I attended a gathering some time ago. A form was given to be filled, which included a date of birth section. I didn’t pay attention to the people sitting next to me because I mind my business in gatherings, and I couldn’t find anyone I knew.
After filling mine with thorough cross checking, I crossed my arms and fed my eyes with what was going on in my environment.
Then I saw people leaving the year column, only filling the day and month, I don’t know what was on their minds and I’m not even judging.
I just remembered when I was in secondary school, anytime we were to provide information that included our date of birth like this ehn, everybody would start hiding. We used to fill the month and day and leave the year until it reached our turn to submit, I personally forgot on most occasions.I guess we didn’t want some of our classmates to know our age.Before they would start reminding me that I was a small girl.
Back then, age felt like something that could define how people treat you. Too young, and they won’t take you seriously. Too old, and they start asking questions.
During the end of year session, my school used to prepare a yearbook that included some features like the graduating students’ info: name, post held, future ambition, date of birth and favorite quote. The proprietress personally warned us not to put X(200X) and to write our birth year in full. She even said anyone caught would be punished.
Fast forward to when I received the yearbook and explored my class section, omoh my classmates were Ogba!. Na so X dey flow like water at the end of some students’ birth year. I guess they forgot to punish those ones.
I guess we have all left that habit now as per say we don grow. No more being the youngest wherever we find ourselves.
Truly, there are some habits adulthood will deprive you of doing. You don’t have to force it. It will flow naturally.
Some habits do not disappear because we tried to stop them. They disappear because we outgrew the fear that created them.
Growth is sometimes just quietly filling the full date of birth without thinking twice.
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