The Cause of Regret
“Hello little girl. What’s your name?”, the kind old gentleman asked.
Replying, I muttered, in my local dialect, Twi, “Me nnti Borofo“, meaning, “I don’t understand English”.
“Hello little girl. What’s your name?”, he subsequently repeated patiently.
I, in turn, stamped my feet and burst out with exasperation, “Me se me nnti Borofo wonnti!”, meaning “I said I don’t understand English, can’t you hear!”.
The kind old gentleman then asked my mother what that meant and she explained it to him. She was highly apologetic for my rude behaviour. He was unquestionably amazed at my assertiveness at such a young age. He therefore insisted on taking a picture with me. Thus, my dear mother took this picture of us.
When I was older, she narrated the above experience, which I faintly recollect, to me. This took place in England in the United Kingdom in the late seventies.
Subsequent Trips and Sightseeing
Years after, I took the picture below during another trip to England. At this point, I thankfully understood English and was not prone to throwing such childish tantrums.
Subsequently, during further trips to London, I had the opportunity to see iconic landmarks and to visit places of interest. There was no melodrama during these trips.
Camden Lock on Regents Canal, London
Buckingham Palace
Tower of London
Aerial View of River Thames from the London Eye
The London Eye
Although I was excused for my childish behaviour, I regret being rude to that kind old gentleman many years ago. As a result, I would like to apologise to him for my irrational outburst.
Conclusion
To conclude, if I could write a note to my younger self, I would have these two pieces of advice:
- Strive to be polite in all circumstances!
- Don’t do anything that you will regret for decades!
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