The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

When I think back to school, the truth is, I don’t really remember having a favourite subject. I wasn’t the kind of student you’d find lost in books or clinging to the teacher’s every word. My mind was elsewhere—preoccupied with the world, with thoughts that felt much bigger than the classroom. I was constantly worrying, maybe thinking about things I shouldn’t have been at that age, weighed down by thoughts I couldn’t always explain.

What I did love was the feeling of a football at my feet. Out on the pitch, everything else fell away. My head was clear, my focus sharp. I’d become a machine, almost a monster, with only one aim: to play well and win. Football gave me an outlet, a place to channel all the anger, determination, and drive that had nowhere else to go.

My team? We were the outcasts, the misfits. The ones who didn’t quite fit in or had something about them that kept them on the outskirts. I made it a point to bring them in, to say, “Come play with us. You’re part of the team.” There was something special about us—a sense of loyalty and banter that I didn’t find anywhere else. We stuck together. And on the pitch, it wasn’t just about the game; it was about belonging. In a place where kids can be crude and cruel, we had our little crew.

Looking back, I suppose I did find some enjoyment in history, mainly for the storytelling. Art gave me a way to express myself without words, in abstract shapes and colours. Maths, oddly enough, interested me for its patterns, and technology felt like a natural fit because even then, I loved computers and gadgets. But I never really cared about academics as much as others did. Being placed in the lowest sets by the system, I figured that maybe I just wasn’t bright enough. But Alhamdulilah, every setback has its lesson.

Where I am now, I realise how wrong that system was. I worked hard, found my path, and proved to myself that I’m as sharp as anyone. I don’t need a ranking or a label to validate that. Over the years, I’ve found I can hold my own with the best of them, whether they’ve got a PhD or no qualifications at all. I’m adaptable, and I’m driven by my past experiences to support those the system overlooks.

This brings me to a bigger point: the system needs a serious rethink. Everyone deserves a fair shot, no matter where they come from, whether they’re rich or poor. There shouldn’t be “sets” or boxes that define your worth or limit your potential. We’re all capable of more than a label can show.

In the end, maybe I never had a favourite subject because, for me, life itself has been the lesson. And, honestly, it’s been the best teacher of all.