I don't know how to handle people looking up to me.

 

My mom always tells me my nieces and nephews back in Nigeria look up to me; simply because I'm the firstborn of the generation. What do I say to them? I know none of them personally, except for some messages through FaceBook and the one visit I made to Nigeria.

I have to now fulfill a standard for people who think highly of me, but barely know me.

 

When I went to a university to attend 2 classes on a school trip; My teacher told me to talk with one of the math teachers, who surprise surprise, is the father of a friend about 3 years younger. He told me he looked up to me; But I don't get it.

That kid is smarter than me tenfold. He also plays chess and also is good at math. He won the Flemish Statistics Olympiad last year. I can't even get past the first round of the Flemish Math Olympiad, always falling barely short.

I like the kid, he's nice. He has more potential than me; or maybe he's already there. Maybe he is going through that gifted kid phase like I once did and will come to depression in several years time.

My own math teacher told me that he is better at studying the material; while I am better at understanding the material. Knowledge contrasted to wisdom.

 

I want to tell them that they shouldn't look up to me.