Culture and What It Means to Me + My Own View on Waste of Time

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Culture to me is simply the way we live and do things. It’s about our food, the way we dress, how we greet elders, how we celebrate, how we pray, and even how we speak. It is something that makes us unique and different from others. Where I come from, Nigeria, culture is very rich and deep. I’m from the Yoruba tribe, and in Yoruba land, we have our own ways of greeting, cooking, talking, dressing, and even dancing.

For example, as a Yoruba person, you must know how to greet properly. Young people kneel or prostrate for elders, especially in the morning or when they meet someone older. We also have special food like amala, ewedu, egusi, and pounded yam that always appear in big events or family gatherings. We love music and drumming, especially talking drums during traditional parties or weddings. All this is part of our culture.

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To me, culture is not only about what our ancestors did. Culture can also grow and change with time. I feel it’s not just about tradition, it’s also about our values and how we relate with people around us. Some people still see culture as old things that don’t make sense again, but I think it’s what shapes our daily lifestyle, even in small things like the respect we give to people, or how we behave in public.

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One culture I like and would love to practice more is the Japanese way of discipline and politeness. I watch Japanese movies and anime, and I love how respectful they are. The way they bow when greeting, how they take off shoes before entering house, and even how they package food with care. I also admire how they put pride in everything they do whether big or small.

Now talking about “waste of time”, everyone has their own meaning. For me, waste of time is doing something that adds nothing to your life. Something that won’t help your future, your mind or your peace. For example, spending hours gossiping or watching random videos online when you have better things to do is waste of time. Or trying to please people that don’t care about you that one na serious waste of time.

But I also believe that rest and relaxation is not waste of time, as long as it’s not too much. Sometimes, we need to rest well so that we can think better and work better.

In summary, culture is what connects us to who we really are. Even though we can admire other people’s culture, our own culture gives us a strong identity. And wasting time is just doing anything that gives you nothing back in return. Let’s all try to use our time wisely, while still enjoying and respecting culture both ours and others’.