STORY: The Professional without Skill

This is a story i composed myself. It is for a contest but the message imbeded in it is how people fail not because they do not know how to do their jobs but because they face a stigma that has grown with them. Enjoy.

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It was challenging for Yusuf as he struggled with himself through adulthood. It was like when his right hand did something good, his left hand would ruin it and vice versa. He hailed from an excellent home, home of utmost perfection with zero consideration to tiny mistakes. It is not done if the job is 99.9% done (Even a methylated spirit does just 99.9% killing of germs and infection).

It was a family of 100% perfection and nothing less. This is how Yusuf struggled through life and here he was as the most excellent candidate chosen from the list of many applicants in the face of job scarcity as a result of his excellent credentials. In reality, Yusuf knew that it was just the result because he had not attained perfection in all he did. He actually knew he was only perfect with head knowledge. Coming from such a family, he had no choice. But what about in reality? The reality that actually mattered? Yusuf was just a maker and a destroyer because he did a lot from where he is coming from but yet it was like he destroyed more for failure to attain perfect 100 Percent.

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Yusuf will never forget the days he made little mistakes while he was given domestic jobs to perform. It was like he ruined the task from bad to worse. With his yelling parents whining and bluffing their mouth with words characterized with incompetence. Yusuf settled with the idea that he couldn't just perform any task right. This continued all through his teenage years since he was not allowed to school far from home. He spent all the years of basic education in fear and failure while enduring the hurting condemning complementary words from his own parents. His parents always insisted, we are telling you the reality and hoping to make him a better and perfect man. Imperfect people don't bring results. Were they correct?

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Yusuf was so intelligent, but his hands were dumb and clueless except to study and write exams which came out in excellent results. This is the reason why Yusuf was the brain behind a lot of ideas and innovations in school, but never received any price. Yusuf created a lot of perfect innovative ideas but his hands refused to perfect such creations. His hands probably were just helping him to avoid insults from the very people who were supposed to encourage him. It had become a normal thing, so he settled for it. If he cannot become perfect as his parents have seldom declared, it is better to settle for his own fate. After all, not everyone is born with perfect fingers.

This reminds me of how Yusuf lost Zara to Corlins who was a confident player. Beautiful Zara saw Yusuf as a nice sincere and fruitful guy who was soaked and sinking in his own fear and failure. Zara did not want such a situation because she really wanted to explore the University life. She many times wished she could have a mixed blend of Yusuf and
Corlins. However, Corlins appeared to be a nice guy unknown to Zara she would be sticking her fingers into the mouth of the Cobra. For Corlins and Zara, I will give you gist later. But for Yusuf and Zara, that was it. LESSON: NO GIRL WANTS TO BE WITH A GUY WHO IS SOAKED AND SINKING IN FEAR, TIMIDITY, LOW SELF ESTEEM, Etcetera.

Back to the present, after qualifying due to excellent credentials, Yusuf is given a Bathroom to fix being one who is schooled and knowledgeable in building and construction (Plumbing in particular). This was his final practical test after being told all the benefits of the job including a car, house, wardrobe allowance, insurance, e.t.c. Sadly, he couldn't fix the bathroom and was summoned to board meeting to decide his faith. Yusuf explained perfectly all it takes to fix the bathroom, but was dumbfounded when asked to actually fix it.

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The problem is that his right hand would work, and his left hands would destroy the work. It is actually not the hands causing catastrophe, it is his mind as it was trained from childhood.

When Yusuf woke up, he was determined never to allow this dream he just had come to reality. Thank God he was still in the University, so he decided to come out from his sinking in the rivers of failure, shun inferiority complex, boost his self-esteem and face life back to back with his two hands regardless. Yusuf now realized that many factors including people we do not expect can be a challenge to our growth and development, but the main action of breaking out resides with us and not them. Lastly, this is 21st Century. People with head knowledge are making it, but people with both head knowledge and skills become more relevant...

This is my post with regards to the weekly contest on #freewriters. You may wish to still participate as the contest is still on until tomorrow September 28, 2023.