I Thought My Problems Were Normal Until an Elder Looked at Me Once and Told Me the Truth About My Life
My name is John Kiprono, and I live in Nakuru Town, near Pipeline Estate. For a long time, I believed my struggles were just part of life. I worked hard as a boda boda rider, but money never stayed. Relationships failed without clear reasons. I would plan, start something new, and just when things seemed to move, everything collapsed. Friends moved ahead, built homes, bought cars, but I remained stuck. I told myself, “This is normal. Life is hard.”
My days followed the same painful routine. I woke up early, worked until late, yet ended every week borrowing money. Landlords chased me. My phone was always on silent because of creditors. I tried different jobs—shop assistant in Naivasha, night guard in Njoro, even farming back in Baringo—but nothing lasted. I prayed, fasted, and even attended motivational seminars, but deep inside, I felt something was off. Still, I ignored that feeling.
One afternoon, while resting at Afraha Stadium after work, an elderly man sat next to me. He wore a simple coat and leaned on a walking stick. He looked at me once—just once—and said, “Young man, your problems are not normal.” My heart jumped. He told me I was fighting life blindly, treating symptoms instead of the cause. He didn’t ask questions. He just spoke calmly, then stood up and walked away. I sat there frozen, shaken by words that felt too accurate to ignore.
