When I started using Biro in my
primary school, and I made a
mistake, I would try hard to
erase it. Sometimes I would use
chalk, but later it would
reappear. So I began to use saliva, it worked only to leave
holes in my book. My teachers then used to beat me
for being outrageously dirty. But all
I tried to do was cover my errors.
One day, a kind hearted teacher
who loved me so much called me
aside. “Makinde, anytime you make a mistake, just cross it and move on. Trying to erase it would only
damage your book”. “But, I don’t want people to see my
mistake and laugh at me”, I
protested. “Trying to erase it will make more
people know about your mess, and
the stigma is for life” Have you made a mistake, cross it
and move on. Don’t try to create more
irredeemable errors by trying within
your power to erase it. To err is human.
