I FAILED 😢 – Part 1

First, happy Easter (or whatever moment of peace you’re finding right now). I hope you’ve had a chance to slow down, breathe, and feel something genuine. I’ve carried this story for years. Pieces of it are kept in silence, music, and moments I rarely talk about. But now, I’m ready to share it with you. Not as a highlight reel, but as the truth. Let’s start where it all fell apart.

Part 1: The Beginning
I was born into a family of six.
Growing up, I thought I was the golden child. I was always among the top three in class and was chosen to represent my school in competitions.
Excellence wasn’t a goal. It was a standard.
And failure? It wasn’t just frowned upon — it was forbidden.

My dad raised me with a firm hand and sharper expectations.

“First position is your only option.”

If I scored 8/10, I was scolded for missing two marks.
Coming second in a church Bible quiz wasn’t acceptable.
He didn’t see it as pressure — he saw it as preparation.
Because I was the first son.
And in his eyes, that meant I had no room to slip.

After secondary school, I aimed to attend the University of Ibadan to study Petroleum Engineering.
I didn’t make it.

Tried Electrical Engineering — didn’t make it either.
I was offered Mathematics, but my dad shut that down.
He couldn’t see my brilliance in Further Maths — only that it wasn’t Engineering.

I didn’t want to spend a year idle at home.

So, I opted for Electrical Engineering at The Polytechnic, Ibadan. I graduated with an Upper Credit (2:1), but it didn’t feel like enough because I aimed for a Distinction. I knew I had the ability. But distractions got in the way. Youthful exuberance took over. Freedom took over, and all the things my dad had once warned me about? I finally had the chance and freedom — to explore them.

I had always been passionate about football.

But growing up, playing on the streets came with consequences. My dad worried I’d turn into a “street boy.” He carried the burden of being the provider and passed some of it onto me. As the eldest son, I had to mature quickly.

So when I finally had freedom… I embraced it.

I indulged in what I had missed. And, as expected, there were consequences.

Eventually, I gained admission to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
But this time… I decided to stop pretending.

(To be continued in Part 2.)