvey Mackay once said “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once lost, you can never get it back”. Whenever I remembered how insensitive I was during my university days, it drives a chill of regret mixed with sadness within my heart. How I wish I added a little effort! How I wish I disciplined myself! How I wish I read like the student I was meant to be! My wish would have been a reality if only I was focus enough to actualize my aim.  My university days were indeed hilarious and exhilarating, no doubt. I had good friends; friends willing to help build my career, and I also had friends who were willing to waste my career. You have to take note, that no one is responsible to be blame for one’s failure or negligence in life. Fact is “we are the manifestations of the decision we once took”, either in a positive or negative manner. Jonathan Estrin once said, “The way we spend our time defines who we are”. We are the product of whatsoever decision we took yesterday and we are still taking till date.   Thinking back most times, and recalling how I once had the opportunity to make things right, and yet I squandered such opportunities over flimsy excuses leaves a hole in my heart that hurt a lot! Presently nothing can be done about it, isn’t it? The best answer have ever gotten is to move on with these scars thereby amending my ways as I proceed simultaneously into a new time frame of fate. During my university days as a result of complacency mixed with ignorance led to the academic carryover I experience, I took the advices of my seniors in higher level and EXCOS then ungranted. I could remember vividly their words “As a fresher in the university this is the only time and opportunity you have to build up and develop your Grade Point Average (GPA)”. The main reason such emphasis was emphasized on is to help fresher’s like us to study effectively in order to produce a very good GPA. The EXCOS then, of my Faculty (Engineering) organized all manners of tutorials during the day (noon) and at night hours just to encourage student to be proactive, studious and help break down complex topics into ways they can be easily assimilated (this are common trait EXCOS of different academic session usually engage in to help both the new and returning students). Yet with these entire put in place; I hardly even attend the tutorials, I just brush through my handout casually, I was so busy chasing after the clouds (going for unnecessary programs and events show). While other student and level mate of mine where busy studying so immensely. Unknowingly to me, I lost the equilibrium balance between my social and academic life and yet still hoping for a miracle to manifest on my test and exam day. Who does that? Nothing indeed beat the place of hard work and persistence. Dumb of me indeed, it never occurred to me that I was wasting my best time of productivity on irrelevant activities. Although; In my mind, I thought I was giving out my best. The picture seems clearer to me now “What I called my best was but a child’s play”.   Time flew rapidly, before anyone could tell, we wrote our first semester test and exams. Result were released six (6) weeks after completing 100 level first semester, I could only admire and congratulate my friends and those I knew who had a 4.0 – 4.99 GPA  out of the standard 5.0 maximum G.P. funny enough some had a 5.0 GPA. Indeed it pays to be focused and at the same time hardworking. An anonymous once said “Tiny problem that can be solved easily develops into a huge one when we ignore it, thus giving rise to confusion and loss of precious time and energy”. Staring at my 2.98 GPA with a two (2) unit carry over course in my result, burdened my heart with a traumatized pain beyond my comprehension and at the same time been motivated to boost my academic Grade point Average in the next semester (second) to come.   Like any other student with the zeal to excel excellently, striving with the burning passion towards accomplishing a mission to have nothing less than a 4.5 GPA in the second semester about to be embarked. Seems some people never learns, so unfortunate along the line I got distracted by friends, worst of all I relocated from the school hostel to off campus just to have the freedom most students so much desire to have. Jim Rohn once said “Discipline is the bridge between goal and accomplishment”. Filled with the zeal to strive forward yet lack the discipline to bring my visions into reality. What a pity isn’t it? I ended up repeating another circle of academic problem. Lacking the effort and discipline needed to bring my visions into reality, evidently is as a result of complacency which led to my indiscipline nature. A little effort was what I needed to avert these problems, yet I lacked that little ‘energy’ needed “The difference between a good grade and an excellent grade is just a little effort”.  However, grace and favour helped me throughout my academic days. During my academic journey; some colleagues of mine were sent away from engineering faculty, some were told to repeat a session. Somehow, I made it to the final lap with my course mate and academic set. But, the pile of carryover courses I had increased to nine (9) units. Graduating with my academic set seems impossible and under probability. The only solution according to the exam officer of my department then, is to study effectively to enable me clear the present level courses and carry over courses of nine (9) units.  The drive within me, to graduate with my set suddenly awakened. Thinking back to my 100 level days till date (500L), somehow I wish that such passion awakened during my days as a university fresher. Taking the cognizance that it is either “a man has a mission to accomplish, or perhaps burning with passion to excel or probably running with a vision, if as a human you don’t find yourself in these categories then life itself becomes a burden of continuous problems to such a man”. Realistically, I said to myself “To prevail over this circumstance I brought myself into, I need to work harder than my fellow course mate as a result of the carryovers. This simply implies that I had more work load compared to my fellow course mate, the much course load I had somehow affected my effectiveness and academic stability. No wonder an African proverb was said “The problem you refuse to deal with today as a result of ignorance will eventually grow up bigger as time proceed, if not taken care, such problem might grow beyond your handling and capacity”. A stitch in time they say saves nine.        The zeal to graduate with my academic set gave me the passion to read with purpose, my motto became “I must graduate with my set”. This alone was more than enough to keep me driving. I did graduate with my set; sadly I didn’t graduate with a good class of degree. Fact is “When the purpose of something is not known,

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