The year was 1997, I had just moved back to Motherwell, Samenteni from Kwazakhele. For some reason, I changed schools three times that year. But it was in Enkwenkwezini where I got to settle a little bit as I managed to finish the last six months of the year. I joined the class just after the June holidays as I was coming from another school in Kwazakhele, I can't remember the name

There was this strange kid in the class, he was just in a league of his own compared to other kids. He knew almost everyone in the class, especially girls, but he was friends or close to no one

His name was Malibongwe. We were doing grade 4, formerly standard 2. He had a stereo that he took with him everywhere he went and he loved sitting at the corner in the class, right at the back. One lazy midday, while there was no teacher in the class, he just started singing very loudly. As you all know what kids do at school when there's no teacher, they were at it, making noise and others running around the class and doing every silly thing you can think of that kids do at school in the absence of a teacher

I was still new so I was a bit shy, as a result, I was sitting at my desk with one boy whom I got to know because he loved soccer as much as I did

This kid just screamed “I need you, I couldn't live a day without you" I looked to the back, then to my classmates in shock, but no one was paying attention to him except the few that were sitting in front of him admiring what he was doing

It was the first time I heard him, so I was a bit shocked because he just sang out loud and I asked myself, what's wrong with this kid? Surprisingly the other kids didn't seem to be bothered by him as they just carried on playing around. Maybe they were used to him, I guess so

But with time I realized he just loved his music. He didn't mind sitting in the classroom while other kids are on a break. He'd be sitting at the back with a book, a pen, and his stereo singing as loud as he could

On Fridays during cleaning times when all the other kids are doing all sorts of things, he’d be on his music all by himself

Sometimes I look around the internet hoping to see him, but nothing because when I think about him, I think he was just a talented kid and a potential musician. I just didn't think of it that way then

To this day, I still ask myself what happened to him when I hear “I need you” by 3T. He made the song famous by singing it over and over at school

Through that experience I find myself thinking, maybe it's ok to be different, even more so to accept that you're because trying to fit in all the time just makes life even more complicated because people will drag you everywhere except where you wanna be

In primary school, you have a chance to play every sport that's on offer, join every choir or just be a nobody. Sometimes your decisions are influenced by friends, but when you're lucky, you choose to do what you love. Malibongwe just loved his music and he didn’t care what everyone said and was doing, he took his own path that was different from everyone. He could just open his mouth and sing as loud as possible without being bothered by what other kids in the class or next will say

I've been thinking about him a lot lately, maybe it’s just a realization that I don't really have a lot in common with the people I'm surrounded by because I find myself walking alone a lot. As a result, analyzing his character now, kind of motivate me because it makes me think it’s ok to be different, to walk all by yourself if your goals demand that from you

I'm a full-time employee, but I feel very good about myself when I'm taking orders for all the things that I sell. I just feel alive when I'm discussing those with my customers, I feel the value in me when I'm dealing with their complaints and compliments. Every day, I can't wait to knock off so I can run around worrying about the growth of my business, to seat in front of my computer researching all the things that I come across, things that can help me get everything I'm trying to achieve

You too, there's that one thing that makes you stand out from the rest, that one thing that brings the best out of you, makes you feel alive when you doing it, talking about it. Go on and do it, enjoy it without worrying about what people will say. You're different, embrace that, appreciate and accept that you're different because it's ok to be

If you haven’t found it, keep looking, keep asking yourself those difficult questions like, what am I good at, what are my strengths, and my goals? Where do I wanna see myself in the next specified years, and doing what? Dig deeper until you find that one thing that will make you careless about sleep, that one thing that will highlight your uniqueness, make you forget that there might be others looking at you, and embrace it without wondering what everyone will say because it’s ok to be different

“It's all about one day at a time, one day at a time”

Picture by Soundtrap on Unsplash.com