I saw a computer for the first time in my life about 20 years ago when I was a first-year student in university. Things were different back then. I don’t remember seeing anyone with a laptop in the entire university. However, we had a computer technology class where we used cathode ray oscilloscope computers. (For those who may not know, computer screens were not always flat—they had a large protruding section at the back.)
My friend, who also came from a rural background like me, was determined that we would become computer gurus—just as we had been the crème de la crème in our villages by making it to university. We decided not to wait for our COM 100 classes to begin.
So, we went straight to the library without even asking the librarian for guidance and spotted a book titled Introduction to Computers. Since neither of us had a library card, we hid the book in the library. A few hours later, we managed to borrow it and headed straight to the computer lab.
As we opened the first few pages, we determined from our research that powering on a computer required pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Since we were seeing a computer keyboard for the first time, we had to scan through all the keys to find Ctrl, then Alt, and Delete. We didn’t know that the “+” meant pressing the keys simultaneously, so we tapped each key individually at the earliest opportunity—then sat back, waiting for the computer to power on so we could begin our journey to mastering computer studies.
The computer never powered on. We repeated the exercise a few times before giving up and returning to our rooms, convinced that the computer lab was faulty and that the university had duped us by charging tuition fees without providing the promised services.
Later, we discovered that we first needed to switch on the power at the wall socket and then press the power buttons on the CPU and monitor.
Over the past 20 years, I have learned a few things about computers. At the very least, I now know how to turn one on and off. What my friend and I lacked back then was guidance. Sometimes, we struggle in situations because we think we can do everything by ourselves. Yet, asking just one question could save us 12 hours of wasted effort.
In Swahili, they say usilolijua ni kama usiku wa giza—meaning, “What you don’t know is like the darkness of nightt.”
Seeking help is not a weakness. Help doesn’t have to come from someone superior to you—it could come from your subordinates or even those at the lowest levels of society. The bottom line is that we all need help to solve certain challenges. Refusing to seek help can stagnate you, cause you to miss opportunities, and waste a lot of time.
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