I have been accused of reading too much, being too educated as if it were a crime. Trust me, it’s not skin off my nose and believe me, it’s not a sin to be well read. It just broadens your mind and opens your heart, eyes and ears.
My quest for knowledge is a 24-hour business. I read everything in the papers and read as many books as I can find time to devour. I have been like this since I was twelve years old and have been devouring book contents ever since. My mind is like an open sea, wide and full of residual knowledge of things I have read twenty years ago, and I am still broadening it.
I have therefore learnt about many things over and beyond my age. Always inspiring books are, always uplifting, always full of tips, lessons and journeys. My library is a book bank; I can never get enough of books.
Beyond my books, I find that there is no knowledge that is wasted and where I have an interest, I pursue my dreams relentlessly in that direction. I love to decorate houses, turn a room into a cosy space, turn it into a home. I love to match colours and make a room look really comfortable.
So in the last ten years I have been touching my own house up. I change my curtains and carpet every two years and it confers a new look on my house. I paint my house every two years and it’s bright and new again. I buy paintings, collect decorations and tush up my house constantly.
As a result of this talent, I decided to go to school again to polish my craft, get my interior decoration groove on, get a certificate for my talent.
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So three years ago I registered with the KLC Interior Decoration School in Chelsea Harbour, London, for a long distance course. I am excited that I took that decision. One is never too old to learn and if you cannot go to a school because it’s far, the school can come to you via long distance education.
All women who are always thinking, “I cannot go to school because of my children, I cannot leave the town; who will look after my children?” The school will come to you by post in a box or a folder, but you do need to put in your best and give it time. No school is easy, you need to work hard at it.
My French education stopped at Form 3 in secondary school and it began to look like I may never get to it again. Then I became a broadcaster and soon a national compere. Every day those seeking comperes began to demand for a bilingual compere and I found that I fell short in that area. Then I began to attend international conferences and I was always described as an international broadcaster who worked in Nigeria. People will break into French at these meetings while exchanging pleasantries with me. I, on the other hand, will break into some Pidgin French and hope that all is well. It was not. So for a whole year I returned to French Cultural Centre, Abuja every Wednesday 4-6pm to take a proficiency course. My French got polish, I got my swag back and when I returned, bang! I became one of only two comperes in Abuja at the time who could get the job done in both languages.
Education is liberating; knowledge just frees you, gives you confidence and let’s you fly. I am still at the place where I hope to get myself into painting school. I can sketch, I can draw but I want to learn that art that gives you the freedom to have brush strokes on canvas on an easel, sitting by the seaside and painting the skyline. That will be the day. Then knowledge will translate when my painting sells for millions of dollars because I have deepened my art.
I have travelled the world but I still have Antarctica and Latin America to conquer. Travel is incredible education and my mind just soaks it up. I love to travel, to disappear into a cul de sac, buy antique brooches and paintings from 1756. I am a world traveller and I would like to encourage you to take to the road. You do not have to have a lot of money. Take your mind with you and travel to a neighbouring state. Learn about your environment. Enjoy the atmosphere. Get more education. Deepen your knowledge, open your mind. It’s never too late to go to school. Get to study something you really enjoy. Save towards it, deepen your knowledge.
Go on, it’s your life.
Eugenia Abu
