I Learned 3 Things...

“You Can Look So Much Like a Thing, and Not Be It.”

Last Saturday, I followed my mum to the market and observed three things.

The shop assistant, Muhammad, did not sound the way he looked. He is a tall, dark-skinned northern Nigerian who trades in the southern part of the country. He deals in grains of every kind — rice, millet, groundnuts. He’s pleasing to look at — quite handsome, I must say. Maybe 20, or somewhere around that age. He has a strong build but a calm demeanour — a trait common among northerners.

Muhammad stood quietly while my mum negotiated with the shop owner, Alhaji. He obeyed instructions — brought samples when needed, offered a stool, carried bags, and did other tasks.

At first, Muhammad felt like a background character — the kind that helps the icons stand out. I did not find him unique. I did not even notice his features until he spoke. But when he did, my attention was drawn. My interest was awakened. The plain, handsome man became alive. The background became the centre of the frame.

It was not about how articulate he was, or his fluency or intellect. It was about the sound — the way his lips, teeth, and tongue worked together as air passed through his throat.

He sounded like a southerner. A proper one. One who has their blood flowing through his veins. One birthed in their rivers and who drank their garri from the womb. A true son of the southern soil.

I realized I had assumed Muhammad would sound like Alhaji — maybe not exactly, but somewhere within that range. At least his speech should represent the heritage of the face he carries. Instead, his voice belonged elsewhere.

I watched him work — moving from one sack of rice to another, from a bag of groundnut to a sack of millet. He moved with vigour and intention. With every posture he took, my mind whispered, How can this be?

The answer came like a cool Atlantic breeze — one you cannot ignore. It whispered to my heart: You can look so much like a thing, and not be it.

Just because you have the resources or the physical “traits” doesn’t make you a citizen or associate of that group.

True access comes from within, not from the external.

What defines you is not your look or your assets. What defines you is your mindset.

Where you belong is determined by your heart — the conscious and subconscious inclinations of it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23 (MSG):

“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.”

.

Muhammad is as southern as Osamudiamen Nosakhare — because of the influence that has penetrated his heart.

And that’s lesson one.

Remember the scripture: “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.”

For the other two lessons... you’ll have to stay tuned. 😉