“My son, don’t be anybody’s horse” – Abass Fuseini Sbaabe writes 

When I was a child, the compound was our playground—a world of imagined kingdoms and reckless laughter. One sunny afternoon, my siblings and I turned the yard into a racetrack. In my eagerness to show off my strength, I volunteered to play the horse. With energy and pride, I got down on all fours, carrying the other kids on my back, racing them from one end of the compound to the other.

I was the favorite ride of the day—cheered on by delighted voices and surrounded by laughter. To my young mind, I was a hero, the strong one. I thought I was impressing everyone… until I looked up and saw my father standing silently in the corner of the yard.

His eyes locked onto mine—not with pride, but with piercing disappointment. He said nothing, but I knew I had crossed an invisible line. I immediately asked the boy on my back to get off and slipped away to a quiet corner of the compound. But his gaze followed me, stern and unreadable.

Later, he called me into his room. He didn’t yell. He didn’t beat me. He just looked at me and said something I will never forget:

“My son, do not be anybody’s horse. That is servitude.”

He continued, slowly and deliberately:

“You are playing, I know. But even in play, do not choose the role that puts you beneath others. If there must be a thief, be the policeman. If there must be a master and a servant, be the master. What you choose to be, even in play, follows you in life.”

That moment changed something in me. I had thought strength was about carrying weight, about pleasing others. But my father taught me that true strength lies in dignity—in how you carry yourself, in the roles you accept, and in how you let others perceive you.

That simple afternoon lesson has shaped my mindset ever since. In every space I’ve entered, I’ve remembered my father’s words. I’ve reminded myself: never volunteer for roles that diminish your worth. Whether in school, at work, or in public life, I’ve learned to choose positions that reflect the value I see in myself.

And today, I share this lesson with you:

Don’t be anybody’s horse.
Even in play, train your mind to reach higher.
The roles you accept, even casually, can mold your future.
Respect yourself enough to aim for leadership, dignity, and purpose.

Because the world may cheer you for letting others ride on your back—but your future will judge you by how you saw yourself.

Comrade Abass Fuseini Sbaabe