As the Mammy Wagon Philosopher puts it – TO BE A MAN, IS NOT A DAY’S JOB. Indeed, a man must contend with so many things in his life some of which of necessity take precedence: Education, Career, Marriage and Health. So let’s examine each of these.
Modern day society often value people based on their educational qualifications. With some tertiary institutions being classified as “Ivy League”, their alumni are relatively more respected than those from school considered as inferior to them. If you have a degree from an elite university, the odds of getting a good job right out of university is in your favour.
As a man, you are expected to have at least attained an educational level of a tertiary institution since now more than ever the best jobs are reserved for “graduates”. Even at that, there are no guarantees because someone might be better qualified than you, gone to a better school than you. So what does a man now do? He must still forge ahead as getting educated is only the first hurdle he must surmount on his way to becoming a man. Once he has completed his mandatory educational requirements, this fresh graduate must now look to pursue a “career”.
A man’s career path may not and often does not strictly correlate with his educational background. It is the choices he makes at this stage of this life that are most influential to the end goal of becoming a man at the summit of his career. The reason being that a clever man with foresight would seek to retrain himself to be better suited for the most trending/ relevant (high paying) jobs in the coming years. Take for instance “Digital Marketing”. Regardless of one’s educational background, they can easily undergo online classes such as those offered by Google and Hub Spot Academy to become a certified digital marketer, who are well sought after especially in today’s job market where every organization requires a formidable online presence.
Furthermore, no knowledge gained is wasted and your original academic background could one day come in handy. For example, a geology graduate who has adapted himself and become a freelance digital marketer. If he is approached by an oil and gas company to improve their online presence by virtue of his background he would be better informed on how best the company’s online presence should look like or be promoted. The man who has positioned himself well for economic stability should then now look to anchor himself on solid “emotional” foundations and nothing could be more robust than marriage.
“Marriage”- the third tier to surmounting some of the many challenges of a man is indeed a sensitive stage. The reason being that, if he makes the wrong choice for a life mate, it could destroy all he has achieved up to this point. Therefore, whoever he decides to marry must edify him, encouraging him to aspire, supporting him in good times and bad and be a dependable all round partner. When kids come into the equation, the man enters another level, he is no longer living for himself but for his wife and children. This stage has its many challenges for the man and he must figure out how to make sure he takes care of his family come rain or shine.
Finally, health as they say is wealth and it is for the reason we find it situated at the apex of the mountain. Most men faced with the many challenges of daily life, sometimes fail to pay attention to their health. This they must not do. As the body advances in age, wear and tear sets in. So it is important that as a man gets on in age and advances in life, he should always pay close attention to his physical and mental well-being.
All said, the Mammy Wagon Philosopher got it right when he wrote on the back of a lorry – TO BE A MAN IS NOT A DAY’S JOB.
Written By:
Director of Public Relations
Pride Magazine Nigeria