How I got here pt.1: The Childhood

One thing I haven't spoken much about is how I got here. How did I get here? Do I have the passion for what I am doing now, or was it just for the money? Do I want to continue or quit? How is it? Am I happy doing what I am doing? These are all questions I sometimes ask myself. I groan a lot about how tired I am as a person, not as a software developer. I have tried quitting, but I can't. I want to try new things, have unique hobbies, but nothing seems to work. But wait, do I even have a hobby? No, I have no hobbies, I do not have many friends. My only true friend and hobby is my work, So I pour all my frustration and concerns into my work.

Considering so many factors, I am glad to be where I am today. It wasn't easy getting here. All the sleepless nights, the times I spent learning, the friends I lost on the way, departing from home, losing my family and the pains I have harboured within me for long kept me going, and now they keep haunting me day after day. They keep coming back to me, they keep catching up, and I feel lost as a person. Life hasn't been easy for me. I go forward one step and come three steps backwards. I tend to be happy on the outside, but within, I cry always.

All began when my parent divorced; that was the saddest day of my life. I was 2years old when my parents divorced. Although I was a kid and didn't know what was going on today, I sometimes shed tears when I think of it. I went through a lot. I had to stay with my father's sister for five years, and she treated me as if I am a slave. As a kid, I had to wake up very early, do my house chores, and help her also fry Puff Puff (Bofrot) before I go to school. I was a brilliant kid; with all that went on, I still performed well in school. All these happened every day for 5years while staying with her; this wasn't pleasant for me as a kid. A lot happened to me as a kid, and they keep coming back to haunt me.

So, I decided to inform my mom about it when she visited me one Saturday morning. She wasn't happy about it the situation, so she decided to go with me that day. I was pleased knowing I am leaving to a place where my mom will treat me as a young prince. So, leaving my aunty's house, I was thrilled because I knew my mom wouldn't treat me wrong.

I stayed with my mom for a week or two, then one Sunday afternoon, my dad showed up at my mom's house. He wasn't happy with me staying with my mom. According to my dad, he says my mom travels a lot, and she won't make time to take care of me. As I grew up, I realised my dad wasn't telling a lie. So I had to go with my dad to stay with him the very same day.

Staying with my dad wasn't fun; it was more than hell for me, not because of my dad but my stepmom. She made my life a hell of a journey. I started selling on the street of Accra as a kid. I had to do worse things as a kid, and I was treated differently from her kids. But in the end, I learnt a lot from my stepmom that's helped shaped my life growing up. I can cook, clean my room, stay tidy always. One thing I had come to love about my stepmom when I grew up is, she prays for me a lot. Whenever I call her, she prays for me, advises me, and she's happy with where I am today. She never asks me for anything, and she's always happy for me.

Unlike my mom, my stepmom has been the best mom to me when I got older. I wish my stepmom treated me the same way as she treats me now when I was younger.

My life story isn't fun, and I wish no child will ever experience this kind of life growing up. But, what I went through made me stronger and shaped my life well. Sometimes, I am grateful because I wouldn't have known how my life would have played out if I continued staying with my mom.

In the next part, I will discuss how I got into software development and all the dilemmas I faced on my journey to becoming a software developer.