They say that I was born in has so Hasodzi, and it's a very big village in the Central region of our country. Ghana they are also say that when all of Africa is not choking under a drought ,Hasodzi lies in a very fertile lowland in a district known for its good soil .

...Maybe that is why anytime I don't finish eating my food, Nana say you 'Adjoa, you don't know what life is about...................

...You don't know what problem there are in this life..............

As far as I could see, there was only one problem. And it had nothing to do with that I knew Nana considers as 'problem'. Maami is my mother. Nana is my mother's mother. And they say I am 7 years old. And my problem is that at these 7 years of age there are things I can think in my head, but which, maybe, I do Not have the proper language to speak them out with. And that, I think, is a very serious problem. Because it was always difficult to decide whether to keep quiet and not say any of the things that come into my head, AUR say them and got laugh at. Not that it was easy to get any grown up to listen to you even when you decide to take the risk and say something serious of them.

Take Nana. First, I have to struggle to catch her attention. then I tell for something I had taken a long time to figure out. and then you know what always happen? she would once stop whatever she is doing and, open mouth, stay at me for a very long. then bending and turning her head slightly, so that one year comes down towards me, she will see in that voice:'Adjoa, you say what? after I have repeated whatever I had said, she would either, Still in that voice, ask' never, never, but never to repeat, a she would immediately burst out laughing. she would laugh and laugh and laugh, until tears Run down her cheeks and she would stop whatever she is doing and wife away the tears with the Hanging edge of her cloth. and she would continue laughing until she is complete tired. But then then, as soon as another person come by, just to make sure she doesn't forget whatever(its was) I had said, she would repeat it to her. and then, of course, there would be two old people laughing and screaming with tears running down their faces. Sometimes this show continues until there are three, four or even more of such laughing unscraming tear face grown up. and all that performance on whatever I did said? I find something quite confusing in all this. that no one ever explain to me, why sometimes I student repeat something I say; while at other Times, some other things I say would not only be alright, but would be considered so funny, they would be repeated so many times for so many peoples enjoyment.

It was the summer of 2021, and I was teaching a milestone birthday. I decided to skip the party and pick something epic of my bucket list.

Swim . Now immediately my inner go getter said, " yeah let's do this" show them you still got it. But my inner critic" Slow Down", hot stuff. You hate swimming and girl wait a minute that things you can't do it. And just like that. I had to warning side both with logical explanation for why I should or shouldn't do it.a decision to make this one yes that's one no.

HAVE YOU BEEN THERE

Decide to go with my inner go getter. I sign up for the race after eight months straight of training every day. I was ready.

It's race day. Participants, all set for the race. They blow the whistles and the race is off. On the other hand, until at the bank why?

My brain could not seem to understand that water, the dark, dreary, cedar water, was the same water that I had learned swim to swim in at the pool.

I go to put my face in, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it, I started to panic. I look to my right. I saw my family .they were looking back at me .what's wrong ?the people were watching me. I had a choice to make. Go forward into the water or go back home.a situation, this one yes, that one no. HAVE YOU BEEN THERE

I choose to do the only thing possible with that logical situation. I flipped over my back and start the backstroke.

Now, swimming has certain grace, beauty. This had neither Grace nor beauty. This was not swimming, this was surviving.

...Suddenly, I heard" ma'am, you are going the wrong way! ". I wonder who they were talking to "Ma'am, 322, you are going the wrong way! "322 No no, I am 322. I looked over. I was 50 meter off course. I had to stop, get myself together, and I got back on course .now, I swim up to one of the lifeguard .she looked at me and said," ma'am, you really need to think this through, okay? You might want to think about quitting". And I understood where she was coming from I look up to her, I let go I kept on swimming I went on, before I grabbed hold of another lifeguard. She leaned over and said to me" you are doing good". You go this. Advise... this one yes, that one no. HAVE YOU BEEN THERE...

I finish the swim. To this day. I have no clue how I finish those 12 miles.

Friends, you can be your worst critic. But at the same time you can be your biggest cheerleader. I implore you, no, I beg you, look deep with in that next challenge. Find your inner go getter and see how far it can push You.

I've Been There

Have you ?