REAL LIFE LESSONS I LEARNT FROM AN INJURY I HAD 6 YEARS AGO, BUT TREATING TODAY.

Around middle of November 2018, I had an accident with a scooter I had bought to ease my transportation to and from Apapa where Givanas, a company I worked with at that time is situated.

The scooter was a life saver for me considering the state of Apapa road at that time. As a result of the accident which was as a collision with a distant-minded person crossing the road, I fractured my radius, had deep scratches on my shoulder and face.

I was rushed to a local orthopedic who wore me a cast on my arm to immobilize it. At that time, I was actively seeking to leave Givanas, so I saw Jagal vacancy for the post of a ‘buyer’.

I took the test online, scored high and was invited for a face to face interview.

While at home taking some off days due to the injury, I attended Jagal interview with the cast and injury marks on my face.

I arrived Ikoyi, the headquarters of Jagal, met Ian Moodley, the then Group Supply Chain Manager, who was to interview me.

Ian Moodley looked beyond my injuries, interviewed me properly and told me he was going to hire me, and he did.

He just referred me to the Group HR then, Daniel Ayscough to formalize it.

By the end of that day, I received an official email from Daniel informing me that I have been hired, and asked me to resume by the second week of January, which was enough time for me to notify Givanas that I was quitting.

I immediately sent an email to Givanas informing them of my resignation, went to work few times with the injury and that was it.

There are lots of things I could pull out from this writeup including Jagal's penchant for recognizing talent irrespective of a physical condition that some employers could use as an excuse not to hire someone or my own part of not being discouraged to attend the interview because of my injury.

Now, here is the purpose of this write up.I was supposed to carry that cast for at least 2 months or even more than, to enable my radius heal well but I removed it the week I resumed at Jagal.

Almost 6 years down the line, close to 4 years after I left Jagal, I have to wear the cast again for that same injury I had.

Apparently the bone joined but didn’t heal properly. All the pains that I should have borne 6 years ago, I am bearing some of them now.

Surprisingly, throughout that time, I was carrying weights at the gym, though I noticed that there was a particular gym programme (which was my favorite) that I couldn’t do without pains in the arm.

That was when I got convinced that my arm has not healed completely.

Today, anytime I go for massage of the arm, I feel real pain, and thoughts keep running through my mind. But, I have serious life lessons I have learnt from this.

One: There is no shortcut to healing. The only exception here is if it is a miracle because I believe in miracles.

If you are meant to receive a particular treatment routine, please stick to your treatment until you are healed completely, confirmed by qualified personnel.

If you abandon your treatment, there’s a high chance you’ll meet the ailment in the nearest future. It could be a form of relapse or something.

Two: Do not postpone pains. Pains are part of living, and every stage of life seems to have its own pains or place of discomfort.

Sometimes it could be a form of progress. Unless that, do not postpone pains, they have a way of coming back.

It could have been better for me if I had borne all these massage and cast pains 6 years ago than now. I mean, it is a distraction for me at the moment.

Thirdly but not the least, your health is more important than any job.

Take care of yourself.

In any job, no one is irreplaceable. Even the business collapsing due to your absence could be a way of your replacement in the grand scheme of things.

Finally, life is beautiful, I personally don’t want to be dealing with things I should have dealt with years ago, No I don't.

Do you?

ES