Useful tests in life...

I can still remember having to prove to my father that I could change a tyre before I was allowed to drive the car on my own. When told this, my sister-in-law said that it would not be necessary but years later, she was alone on the North South Expressway, waiting for help. But then again, what could have been useful, might prove to be risky with today's lawlessness. A 'good samaritan' might turn out to be a robber or even rapist. While on this subject, I hold the view that it is better to drive on to a safe place than to wait alone, especially for a female. Once, even though I was capable of changing a tyre, it was midnight and at the dangerous 310.6 on NSE, we waited for Plus Rhonda who had the equipment for warning others. Till today, I still think it was a wise decision.

When my elder daughter was on her first trip to UK alone, I made a wise decision to contact my nephew in London (against my wife's idea) who overslept and she had to wait for some two hours before he arrived at Heathrow Airport. When my younger daughter was on her first trip, again my nephew offered and again, I felt it was wise of me to accept his offer because the cab driver did not turn up (even though confirmed before arrival) and she had to spend the night at my nephew's place. The university sent another cab for free the next day while the cab driver offered a free trip next time which I think she did not take up the offer. The moral of my story is that even though my daughters were supposed to look after themselves, I would not wish upon them to go through unnecessary trouble and possible trauma being alone in a new country. Let's have a look at how the American Indians test their youths:

The legend of the American Indian youth's rite of Passage.

The youth’s father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified.

He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.