I escaped

On a recent trip to Zanzibar, we found ourselves in conversation with the taxi driver taking us to the beach.  Over the course of the hour, he regaled us with information on topics ranging from the celebration of Ramadan, his favourite childhood foods to how he ended up driving a taxi and his dreams for his children. 

At one point he told us that he had not finished grade school.  When asked why he answered 'because I escaped!'  Granted, part of what he meant to convey might have gotten lost in translation, but we all still had a good laugh about his response.  

Technically, escape means to break free from confinement or control.  In North America, we probably would have described his behaviour as 'dropping out'. But when you think about it, maybe what he said gets to the heart of what he really meant -- having left school, he felt free.

While I'm not advocating leaving school at grade seven, I think his description is on to something.  By saying that he escaped, he didn't dilute his reality.  Instead, we clearly got the picture of his resulting freedom. 

 

It is certainly not a revelation that words can be powerful.  But to strive to use them as Abdul did, (intentionally or otherwise), in a way that emphasizes truth, is a worthy challenge.