Henry Ford knew most humans were somewhat restricted in their thinking. He, on the contrary, was an innovator – one that many would say was “ahead of his time”. That is an interesting phrase and while none of us can bend the borders of space and time and be truly ahead of our time, there
Of Being Stuck in Place
Some of Foucault’s words definitely resonate with me; he said that the main interest of life is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning. But how can you address that expectation when you never exactly knew who or where you were in the first place? If you don’t know where the
At the Heart of Conflict
When it comes to crafting a story, to create a world in which the readers can lose themselves and hide away from everything else, there’s hardly an immovable set of rules we have to follow, because no story cannot be told. Yet, as I stumble across this quote from Veronica Roth, where she talks about
Conflict: If nothing else, it’s poetic
When I was a kid, I used to have this feeling sometimes. A profound feeling of loss stemmed from existing. As crazy and frankly hilarious as this sounds, I felt that I lost the chance to be at utter peace. I felt that if I weren’t ‘here’, I’d be somewhere better, wherever ‘better’ was. Now
Henry Ford, a Visionary of More Than Just Automobiles
“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” – Henry Ford Henry Ford was a visionary in his time and remains a legend today. His innovation of the mass-produced automobile, made available in an affordable price range, changed the world as people in the early 1900s knew it; creating
What I Want?
The constant rise and fall of throaty exhaust notes expelled from the tips of the tailpipes played like a symphony. The notchy transmission propelled the car forward as each gear was pushed to its limit. It was black with a lot of chrome, a sports car. A childhood dream realized. The top was removable and
Conflict or No Conflict? That is the Question!
“If there’s no conflict, there are no stories worth telling – or reading.” – Veronica Roth. An interesting statement, and one that could be interpreted in many ways. At first glance, it suggests that a story must contain conflict of some form to be worthwhile telling, as though stories without some kind of conflict are
Innovation and Ford
We are fascinated by the innovators that dominate the headlines. Mark Zuckerberg, a social media hegemon, founding Facebook in his dorm room at Harvard. Elon Musk, ushering in a new era of electric vehicles and space exploration with his companies. Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, founding online e-commerce markets that came to dominate the entire globe.
Being and Becoming
When you stare into the mirror and look at what is reflected, who do you see? Sometimes, I do not recognise myself in that reflection. A sense of unease crawls up the back of my spine. I do not know who I am. We all do not know who we are. We are conscious, yet,
I Know Who I Am, But It Doesn’t Matter
When my biography is written, I would like it to go like this: “he was born in a small agrarian community in the Eastern part of one of the poorest countries in West Africa, the eighth child of a poor peasant farmer who depended on the proceeds from his small farm to cater for his
They Refuse To Bend Until They Break
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BEND UNTIL YOU BREAK. YOU JUST HAVE TO STAND UP. “I’ve been pushed as far I could stand to be pushed. I had decided that I would have to know once and for all what rights I had as a human being and a citizen ” Rosa Parks. The statement quoted
Don’t Fear Life
At the time I finished this piece, I found out that I am over 9,700 days old! It may not amount to much when I tell you that I have lived for a little over 26 years, but I sincerely get the feeling that I have lived for twice the duration, but have done less
School: A Place to Loosen your Mind
How would you describe a school? A place to discover yourself or equally, a place to loosen your mind? It’s difficult to say, as everybody thinks differently. I would not be able to say what goes on in your mind, just as you would not be able to say what goes on in mine! One
All shall be well
And then there is utopia – a Panglossian utopia – where we live in harmony for ever and ever amen, sans rancour, argument, disagreement or… conflict. But what of the scientific method, Hegel and his dialectic, of opposing ideologies and beliefs, of two steps forward and one step back, and of what goes round, comes
My New Identity
My enthusiasm to embrace change began one day when I noticed an incredible phrase: ‘Embrace the Change and shape yourself’. I peeped through the windows of my home in my childhood to notice this small phrase on the top of an Ice-cream seller’s street cart. Immediately, I marveled and approached the merchant and inquired why
Letter To Teachers
I’m so sorry Ms. Teacher. You’re a mother. And you have to accept it. Please be different and enduring! Not as the other many teachers who write-off their weak pupils out of frustration, and focus on the bright ones alone. Please, be patient too; patience can soften stones; it’s the most essential virtue in the
Losing My Identity
Hello, my name is Jim. I’m approximately 45 years old. I say approximately because the last few years have been a bit sketchy. I’m 6’ 2”. I have salt ‘n’ pepper hair. I am Welsh, I am British, I am of Irish descent. I am a father, a husband, a son, and a brother. I
To Know or To Become
I would like to know who I am because I want to live true to who I am. I would like to know who I am because to get to a formidable height, I have to know who it is that is ready to get there – I have to start from somewhere, permit me
Finding “Me”
Most of my life has been spent searching. Searching for friends, searching for partners, searching for a job… Ultimately, I have been searching for a purpose. I have grasped desperately for an explanation for my existence. Before I turned 17, I had been baptized twice: once as a child and again when I was 15
The Greatest Stories Ever Told
What is the definition of great literature? Certainly, there are as many answers to that question as there are respondents. A work of art that rises to the level of “great” often influences and sometimes irks us. It makes us think and, most importantly, makes us care—about the story and the characters. Novels that survive