16/03/2026
One misunderstanding when I was 8 years old changed my personality for many years.
When I was in primary school, my school was very close to my dad’s shop.
So every day after school, I would go to his shop and stay there until night, then we would go home together.
Right beside my dad’s shop was a pharmacy store. The owner had a daughter who was younger than me, and because our parents’ shops were next to each other, we played together almost every evening.
One evening, something happened that I have never forgotten.
It was already getting late, and there was no electricity that night.
The pharmacy owner was busy inside the shop attending to several customers at the same time.
While we were playing outside, a boy about my age came to buy some goodies from the shop.
Since the owner was busy, the boy picked the snacks himself.
But I noticed something.
He didn’t just take one.
He secretly took another one and tried to hide it.
Then he quickly started walking away so the shop owner wouldn’t notice.
I saw everything.
So I ran and stood in front of him, asking him to return the extra snack he had taken.
But he refused.
Instead, he tried to run away.
We started struggling over it, and the noise attracted attention.
My dad and the shop owner quickly came outside to see what was happening.
But before I could even explain…my dad assumed I was the one doing something wrong.
He didn’t ask questions.
He didn’t hear my side of the story.
He just started beating me.
And my dad was not someone who usually beat children.
But when he did, he would continue until he felt satisfied.
People around tried to stop him, but he kept going.
What hurt me the most wasn’t even the beating.
It was the fact that I wasn’t allowed to speak.
From that day, something inside me changed.
I became someone who overlooked things.
Someone who stayed quiet even when I knew the truth.
Someone who struggled to speak in public.
Someone who avoided attention and confrontation.
In many ways, that moment pushed me into becoming an extremely introverted person for years.
And this is one reason I’m sharing this story today.
In many African homes — especially where I grew up — children are often taught not to speak when adults are talking.
Sometimes when a child tries to explain something or share their opinion, they are quickly shut down with statements like:
“Keep quiet when elders are talking.”
Respect for elders is important.
But sometimes children are not trying to be disrespectful.
Sometimes they are simply trying to explain the truth.
A child might forget the punishment one day.
But they rarely forget the moment they felt unheard.
Sometimes what children need most is not immediate judgement…
but the opportunity to speak.
Just a few minutes of listening can prevent years of silence.
When children feel heard, they grow with confidence.
But when they are constantly silenced, they may grow up afraid to express themselves.
For many years, that moment shaped who I became.
I stayed quiet.
I avoided speaking up.
I preferred to stay in the background.
But something unexpected happened years later…
One experience slowly pulled me out of that silence and helped me find my voice again.
I’ll share that story in Part 2 in two days.
Have you ever had a childhood experience that shaped the way you see yourself today?
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