Good Night, Mr. Communicator! | Maxwell Guma's Story
GOOD NIGHT, MR. COMMUNICATOR!: THE NIGHT MY AMBITION BECAME A JOKE
How a simple question about my university ambition became an unforgettable encounter.
By Maxwell Guma
In 2024, while preparing for university admission, I was working at a hospitality establishment in Abuja. I had written the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, applied to a university, and was waiting for an admission offer.
Like many young Nigerians hoping to secure a place in higher education, I had a vision for my future. I knew the course I wanted to study, even though I could not yet see exactly where the journey would lead.
Then came one night that turned an ordinary work shift into an experience I would not easily forget.
An Ordinary Assignment, An Unexpected Question
While on duty that night, I was asked to attend to a guest in one of the rooms. When I arrived, he requested that I connect the room’s Wi-Fi to the television.
It seemed like a routine task. I approached the television and began setting it up.
Suddenly, the guest asked, “What is your name?”
“My name is Maxwell,” I replied.
He followed up with another question.
“What is your plan towards school?”
I explained that I had written JAMB that year, that the results were out, and that I had applied for admission. I was simply waiting to hear from the university.
Then came the question that changed the atmosphere in the room.
“Which course do you want to study?”
“Mass Communication,” I answered confidently.
What happened next was far from what I expected.
The man burst into loud laughter.
He laughed so hard that he turned towards me and exclaimed, “Mass Comm? Who told you that men study Mass Communication? You want to be a communicator?”
He continued laughing.
I stood there, quietly attending to the television, while his words and laughter filled the room. I had come to perform a simple task, but suddenly, my ambition had become a source of amusement.
I kept working, but my mind was elsewhere.
Why was my choice of course so funny to him? What was wrong with wanting to study Mass Communication? Was there something about my ambition that I had failed to understand?
I had no answers. I simply continued setting up the television.
When Someone Spoke Up
From the restroom, I overheard his wife trying to stop him.
“Honey! Honey! Stop what you’re doing. Everyone has his or her own choice. Not everyone must study what you want. You shouldn’t laugh at him like that. Honey, stop!”
Her words offered a different perspective in the middle of an uncomfortable moment. She seemed to understand something her husband was overlooking: everyone has the right to pursue a personal ambition, even when that ambition differs from another person’s expectations.
But the laughter continued.
Eventually, I finished connecting the Wi-Fi, turned on the television, and ensured everything was working properly.
“Good night, sir,” I said politely.
His response followed me out of the room.
“Good night, Mr. Communicator!”
I shut the door behind me and left.
When the Laughter Followed Me
That night, I could not easily put the encounter behind me.
The incident kept replaying in my mind. It was not just the laughter that stayed with me, but the reason behind it. I had answered a question about my future honestly, only to find myself being mocked for the course I hoped to study.
Perhaps the man considered his reaction harmless. Perhaps he thought he was making a joke. I could not tell what was going through his mind.
But I knew how the encounter felt from my end.
I was a young man trying to find his way, working while preparing for university and hoping to take another step towards the future I envisioned. I was not asking him to approve of my ambition. I had simply answered his question.
As I reflected on the incident, I realised that not everyone would understand my choices. Some people might question them, disagree with them, or even laugh at them.
I could spend my time trying to convince everyone that my dream was worthwhile, or I could continue working towards it.
I chose the latter.
If the man had genuine advice to offer, he could have shared it. If he believed I had misunderstood the demands or prospects of the course, he could have explained his concerns. His experience might even have helped me see things differently.
But laughter offered me no direction.
So, I decided not to allow that encounter to determine how I viewed my ambition.
From Abuja to Nasarawa State University, Keffi
Not long after that experience, I secured admission into university.
Today, I am studying Journalism and Media Studies at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, gradually making progress towards the future I once spoke about while working in Abuja.
My journey is still unfolding. I have more to learn, more challenges to overcome, and more ground to cover. I do not claim to have arrived at my destination.
But I have taken a step forward.
Looking back, I sometimes think about that night and the man who called me “Mr. Communicator.”
I wonder whether he ever considers the effect his words might have on the people he encounters. I wonder whether he realises that the young man he laughed at was simply trying to build a future for himself.
I may never know.
What I do know is that the encounter did not end my ambition. I continued with my plans, secured admission, and began the journey that brought me to where I am today.
The experience also taught me something important: advice and ridicule are not the same thing.
Advice can challenge your thinking while helping you grow. It can expose you to new possibilities, encourage you to reconsider your options, or help you prepare for the realities of your chosen path.
Ridicule, on the other hand, can leave you questioning yourself without giving you anything useful to hold on to.
There is a difference between correcting someone's direction and making them feel foolish for having a destination.
A Message to Those Who Have Been Laughed At
Today, as I continue my studies, I understand that choosing a course is only one part of building a future. What matters is the willingness to learn, develop relevant skills, remain open to constructive advice, and make meaningful use of available opportunities.
No course guarantees success, and no ambition is beyond the need for hard work. Every field has its demands, and every student must be prepared to meet them.
However, young people should be able to discuss their aspirations without becoming objects of ridicule.
A question about someone's future can open the door to a meaningful conversation. It can provide an opportunity to guide, encourage, challenge, or share experience. The response does not have to be laughter.
For anyone who has ever been laughed at for a dream, a course of study, a career choice, or a decision about the future, I hope my experience offers a reminder: someone else's inability to understand your ambition does not automatically make that ambition worthless.
Listen to constructive criticism. Ask questions. Learn from people with experience. Be willing to change your plans when you discover a better direction, but do not mistake mockery for wisdom.
You do not have to prove your entire future to someone who has already decided to laugh at your present.
The Night I Became “Mr. Communicator”
I have not forgotten that night in Abuja. Perhaps I never will.
The man may remember it as an ordinary joke. For me, it became a moment of reflection on ambition, dignity, and the importance of allowing people to pursue their own paths.
I am still Maxwell. I am still learning. And I am still moving forward.
That night, a guest laughed at the course I wanted to study. Today, I am a university student, building my knowledge and working towards the future I imagined.
I cannot say what the future holds, and I do not know where this journey will eventually lead me.
But I know this:
Someone else's laughter does not have to be the final word on your dream.
And sometimes, the words spoken to discourage you become the very words that remind you why you must keep going.
Good night, Mr. Communicator!
— Maxwell Guma
