Pull through or Quit?

“Ibeere o kin she onise…”


Being an ardent lover and curious observer of an array of age-old traditions in Yoruba land, I’ve learned quite a lot over the years. The most fascinating of this lot is the ease at which a proverb pops up out of thin air to fit perfectly into any thinkable scenario.

Think Ile oba t’o jo, ewa lo busi (when a king’s palace burns down, the rebuilt palace is even more beautiful), highlighting necessity as the mother of invention. 
Think Eewu nbe l'oko Longe, Longe fun ara re eewu ni (there’s danger at Longe’s farm, Longe himself is danger), highlighting the need to be extremely cautious of situations that have a past history of danger. 
Think Ka ka ki Kiniun she akapo ekun, oni kaluku a ma lo lotooto (a lion will never accept the role of a deputy to the tiger and vice versa), highlighting a scenario where it is almost impossible for two powerful entities to cohabit.

And it goes on and on and on.

“Ibeere o kin she onishe, a yaa fi eni to ba fori tii d’opin (only those who stand through any given quest till the end are considered victors)” is the bone of contention of this piece. It eulogizes those who endure and fight through the rigors of any quest and (though silent) condemns those who eventually don’t make it to the finish line even if they started well.

Most times, I find it hard to make any meaning out of these words. Don’t we all get tired at a point in time during a quest? Burnout, stress and a host of other issues could surface along the line. It also isn’t beyond the realm of possibilities to realize, along the line, that you don’t fit in and you want out regardless of how far you’ve come. But there’s this ‘winners never quit’ sentiment that boils through our hearts, keeping you going even if you really do not want to.

It may be a tricky issue for people with volatile interest spans like myself (Hey! Find yourself). But for others, why hang on? It’s tough too considering all the resources invested, the time, money, physical, mental and psychological strain and others that are not easily accounted for.

But then again, should we stay unhappy forever?

What are your thoughts? 

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