When I returned to Takoradi, I linked up with my good old friends. We enjoyed some childhood games, visited some indigenous places, had freshly prepared local meals, and enjoyed some sceneries. Along the way, Apollos said, “Bro, you haven’t forgotten about where you are from and it is interesting how you are still in touch with the traditions after years of being away.”
He made mention of how one of our friends returned home just after six months of being out of town. According to him, the young man seemed not to even understand his mother tongue, Fante, anymore. When the elders asked questions in his native language, he would ask them what they meant. He claimed not to eat gari. It was not medical advice, but to him, that was not food for humans anymore. He only preferred assorted rice.
Initially, I was surprised when I heard that. This was someone I knew very well. Growing up, we used to play draughts, ludo, football and other games together. We ate whatever was prepared without thinking about anything. We spoke proudly about our hometown, family, values, and experiences that shaped us. Apparently, this is someone born and bred in Sekondi- Takoradi who left about 6 months ago, only to return in this manner.
Now, this is the same young man that I was told he was mocking the traditions he once valued. He seemed determined to erase every trace of where he came from and had adopted beliefs that contradicted convictions he had passionately defended only months earlier.
As I listened, I tried to figure out what was really happening to the young man. I realised that he was adapting to new environments and cultures. Cultural adaptation is good but in his case, adaptation seemed to have slowly become abandonment. Exposure broadens perspective. It challenges assumptions and helps people learn from cultures beyond their own.
The problem, however, arises when openness becomes rootlessness. We live in a time of unprecedented cultural exposure. Everyday introduces new ways of thinking,dressing, working, worshipping, relating, and defining success. Cultural adaptation often creates an invisible pressure to fit in, appear modern, or avoid seeming outdated.
There is nothing wrong with admiring aspects of another culture and trying to incorporate them into our lives. I have been with Nigerians, especially Igbos for some time to the extent that sometimes people mistake me for a Nigerian. Obviously when you are with some people for quite a while, you will learn a couple of things from them. Sometimes, you may unintentionally sound like them because of proximity. But, that doesn’t make you one of them naturally. I have always maintained that I am the charcoal seller’s son from Takoradi.
I believe that the challenge, therefore, is not choosing between tradition and change. It is learning which changes deserve adoption and which changes require caution. Healthy adaptation resembles a tree. A tree grows new branches, responds to changing seasons, and adjusts to weather conditions. Yet, it remains rooted. Its growth does not require abandoning its foundation.
This is what many of us need today. Many people are losing themselves through countless small compromises; a borrowed opinion here, a false identity there, a hidden conviction somewhere else. The mistake is adapting without reflection. Yes, we should have the courage to learn without copying verbatim, have the humility to change without erasing ourselves, and the confidence to remain authentic yet teachable.
The older I become, the more I realise that there is wisdom in examining ideas carefully rather than accepting or rejecting them automatically. The most important questions I have learnt to ask is this : does this change align with my values or am I embracing it just to gain approval? Well, the goal of adaptation is not to become someone else but to become a wiser version of yourself.
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