Sometimes we need stories that will give us a reality check about life in general.
Read Josaia Turagacati’s story in the Business section today and be inspired.
Better known as Josh, this barber is a man of many talents.
Now he owns and runs his very own barber shop in the heart of the Capital City.
It wasn’t easy sailing though for Josh.
Life started off on the wrong foot if you can call it that.
He was still quite young when he discovered his mum dead.
Josh’s father was a subsistence farmer struggling to support his children and his wife, Josh’s mother, who suffered from epilepsy.
We learn that lack of understanding and compassion for his mother’s illness from much of his community meant Josh was forced to come to terms with being judged unfairly, and having to live with humiliation and criticism at a very young age.
Life wasn’t fair when, still struggling to cope with all the challenges thrown his way, his mother died.
And as his father struggled to keep the family together, health issues including Josh suffering major burns meant the children had to be sent off to live with relatives and friends.
And it wasn’t a bed of roses being forced to live such a life.
It was difficult to find stability, and this was made worse by the mistreatment he often suffered at the hands of some of those assigned to care for him.
He remembers being forced to tough it out without a proper meal during his Eighth Year Examination as a 13-year-old.
“Looking at all those things, the rhythms of experiences that happened in my life, it brings pain and I count it as blades that cut within.
The lines represent the journey along the lines.
So, the name Blade Lines (his barbershop) reveals the experiences of a person struggling to make ends meet,” he shared.
He speaks fondly of his work as a barber, relating a lot of what he does today to his experiences as a youngster starting out in life.
He never expected nor planned to be a barber, but unable to afford further studies, he slowly made the transition to a profession he now holds dear to his heart.
He talks about how a Bible seminar as a young man changed his life, and empowered him to discover his purpose in life and the drive and passion to pursue it.
Having endured so much hardship, and now that his father has health issues, he’s still motivated to make something of his life.
Josh’s story is a powerful reminder about the human spirit.
It speaks highly about resilience and places commitment, determination and a willingness to overcome challenges on a very high plane.
Sometimes, we just need to be reminded about the challenges others have overcome, to motivate us to live life to the brim.
