The Lecturer Who Taught Me the Value of Simplicity

It's quite difficult to go through the entire education system, basically from primary through secondary and then university education, and not have one or two teachers or lecturers you remember for one thing or another. Teachers and lecturers naturally impact our lives in diverse ways; if not academically, it could be socially or in different aspects of life. I, for one, have come in contact with Manu teachers and lecturers, and there are some of them I can't forget in a hurry. Tonight I'd tell you about one and why.

During my undergraduate days, 200 level to be precise, was when I first met this lecturer, who's an expert in my course of study. His name is Doc Gbadebo, and he teaches us different courses throughout my university days, from 200 level till I graduate from the university. To start with, what makes him live rent-free in my memory is how he is literally the most knowledgeable among every lecturer we've had in our department and how understandable his lectures usually are, but above that, what catches my attention the most about him is the simple lifestyle he lives despite having a lot.

This is a man who not only lectures in my school but also lectures in two other institutions around me and earns lots of money, but despite the vast amount of money he earns, it'll be surprising to see that his appearance doesn't show that he lives a flashy life, nor do his possessions tell tales of what he actually earns. This lifestyle comes in handy when kidnappers come to my institution to carry out some lectures in order to get ransom; surprisingly, he and only a few junior lecturers were the ones left behind because they thought he was broke due to the lifestyle he lives.

Observing a lifestyle from afar and near has made me understand the need to be moderate in all we do and live a simple lifestyle. You don't need to blow your own trumpet because of what you earn or have for people around you to know you're rich, and that's exactly what I saw in his life. He ended up being my project supervisor in my final year, and I got to know him even more to learn that rather than buying flashy cars, clothes, and houses, he would rather invest in businesses that further grow his wealth in silence, and yet he never flaunts his wealth.

All photos are mine.