Why I Keep Writing Stories About Ordinary People

 

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

I have always liked stories about ordinary people. People who wake up every morning and face life as it comes. People who have dreams but may not have enough money, support or opportunity to achieve them easily. I like the mother who wakes up early to prepare food for her children, the student who keeps trying even when school is difficult, the young person who has a dream but does not know how to begin, and the person who goes through a hard day and still finds a reason to smile. These people may not be famous, but their lives are full of stories.

Growing up and living in Nigeria has made me notice many of these stories. You can find them almost everywhere. They are in the streets, schools, markets, buses, offices and homes. Sometimes, all it takes is paying attention. A woman selling food by the roadside may be doing more than just selling food. She may be working hard to take care of her children. A young boy walking home from school may be thinking about the kind of person he wants to become. A father sitting quietly after work may be thinking about how to provide for his family. We may pass these people every day without knowing what they are carrying in their hearts.

That is one reason I write. I want to tell stories that people can recognise. I want my readers to meet characters who feel real and situations that do not seem far from their own lives. I want someone to read one of my stories and remember a person they know, a place they have been or something they have experienced. Sometimes, a story does not have to be about something very big to mean something to someone. A small moment can stay with a person for a long time.

I also believe that every person has a story worth telling. We often celebrate people after they become successful, but we do not always talk about the years when they were struggling, making mistakes and trying to find their way. Those parts of life matter too. I enjoy writing about people who are still becoming who they want to be. They may fall, make wrong choices, lose hope for a while and then try again. To me, there is something beautiful about that kind of story because it is close to real life.

I write because I believe ordinary lives deserve attention too. Not every story needs a famous person, a rich family or a big event. Sometimes, a story about a girl trying to help her mother, a boy chasing a dream, a family facing a difficult time or two people meeting at the right moment can say something important about life. These are the stories that interest me, and they are the stories I want to keep telling.

As a journalist and writer, I am still learning. Every story teaches me something new about people and about myself. I may not have all the answers, and I know I still have a lot to learn, but I know why I write. I write for people whose stories may never appear in the newspaper or on television. I write for people who are trying, hoping, failing and starting again. Most of all, I write because I believe that the story of an ordinary person can touch someone's heart.