Angel Chidiebube Mbaoma @angeltalented

After classes were over on Monday, I made an unusual decision. I decided to stay back at school and spend some time reading in the classroom. It's been a while since I read in a school environment. Normally, I preferred to read at home or go to the library, but today I felt a strong urge to try something different.

As I started to read, the noise from different students in the classroom was distracting. They were engaged in various conversations, and it was a bit troubling. At first, their appearance it hard to focus, and I found myself tempted to leave. It was strange because I had always been able to concentrate in the midst of some noise, but today was different.

I felt an inner battle within me, a push to go home and a pull to stay and finish the reading. I knew that if I left, I probably wouldn't resume my reading when I got home. So, I fought against the urge to leave, determined to stay committed to my decision to read at school.

As time went by, something shifted inside me. I found myself adapting to the surrounding noise. It was like a light switch and suddenly, the conversations around me became background noise. The more I read, the more I seemed to tune out the distractions.

By the time I left the classroom and headed home, I realized that I had achieved something. I'd managed to focus despite all the distractions

I have this vivid memory from my time back in secondary school. We always took this long route to school, though it was short for some, it was quite a lengthy journey for us. The walk to the school took about 40 minutes, and I trudged along this route every day. On this particular day, after reaching the junction where we usually waited for the school bus, I realized my trousers had torn at the back. It was beyond frustrating, and the only solution was to walk back 40 minutes to change into a different pair. I could feel my frustration growing, and it was a traumatizing experience for me.

The thought of retracing my steps for such a significant distance was daunting. I made the journey back, changed into a new pair of trousers, and finally made my way to school. It was a day I certainly wouldn't forget. Fortunately, I've moved on from those days. Now that I'm at university, I take extra care to double-check my clothing before leaving in order to avoid any uncomfortable experiences.

I vividly recall feeling deeply embarrassed that day, even though no one seemed to take notice—thankfully, I was able to conceal my frustration. However, it taught me a valuable lesson and led to a daily routine of checking my clothing thoroughly to prevent such dilemmas. Looking back, it was still a rather embarrassing experience, but I've grown from it.