On a sunny afternoon, I heard someone shouting in a shop. It was a voice of a woman. The shout was that of a profuse cry. Then, I listened carefully so as to be sure of what the cry was all about. She started mumbling words in-between her cry. These words were mixture of regrets and curses; “If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought my phone here to charge. The person that stole my phone will never know peace…”.
By this time, people had already move closer to her to ask what exactly the problem was. After listening to her story, they all started reacting either by comforting her or by raining more curses on the thief. Of course, there are some that also prayed for her.
After the incident died down, the woman went back to her own shop. There was this conversation among two women that caught my attention.
First woman: God will definitely punish this thief!
Second woman: Definitely! How can you buy a phone for yourself and someone will just steal it, just like that? Ah, na curse go kill this person.
First woman: I heard she bought it for over fifty thousand naira (#50,000).
Second woman: That’s a lot! I pity her sha o. I don’t think she can quickly recover from it.
First woman: What can we say? God will provide another one for her.
Second woman: Amen o
First woman:(Leaning towards her) One of her neighbours at shop said she advised her not to get that type of phone for now because she wanted to buy it on instalments.
Second woman: Really!?
First woman: yes o. She said she advised her to buy a small phone since she’s not capable of buying the bigger one.
Second woman: So, what you mean now is that she hasn’t completed the payment of the phone until this incident.
First woman: Exactly!
Second woman: She should have listened to her.
First woman: The woman said she tried all her best to convince her but she was so adamant. She said how would she be using a small phone when everybody is using a touchscreen phone.
Secondly woman: She wanted to be like everybody and that has landed her into debt.
First woman: There were various instances whereby she would want to feel among and land herself at the other end. There was a time she bought a costly wedding “asoebi” and she couldn’t pay for her child’s school fees. That time, she would call her husband every now and then for the child’s school fees at shop.
Second woman: That’s incredible! Is it a must to do what you are not capable of now?
First woman: I wonder o. I’m very sure she would learn her lesson now.
“Cut your coat according to your cloth” simply means, according to Oxford Dictionary; to do only what you have enough money to do and no more. Literally, there are some styles you want to sew for the fabric you have but your tailor will tell you that it won’t be enough unless you add some materials or change your style for the fabric to be enough. Therefore, there are some things you can’t afford for now; it’s either you wait until you can afford it or buy an alternative. You can’t afford to ruin your life, career, home, academics, and so on by not spending as much money as you can afford.
That woman went on to buy a phone on credit which she couldn’t afford, and now, the phone has been stolen. Even if it was not stolen, she landed herself in debt because she refused to cut her coat according to her cloth.
Make plans and decisions that are based on what you have. A Yoruba Saying says “Ṣe bo ti mọ, ẹlẹwà sapon”. Do the best you can with the resources you have.
Don’t be looking for a flat when you are yet to afford a room! Don’t buy “asoebi” that will cost you your daily bread! Don’t spend more than you have on wedding day only to start living in hunger during marriage! Don’t buy a phone that will cost you your school fees!
Sincerely, there are so many examples and instances that I can’t even think of now. You just have to learn how to get along happily in whatever state you are; either in abundance or otherwise, after all, we didn’t bring anything with us into this world, and we can never carry anything along when we are leaving. The more reason why you should live your life by the resources you have.
Don’t live beyond your means.
NOTE: The popular saying: “Cut your Coat according to your Size” is a wrong expression. The correct one is “Cut your Coat according to your Cloth”. You can find out more on it.
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