Local Sports Guy’s Story
About 36 months ago,
I was disturbed within
Me for I really want
To have another source of income
Then I started exploring
Many options, out of
Which is the Forex
Trade business
But what I discovered
Was that what they
Demand of starters in
Nigeria, I cannot raise the money
Then, I started looking
For other means, and
I discovered from my
Findings that there is
Something called blogging and
Stock market, which is
Different from Forex trade
Although incorporated into it
From those findings I
Discovered that, Facebook and
Many other social media
Fall into the category of
Stock market. Then I
Said to myself, I
Will explore that of
Facebook because I was
Still naïve of blogging.
I put my all
Into the Facebook shares
And postings, hardly would
A day pass by
That I would not
Post stories there, not
To talk about being on the Facebook
Almost 24 hours a day
But then what I
Was expecting I never
Got from the Facebook
I became pissed off
And kept on exploring
Other means of making
Making money
And about 18 months
Ago, I stumbled across
This site, HubPages.com,
That I can make money
Through writing on this
Page, all I have
To do is write hubs
That would be accepted
I said to myself
At last I got
What I have been
Searching for, that I would explore this
Then, I registered to
This site. After registering
I couldn’t make headway
Through on the first day
Because the steps highlighted
Were new to me
And would leave the
Site till the following day
The following day too
This never works as
What I thought I
Have written was turned down
I know I can do
This, but I don’t know
How to press it further
Then, I decided to
Abandon this site telling
Myself that it may
Be a site for the
American writers alone
In the meanwhile, I
Have discussed with my
Father, my close confidant
Of the site and he blesses me
Having read all my
Published books he really
Believed that I have the
Talent of writing and
Prays that I would
Make it on this site
To be able to publish
More books and do other things I want to do
Thus, he cannot but
Ask about my progress
On the HubPages.com site
And when he asked
I told him that,
I do not think
The site is for those
In the developing world
That I would not
Continue with the site
Again. He asked to
Know what happened
I told him that
All the articles I have
Written did not pass
Their tests, they were turned down
Then he said, you
Will have to work
More then, this does not
Mean that they have
Blocked you from the
Site, or have you
Been blocked? He asked
I told him I wasn’t blocked
It is just that I
Am having some issues
Publishing articles there.
Then he sat me down
And share this story
With me of what
Happened years back to
A young man who
Was an athlete. This
Young man was living
In the village and
He was the best in that village
You will recall that
All the village athlete
Runs with bare foot
I said yes, I know
This young man was running
With bare foot, without
Training shoe on. Then there
Was a competition in the neighborhood
That comprises of about
Twenty other villages. After
The competition this guy
Came first and was shortlisted
To represent our side
At the center. When
He got to the center
He performed brilliantly
And the coach there
Said he would be
Among those who would
Represent the state, but he must
Go and learn how
To be running with
Training shoe. He tried it
But he did not master it
During the trainings, others
Who have mastered the
Use of training shoe for
Trainings dusted him and
He couldn’t be among
The selected people to
Represent the state at
The federal level.
When he returned to
The village he was
Asked by his fans
There of what happened
He told them, his
Problem is the use
Of training shoe to run
Because when he puts
The training shoe on
It is affecting his movements
Slowing him down, for
He has not master it
“I know I am better
Than some of the
People who are selected
To represent the state
But I cannot prove
That because I have
Not master the use
Of training shoes” he told them
Then his people told
Him that he will keep
Trying, he will keep
Improving himself in the use
Of training shoes, because
That is internationally accepted
And since he hopes
To go places as an athlete,
He cannot but learn
How to fit into their
Camp, by learning how
To use the training shoes
His fans told him
He was grateful for their
Words. Thence he went
To the market to
Get different training shoes
Because he knows he
Can do it, because he
Has the flair for it.
He started developing himself
Training with the training shoes
Sometimes wounding himself with
It, but as time goes on
He masters the use
Of the training shoes
And soon another window
Of opportunity was opened
He explored the window
And now as a different
Person, polished person who
Could fit to the international standard globally
Like before people of the
Neighborhood know he would
Win, but they doubted
Him crossing the next hurdle
But he proved them
Wrong as he won
The state competition and
Was the one who led them to the national
Now, he is now
An international figure, he
Hardly stays around here
Because he loves athletics
He desires to become one
And he trained hard for
It, until he overcame all
The obstacles and become renown
I know you have talent
To write and love for
It, therefore, I do not
Want the little setbacks
That you have experienced
At the initial to
Put you off this,
I want you to try more
There is an adage that
Says, if one falls from
A horse, one rises to
Climb it again.
My son, rise to climb
The horse of writing
Again. You can do this,
I know you can, and you will
All those people writing
There are humans like
You and no one
Is born with it
All you must do
Is keep exploring, keep
Trying, as the bible
Says in the book of Proverbs
That, “if thou faint
In the day of adversity,
Thy strength is small.” (Pro 24:10)
Gather yourself together and do it again
He said as a word
Of finality to me, patting
My backs. Then, I reasoned
With myself, and keep trying
Until I was able to
Hit the target, and my
Article was published and
Featured. Then I saw a message
That an article has been
Snipped. I said to myself
What does it matter?
What is important to me is
Crossing the Rubicon which
God has made happen
For me. I was elated.
I am still growing with the Hub-pages.com
And I know and can
Say, it is one of
The sites that would
Help people who want to
Know how to write,
How to develop themselves
In English, and how
To write a well acceptable article
On any subject or discipline
Globally. I appreciate my
Father who has not
Allow the ember of smoke
Of writing in me
To die, but has fanned
It to fire for
Me through his supportive
Roles and comforting words,
Elderly counsels. Here am
I still growing in
This learning from other Huber
All over the globe.
I am elated to be
Here, I am elated
To have been accepted.
© 2020 OLUSEGUN