The Weight of a NAME.
The Weight of a NAME
An experience that I can't take my mind off in a short time, it happened when I was in secondary school.
Ajaokuta buzzed with its usual energy and commercial activities. The bike riders and bus shutters popularly called (Okada and Danfos) honking horns while screaming names of various destinations they were headed to. It was a busy ambitious town and hopeful as well. Everywhere you turned, there was life-loud, raw and real.
Inside a small barber shop at Dumez camp, Overcomer sat quietly, cleaning and arranging the shop. His boss (Oga Samo), was busy arguing with a customer over the price of a haircut that was when I entered just for an hair cut also. I noticed Idris didn't say anything was just assuming that no one was there. I'm sure he had learned to stay mute unless spoken to. In Ajaokuta, too many words could buy you trouble and as a young lad is better stayed off.
As a young boy, Overcomer couldn't boast of having much or coming from a family that has much, and I'm sure a dream he rarely spoke about hoping for a life changing moment. Everyone of us had thought of one or two dreams from a young age while growing up, that I'm sure of.
I engaged a few discussions with him, that was how I got to know he left the village at age Ten and he's been serving there for four years, that was just after he lost his Mom and the Dad couldn't take care of all of them so they had to go separate ways hoping when life gets better they would unite. His uncle had to take him from the village to the town., same way his siblings was taken to several places by their relatives.
Find a hustle, make a life and make us proud.That was the kind of mindset he had got, I think by pressure when realizing you got know one at your back.
Fact is in this world of today very few people do care to know your story the rest just care about your name. But as Grace being on his side the name made a change
Seeing the issues happening at the shop I had no hope of I could still cut my hair, I had doubt because I held the former amount of money which might have caused the quarrel, I had to respect myself and quietly leave. As I was about leaving a man walked in like he was in a hurry to get a hair cut and leave immediately. Due to the barber was carried away by the argument he pointed at overcomer to do a quice trim for him, he's mind I was sure was pounding hard, "let me not go and spoil our customer hair" that kind feelings.
The man casually asked for his name, and he told him, with a gaze the man replied "allow your name speak for you". That I believed gave Overcomer the courage to trim the customer hair. During each stage of trimming he was being so gentle and caring he would ask, sir hope the clipper isn't harsh or too sharp?.
To my surprise and the master's, overcomer did a very nice trim, like very clean one, and we the males knows the joy that brings when you get a nice hair cut or trim that blends well with you. I can tell many guys don't joke with their hairstyles and Trims
The customer was very happy and Tipped him something that's after he paid the master the regular amount for a cut.
It was few days later I asked overcomer how much did that your customer tipped you? He replied it was one thousand naira, that was a lot as at back then
The good weight of his name spoke for him. Be an OVERCOMER and be Victorious.
Now that name didn't just grow because he was good at his skill it was also because of how he treated a customer.
This kind act, one way or the other brought much people to the barbershop asking for overcomer to do their trimming and cutting. His name and his kindness has turned to a blessing.
Images are mine.
Thank you for reading through great minds.
This is really a nice write up and I totally agree with you the name we a given masters alot ,must times people begin to act as their names implies unknowly, thank God for the life of your friends overcomer, pray he overcomes every challenge that comes his way,I really like your write up, keep it up sir
Amen, he will continue overcoming. Thanks for engaging I appreciate
Sure boss, most people do name their children without even knowing the meaning of the name.
Some people are given themselves nick name without knowing the implications of that.
Like a woman in my area that name her daughter tausayi in housa, that means pity, just imagine such kind of name.
Thank you for sharing this sir.
Names like "pity"and endurance" I don't usually like such name it makes me think was it by pity or endurance through hardship the mother now gave birth to the Child.
Child bearing no matter the process brings JOY
Nice work dear
You did really well
Thank you very much @icelover I appreciate you for engaging my post.
Good name carries alot of grace with it, just like overcomer whom was encouraged by using his name
Thank you for sharing boss @chizzy100
Exactly sir, every child lives by his name as a good will
Hahaha 🤣🤣 reading through the comments section below 👇 you made me laugh 😂 in Swahili. You said names like Pity, Endurance etc... indeed a good name is great and powerful. Nice entry boss
Hhahaha I do hear people bear the name though they are good and loving people but I personally think the name don't suit sha. Anyways thank you so much my bro @kastropaul398
I have learned something already some person act by their names I have to think first.
Your name indeed speaks for you and the attitude you pull up sustains weight, thanks for sharing
A good one is attributed to the kind of lifestyle you lived. Have a good name and good reputation instead of bad name or bad reputation. Nice one sir
The weight of a name is really a wonderful thing if only it speaks for who you truely are. Well in your case you just sound as the weight of your name in good shape and manner so do enjoy yourself and continue to be who you are sir. Thanks for sharing this wonderful prompt also sir🙏.