Young And Wise

‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade wins in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover’ - Mark Twain.

I once read the expression Young and Wise at the Commercial Area of KNUST. I think it was posted at the entrance of a youth centre. It appears by this expression, the centre, among others things, was educating the youth on matters relating to pre-marital sex. In my humble opinion, the expression is more than being wise about sex. Truly, wise young people know that the only wisdom about sex education is abstinence, nothing more; nothing less. More importantly, wise young people know that they must redeem their time. This means that they must make the best of every opportunity associated with any level of life they find themselves. Real wise people are time redeemers. Time redeemers are creative and innovative. The youth in Africa must be creative and innovative. The youth must be wise. Wisdom is demonstrated in acts and deeds.

Young People have immense potential locked up in the recesses of their being. Besides, they have the control, strength and energy, influence, special ability, and numbers. Talking about numbers, ‘“The World’s Youth 2000 publication stated that, ‘There are more Young People on Earth than ever before”. More than one-fourth of the world’s 6 billion people are between the ages of 10 and 24 and 86% of these live in less developed countries – and that is power!’ In democratic societies for example, numbers are the most valuable wealth. This is because the Majority are king makers, policy formulators and executors. They dictate the flow!

However, it appears many young people are wasting their lives. We waste our life when we waste our time. For Uncle J. Ebo Whyte, a storyteller and writer, ‘Time is the raw material of life and anyone who wastes time wastes his life and throws away his potential’. Dr Yaw Perbi, a writer, wrote, ‘The average young person in a developing country is doing nothing’. I fully agree. Besides, even most young educated people in Africa end up being a burden to their societies. For example, graduate unemployment is commonplace in most developing countries including Ghana. In my humble opinion, the term graduate unemployment is derogatory. It appears many young people just school but they never get real education. Real education is more than schooling or Degrees. It is more than studying hard to get the best job and salary or wages.

Real education is the ability to create and innovate great projects for the betterment of society. Graduates from tertiary institutions must discover and develop capacities to create new opportunities for themselves and the disadvantaged. This will not only propel growth and development but also sustain them because of the ripple effects. Real reading is the fuel of creativity and innovation. Real reading is reading with your God-given purpose in mind. The youth in Africa must be wise by redeeming our time and fueling creativity.

Richard Obeng Mensah, co-author of 37 Benefits of Reading. borncapy@yahoo.com/ www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com