Freedom

“This is the last Friday of school! I can’t wait to be done and be free!” Those were the words of one of my kids two weeks ago who, I believe, has been waiting for the last day of school since he started in August 2024! Freedom from what exactly? In his mind, freedom is not having to wake up early for school and of course no homework. Fast forward to the present and that same kid is now complaining of boredom because there does not seem to be much for him to do. My child has all the time now to pursue various activities but without a sense of purpose that freedom is not as fun as he thought it would be just a couple of weeks ago.

In contrast, as a child growing up in Kumasi, Ghana, the kind of boredom that my son describes was unheard of to me. Even though my parents were big on education, they generally did not favor any structured academic activities during the long vacation months. It was a time to relax and learn some life skills. Our home was always full during those months with cousins, aunts, uncles, visiting foreign architecture or Rotary International students (courtesy of my dad), friends, cats, dogs, sometimes sheep and goats, and at one point even a turtle. Long vacation, as the summer vacation was called, for us was the time for planting and harvesting corn in our backyard, roasting young corn on the coal pot in the evenings while listening to stories from my parents and grandmother, telling jokes, and playing Scrabble, Ludo, or cards. It was the season for mangoes and avocados (locally called pears) of which there was no shortage in our house on account of one big mango tree and several avocado trees on the compound. The fruits of the Asaa (Miracle) berry tree, which grew behind the house, helped us to enjoy the terribly sour oranges from the only orange tree in the house. There was sour sop, coconuts and guavas. And there were lots of flowers, including my dad’s beloved orchids, cactus, and jasmine tree. (See Photos of the garden from childhood home taken by me in 2017 below). One thing that was banned in our home was sleeping in. We woke up early to complete our chores after which we were free to do whatever until late afternoon.

 

From Left to Right: The Asaa (Miracle Berry) tree, asaa berries, and avocado (pear) tree

 

Orchids and flowering cactus plant

Remnants of the mango tree in the yard

Activities during the long vacation were endless despite the lack of internet, phones, and video games for us. During the day, we lived outdoors with endless walks or bike rides to and from friends' houses on the campus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (popularly called Tech Campus), reading well-thumbed story books that were circulated amongst friends, and occasionally attending shows on campus or in town. It was also an opportunity to shadow my dad on his site visits to the Kumasi Cultural Center, Manhyia Palace, Kumasi Airport, and other places around town. My grandmother liked to knit and sew, my mother liked to bake and sew, and my dad of course loved to sketch building designs. As such there was no shortage of activities the days we stayed indoors because it was an opportunity to be creative. We were encouraged to do something with our hands and minds.

Through my life experiences, including my childhood, I have learned about myself, life, and what freedom means to me. Personally, freedom is the ability to live life and pursue activities that align with my values and purpose in life. It is not about living to please anyone or meeting someone else’s expectations of or for me, regardless of how good their intentions may be. It’s about figuring out my authentic self and my why. The latter to me is a life-long lesson that gets refined and sometimes even redefined over time through good and bad experiences.  My motivation and purpose come from my value system which operates on integrity, humility, respect, authenticity, sustainability, resilience, patience and courage. Added to this are a sense of adventure, optimism, kindness, love for family, friendship, curiosity, creativity, learning, leadership, and best of all, humor. My bag charms are expressions of that freedom I first experienced as a child to wander outdoors, create and allow one’s mind to roam free and express itself in its own unique way. It is my curiosity, love of learning and sense of adventure that led me down the path of entrepreneurship with Design by O.H. 

However, being more of an introvert by nature, I am learning to come out of my shell to share my passion and who I am with the world through my handiwork. I am reminded daily about the quote “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” by Neale Donald Walsch especially when I feel that knot in my stomach as I step into unfamiliar spaces. That uneasiness I sometimes feel about putting myself out there to talk about my business or do social media posts is in fact a sign of growth. I get to learn to be comfortable being myself as I create wearable works of art that are luxurious, quality, beautiful, meaningful and authentic to my values and beliefs, while honing my entrepreneurial skills. My goal is to make products that complement my customers’ beliefs, elevate their style, and remind them not to conform to whatever fashion standards they believe society sets for them but rather to embrace who they are and what they stand for. That is why each charm by Design by O.H. has a name and meaning.

I love all the charms I make but it should come as no surprise, based on what I have shared, that the one that aligns most with my personality is the ‘Ohenewaa’ bag charm! It is made with peacock-colored recycled glass beads from Ghana (also called sandcast beads) mixed with complementary colored Czech fire-polished glass beads and crystals. I assemble the beads and crystals using stainless steel, gold-plated brass, and zinc alloy components, and use wrapped wire loops to ensure each bead is securely attached to the chain. The symbolism of the Ohenewaa bag charm is Quiet Strength. The introvert taps into her creativity, intellect, energy and emotions when all is quiet but watch out when she emerges from her shell because she is a very visible force in all her beauty, confidence and power, just like the vibrant plume of the peacock!    

The Ohenewaa Bag Charm- a symbol of quiet strength

I am happy and excited to be pursuing my passion. The freedom for me to be able to do that is truly priceless. Style has no boundaries and is not about labels. It is about confidently expressing who you are through what you wear and not being shy or afraid to be different. As we celebrate independence, I invite you to get a Design by O.H. bag charm (or two!) which aligns with your beliefs, personality, and style, as you pursue what freedom means to you. Stay true always! 

-       - O.H.