Yhem Speaks

Growing up, we were taught to admire certain paths and quietly dismiss others.
University degrees were the goal.
White-collar jobs were the dream.

Intelligence looked a certain way.
It sounded academic.
It came with certificates.
It showed up in offices, titles, and well-spoken answers. Anything outside that frame felt secondary or admirable but not quite it.
Anything that involved working with your hands felt like a backup plan, something you did only if nothing else worked out.
At least, that’s how we understood it then.

Professions  like Hairdressers, Fashion designers, Mechanics, Photographers, Makeup artists and Chefs weren’t careers we were encouraged to train for seriously. They were skills people picked up along the way, not something you committed to through proper training or internships. Everyone was focused on getting a degree, often without any basic skill to fall back on. Status mattered more than sustainability.
Looking back now, adulthood has a way of changing your perspective.
Because today, many of the skills we once looked down on are the very ones creating independence, stability, and real income. They are businesses. They are livelihoods. They are proof that hardworking hands still matter.

I had a friend in college who loved makeup. She sold makeup products and practiced her craft consistently, even when it wasn’t glamorous. We teased her. We gave her a nickname “Makeup Girl“. On days she couldn’t afford to restock her products, we laughed, thinking it was harmless. However, she never gave up.
We’re no longer close, but I see her work online now. She’s confident, focused and thriving in her business. Every time I come across her page, I feel a quiet sense of pride mixed with reflection. This isn’t because she proved anyone wrong, but because she stayed committed to what she loved when it would have been easier to stop.

Adulthood has taught me to unlearn judgment.
To unlearn the idea that intelligence looks only one way.
To unlearn the belief that dignity comes only from titles.
To unlearn the habit of measuring people by how impressive their work sounds, instead of how dedicated they are to it.
I’ve learned that skills empower,
consistency pays and no honest source of income deserves to be mocked.

Life is complicated. The future is uncertain. The truth is, many of us are only one shift away from needing the very skills we once ignored.

As adults, whether we are parents now, intending parents, or simply people shaping younger lives; it matters that we rethink the messages we pass on. Not every child will follow a traditional path, and not every interest needs to look impressive early to become valuable later.
Encouraging skills doesn’t limit dreams. It widens them.
Because sometimes, the things a child is naturally drawn to, the things they enjoy quietly and consistently might become the steady ground they stand on confidently when plans change.

I’m still learning.
I’m still unlearning.
Mostly, I’m learning to respect effort, to value honest work in all its forms, and to remember that success might take time, just keep going when no one is clapping yet because it will eventually happen.

Adulthood doesn’t change what intelligence is. It just widens your understanding of it. Once, you see that, it becomes harder to look down on honest work.

With Stories Always,

Yhem 💕