Thought Picnic: The business of not becoming arboreal fish

When fins are not limbs

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This saying is usually attributed to Albert Einstein, but there is much controversy as to whether he ever said these words. Whilst it is important to responsibly source the provenance of a quote, we should not be distracted from the import of the uncredited aphorism.

There are times I have wasted my energy as a fish trying to climb a tree. I moderate and caution myself in how I represent myself, hoping not to use the negative to incapacitate my ability, just in case, I find the insight eventually to excel in an area where heretofore I could not begin to believe I had the means or wherewithal to have a voice.

Collapsing the plinths of adulation

Just over 6 months ago, I was contacted enthusiastically about a business proposition, that appeared to have scope and prospect even if the basic idea was in need of refinement. With me being looked upon as a leader, I immediately put aside my doubts, more personally about what I could do that I did not pose the essential questions to help refine the focus.

Strangely, I felt quite uncomfortable that demands would be made of me that would leave me exposed even as I did not want to disappoint my beloved interlocutor nor dampen their passion. As I was in the midst of planning some personal activities, I put the thoughts aside.

About a week ago, I saw that the sketchy ideas that were discussed had taken root and gained a vehicle of expression. This dream had become a reality and the next stage of marketing had begun, this is place where this person had all the expertise to carry a product to a market and begin to make a business that met a need.

Encourage creative expression

In trying to escape from the trite, I opined to another, “I'm glad you're getting to do what you love, nothing as fulfilling as doing things that are impactful; food leaves a memory and creates an enduring desire to relive the moment. It comes from the artistry and expertise that produces it in the first place.”

Someone who had taken the joy of cooking to the point of creating an online kitchen and fulfilling orders was having a time of their life, I could only be pleased for them. Yet, in me, there was that fish again attempting to climb a tree. I needed to provide encouragement without the use of clichés, recognise that what was being done was more than commendable and avoid allowing my sense of inadequacy get in the way of earned and deserved acknowledgement.

There are people who see us as sources of inspiration, living up to that kind reverence that we decline in self-deprecation and apparent lack of achievement in our own eyes presents a chasm between where we are placed and where we place ourselves. Our modesty becomes a refuge from the responsibility demanded of our counsel, guidance, and advice.

Not everyone can do business

Entrenching the accolades, I was offering, I averred, “It’s a journey you’ve started, and it will get better and more rewarding.” The process of setting up is hard, it takes a lot of perseverance to keep at it and make a success of it.

In the end, combining the separate events of two people taking their dreams to the market and working on growing their custom, I found I could still remain a fish, though not one trying to climb trees; just one that is naturally suited to its environment and thriving therein, a fish in freshwater, swimming in the abundance of life and resources.

“The spirit of business is an awesome thing, it's not something I have had much insight or acumen in, I am just a knowledge person. I think it takes amazing ability and talent to build a business around ideas meeting a need and I wish you the very best.”

Being an entrepreneur demands the skill, the drive and the expertise I have not realised currently I possess, my kind of fish is not striving to climb trees, yet, for everyone who had been able to take an idea to the place of selling a product growing in demand, you have found waters in which you can be the best fish you can ever be. Swim, live long and prosper.

A youth driven from wisdom

I move with comfort

For long I have been amazingly wise in my own conceit and survived my journeys with means well provided.

In Amsterdam, the bicycle comes in handy for most trips till I saw the playback of my big fall in the slippery icy patch that was just 10 metres ahead, indeed, I did fall and great was my fall as my pride was dented in the presence of no one to observe.

Wet as it was, I dusted off myself and swore never to ride in thawing snow again. For short and long trips for convenience a taxi-cab has sufficed, the bus comes in handy if the landmarks at embarking and destination are clear.

Trams and metros could be fun if there is a place to sit, trains are such a bliss for long journeys, if there is time then the plane loses out. Before I fell ill I used a cane for a sometimes troublesome back, I became a lot slower when my feet succumbed to cancer and I had to use elbow crutches. The feet are mostly healed but a bit of support will help the full rehabilitation of my walk and gait.

No contraband in cars

However, at over 40 I do not know how to drive, that has a history I dare not repeat and a refrain I would be smart to keep quiet.

My cousin came all the way from London last Saturday having driven in his car, the advantage of car travel in Europe cannot be overstated, in his last journey I had goodly cooked Yoruba stew brought over, a thing you cannot accomplish by air travel.

His journey was probably the best part of 7 hours or less, including the ferry connection from Dover to Calais, just about the time it would take by train, but with booking in times and interchanges you might add another two.

Driven to wash

At 45, my cousin has been driving for 33 years; he loved to wash his father’s car and in the process got to move it back and forth to the point that there was enough confidence to handle the car.

I never like those activities, washing the car came usually as punishment for some misdemeanour rather than a present willingness to be helpful, I did jump at opportunities to change punctured tyres though because I knew to do that from when I was 8.

In some ways, I was a child of privilege, my father had a driver and sometimes two official cars, it was the driver’s job to ensure his office was in order, we were sometimes stopped from fraternising with the staff, but never escaped rebuke if we disrespected the staff – there wasn’t much you could do if the staff were the carers when our parents were out though.

Mobile parenting

So as my mates got out of secondary school and assumed the responsibility of being in post-secondary education, they had about 4 of 5 years of driving experience behind them, I did not because my dad decided the cars were too heavy to learn anything on and I did not pursue the idea of driving school because my expert colleagues began relieving the drivers in the weekends.

I just was not going to stand for that kind of treatment, but I learnt something new about the experience of driving your parents and their friends at that age – there are some conversations, insights, meetings and experiences that would never happen in any other environment but when you drive your forebears to places, what they talk about, who they meet, who you get introduced to and some indeterminate network that you end up building along with a certain relationship of trust.

Steering into wisdom

I would appear if you drove your parents at that age, you became an adult to them a quicker and you earn a level of respect that others have to struggle at by coming first at school by 10 percentage points or you have underperformed.

Suddenly, as my cousin shared that opinion I was slightly overcome with the shame of thinking how lowly the job of driving was that I never drove or properly learnt to drive, there was a repository of insight I missed out on – but then I can no more cry over split milk.

I still dream of having my own car and for all said and done, it would probably be a Bentley Continental because in my view it comes standard with a chauffeur. Like I clearly stated to a chauffeur service I had in my last contract, the whole purpose for having a big car is to sit in the back seat with room to stretch and read your papers, not at the steering wheel.

If you really must drive a luxurious car you own, then get you a two-seater vehicle or a trailer cab and put it in top gear.