The duality of me

Dr. Job Mogire and his sisters - the twins - Catherine and Risper during the launch of Embody: Shift your Mindset in 30-Days

Today, I'd like to share with you a poem that captures the essence of poetry: absurdity, truth, and profound pain. It embodies the story of my life, a tapestry of contrasts and correlations. It refers to my resolve to accept life's gifts and reciprocate them in ways that elevate my being.

In a world where the scales of fate often tip with unequal measure, I have made peace with the asymmetry of life's offerings. I recognize that this is a difficult lesson to learn. The duality of life—a dichotomy of love and hate, desire and necessity—has fractured the resolve of countless hearts, leaving them adrift in the tumult of existence.

Yet, I stand resolved to reconcile the opposing forces within me and harness my experiences as stepping stones to personal growth and accomplishment. My journey, a bittersweet experience where love bloomed within the confines of home but withered in the face of societal judgment, left so many scars. 

I acknowledge the challenges, in which being different brought its own set of grief and rejection and also came with counterexperiences. In the fields of mathematics and language, I found refuge in the realm of academia, where rejection held no sway. And from this crucible of  contradiction emerged a resilience that knows no bounds, a hunger for success that fuels the fires of ambition.

My hope is that, by exploring these contradictions, we might discover deeper truths about ourselves. So I ask you to accompany me on this journey of self-discovery, for it is in the unmasking of our contradictions that we find the sweet nectar of self-discovery.

Enjoy.

The contradition of perfect imbalance such is our life

From the heart of Kenya

To endless halls abroad,

My journey is a blend

Of contrasts and convergences.

Born into a world that taught me

pain because I was different,

I found solace in academia,

where numbers and words

became my allies

against a backdrop of rejection.

My childhood was a paradox:

cherished at home, dearly,

but ostracized in Sengera village, relentlessly.

But in this duality,

I discovered my resilience,

my hunger, and my drive.

The sports fields

were not my triumph at all;

my eyesight was too hazy,

and my steps... too slow.

The only running I could do,

was running out of breath.

Yet, in the realm of bookwork,

I found the release,

making the classroom my battleground,

where I wielded knowledge

like a shield,

defending my place in the world,

unlocking doors to worlds

where my unique gifts could shine bright.

Classroom victories

became keys to worlds yonder,

though they also bore

the weight of isolation,

a reminder of the dual worlds

I navigated since childhood.

My journey was, in essence,...

a relentless pursuit of acceptance,

a sprint towards a finish line

that seemed forever out of reach.

It wasn't until the pinnacle of my career

I understood: the race was mine alone!

My life's milestones

are a testament to my journey,

each deserving of celebration,

not as grand victories

but as the precious,

hard-won steps of my path.

I am now

in a season of reflection,

I find myself crafting stories.

I can't help it.

These are not tales of triumph,

but narratives of authenticity,

raw vulnerability, I hope.

I draw from the wells

of my diverse experiences  —

from the lush landscapes of Kisii

to the historic streets of Edinburgh,

from the vibrant heart of Nairobi

to the academic rigor of Kansas

and Oklahoma and Harvard.

Each story is a piece of me,

a moment captured in the evolution

of my life - season after season.

I hunger to share these stories,

not as a sage on a pedestal,

but as a fellow traveler

on this messy journey of life.

Through social media and elsewhere,

may I weave my imperfect tales,

aiming to inspire, engage,

and provoke thought.

My voice is direct, I hope,

my language is simple,

because, at heart,

I am still a village boy,

from Sengera village.

Each post, video, and audio piece

is a reflection of my journey,

a snapshot of a life

lived in the pursuit of freedom,

of transformation beyond

anything I ever dreamt.

As I share my journey,

I invite you to embrace your stories too.

To find comfort in our shared struggles,

to draw strength from our ordinary resilience.

My narrative is not just mine but a mirror

to countless untold stories

waiting to be acknowledged,

waiting to be celebrated,

and waiting to be learned from.

Join me on this journey,

in the pursuit of release,

in the celebration of small victories,

in the embrace of shared humanity.

Amid this journey of reflecting,

doubts whisper like shadows at dusk.

Questions linger in my mind,

Am I revealing too much?

Is my voice echoing in an empty hall?

The vulnerability of laying my soul bare

brings both a release

and waves of unspoken fear.

What if my stories, my truths,

don't resonate as I hope they would?

Yet, I grapple with these doubts quietly,

they are the silent companions

of every soul daring to be authentic.

I remind myself again and again

the power of shared experience

lies not in universal acclaim,

but in the quiet moments of connection,

even with one or another,

when one heart whispers back,

"I see you, I hear you, I understand."

This path I've chosen,

questing for openness and honesty,

is my act of defiance against the silence

that too often colors our earnest struggles.

In facing my doubts,

may I find strength,

a deeper sense of purpose,

a validation that even in uncertainty,

there is a story worth telling,

a lesson worth learning,

a heart worth touching.

So, I march forward,

with the confidence of knowing

that in vulnerability lies strength,

and in sharing honestly,

we find our shared humanity.

These doubts, while ever-present,

remind me that my journey—our journey—

is one of constant growth,

never-ending discovery,

and the courage to embrace

every facet of our being.

Even now, right this moment...

doubts weave through my thoughts.

Shadows question my faith.

Am I enough?

Have I done enough?

Can the words I share here

truly make a difference?

I grapple with these uncertainties,

not with fear,

but with a bold heart,

knowing that growth

lives in the soil of

earnest introspection and challenge.

My name is Job Mogire,

a heart doctor, a storyteller,

a seeker of truths and a sharer of wisdom.

In Sengera village,

they call me Chobu,

a nickname that echoes

with the singular laughter and tears

of a village that built me

and broke me in equal measure.

Sengera village,

is the place where my journey began,

filled with memories

that both haunt me

and inspire my path forward.

In this dance of light and shadow,

I continue to write,

humbly to share, to inspire,

embracing both

my doubts and my strengths.

In the balance of both

may I find my true self,

and perhaps,

help others find theirs, too.

Yours truly,

Chobu