Oh Mother, My Teacher
By Ayouba Swaray
I choose this picture because it reminds me of my mother, who too is a Liberian woman who was alive during the midst of the war. I’ve been wanting to write something about my relationship with my mother and this seemed like the perfect picture to go with it. Unfortunately it wasn’t a watkinson picture and had an ironclad copyright hold on it. The picture shows 4 school children sitting in on a lesson, while the instructor is at the board teaching her students the Alphabet. The child at the very end of the seat they’re sitting on is turned around (looking away from the board) while the rest of her peers are attentive and engaged. This reminded me of my relationship with my mother and siblings. While I was told to follow the instructions laid out for me from birth so that I can fulfill the future that’s best for me and my family, as I started establishing my identity, I realized that the teaching went against who I am. No longer can I be under the tutelage as it would mean a complete denial of who I am. So slowly but surely, I educated myself and while I’m grateful for all she’s taught me thus far, I’m afraid it’s time I part ways.