12 years ago I came to Nairobi for the first time in this
yellow and red flowered shirt. I had just been accepted on a Guinness
Scholarship to study business Information Technology at Strathmore University.
I wore a yellow jacket, a yellow flowered shirt and green trousers. And I
learned how to cross the roads for the first time in Nairobi. It would be my
first time to see so many of my classmates who are ladies wearing trousers.
Back home in Elgeyo Marakwet those days, only the ladies working in the bar
wore trousers. It was somewhat an abomination to wear trousers as a girl. So
you can imagine how much of a scandal it was for me. It was a struggle to hear
people announce they are going to the toilet. Those kinds of things, I thought
were fact private. It looked like I had to grow up fast and quick. I had little
time to adjust.
As soon as I reached class, I figured I should campaign to
be a class rep. And I passionately talked about how I would represent the class.
I didn't know then that I stood no chance. A few years later, I found out that
my accent, my Christmas green trousers with turn up and Flowered shirt (the one
you see) wasn't cool enough. I also did find out that a couple of classmates
voted for me- the village kind, I think I got about 26 votes out of close to
100. I have indeed been blessed to have great classmates and friends even when
they didn't vote for me. I have been indeed lucky.
I did struggle the first semester to fit in or at least try
to fit in. I asked God to help me try to fit in- Imagine...... I thought it was
important to fit in. I went to pray occasionally. And I doubled down on my
calculus and mathematics so that I could teach in my group discussions and in
the process fit it. I don't think I ever did fit in but It became much better
after the 1semester.
It's crazy what many of us must go through trying to fit in.
And for that matter anyone who has fears. These days purple, let alone green
trousers are just fine. And I doubt the flowered shirt may ever become cool but
please encourage anyone to campaign for class rep with flowered shirts.
Sometimes people don't just struggle with lack of money, they may struggle with
just the pressure to fit in. In a world trying very hard to make many of us to
be who we are not, it's our job to make it less so for others.
This is a throwback for all the misfits out there. Share it
to encourage others who feel like they don't fit. And if you have felt you
didn't fit somewhere. And if you still do. Let's make it OK to be Misfit's.
Kait Sait Tim Kipchumba Donate Now Join us Today Subscribe Now Pledge Now
Comments