Someone once said, the earth is like a jungle and every human
has her own place in it. This does not mean that human beings are animals, but
that every human being has characteristics similar to a particular animal’s
behavioral features. If you were to be an animal, which one would best align to
your behavior? Please note, the question is not which one you would like to be
but which animal best replicates your characteristics. Be objective while
answering this question.
No man is an island. One person may possess the greatest
ideas, but he needs to get people who understand his ideas in order for them to
come true. None of us can exist alone, we need people for everything. This Jungle can also be replicated at the
camp. Usually, every batch during an orientation period is nothing less than
one thousand and five hundred graduates who are all from different backgrounds
and possess distinct behavioral characteristics.
Immediately you enter the camp, the search for a familiar
face or a friendly person begins. Sometimes, it is for the wrong reasons, other
times it’s because we are lonely. If you are fortunate and positive about life,
you will get to meet people who think like you while on camp. Occasionally, in
a magical moment, we find the right person. It could be from the Community
Development Service (CDS) groups we are likely to join or even our room mates
or various platoons. What is important is that we are not alone and that we
have someone to mingle with.
The camping activities have made socializing a lot easier.
There are only ten platoons at the camp and everyone is divided amongst the ten
with the last digit of your registration number being same as your platoon
number. For example, BY/11B/0620 having the last digit 0 is in platoon 10. Every
platoon must compete in the inter platoon competition in a series of activities
and only one will emerge winner. Also, CDSes provide a huge platform for social
interaction. In the jungle, animals prefer to run with their own kind, but for
humans, they run with people who they think like or are aspiring to think like.
Unlike animals, humans are influenced by those who they do
not even think like or want to think like by constant interaction with them.
The saying, evil communication corrupts good manners is needed here. Though
everyone at the camp is a graduate, not everyone graduated properly in the
school of morals, and even positive mindedness. Be careful not be wrongly socialized.
On the other hand, things take a leap when you find yourself
in good company and amongst those who push you towards your dreams. They may be
hard to find at first, but being you is the key to finding true friends. CDSes
are a good way of making friends. Since they are joined voluntarily, it is most
likely that up to 75 percent of members of that group share its objective. If
its objective aligns or falls within your life’s mantra, it means you have
found a place where most people may think like you do. That is not to say that
there are those who will be displaced even if they belong to that group and like
every team, there are active players and passive players. It is in this, that
you will see who is really who.
Now we’ve dealt with the outside, what about finding out whom
really these people are? You cannot come to a reasonable conclusion within just
three weeks. Although, there is room for exception, issues concerning
friendship must not have caution thrown into the wind. You have to take time to
constantly observe people and test them, not to exploit their weaknesses, but to
know who they truly are. Socialising also gives us time to find out who we
ourselves really are. You would be shocked what other people think of you,
especially sometimes when their opinions are completely different from what you
thought yourself to be.
Like everything we do in life, we must involve people. We can’t
do without them. Sadly, some of us enter the camp alone and leave alone. What a
total waste of three weeks! Those set of people will definitely have problems
when it comes to networking. You’ve got to be a baby before becoming an adult. If
you can’t build friendships, how can you ensure successful business
relationships? If you see yourself as a shy person or a loner, see the camp as
a place to build yourself. Take up duties you normally wouldn’t and try to
spark up a conversation even if you aren’t sure how the next person would
respond. The only way to overcome being shy, is to talk. You must face your
worst fear, whether it’s talking to people or acting on a stage and the camp is
a good head start.
Love and man are almost the same, because man was created in
love. No wonder we all search for it, sometimes in the wrong ways and from the
wrong places. But the fact is we all want to be loved. Talking, learning,
understanding, laughing and being with people is all part of life and no one
should be denied that. Socialize its all part of the camp life too.
CHINONSO DANIELLA EDEH
BY/11B/0665
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