“For Want of a Nail” is a proverbial rhyme showing that small actions can result in large consequences. It means if you don’t take care of the little things, they can lead to bigger problems. I had never heard the phrase before until some days ago when I was talking with Adams and we were expressing our frustrations with the state of affairs in our country Nigeria, trying to decide what active part we can play in the revolution and what we can do to cause a change.

You can read all about it here – For Want of a Nail

“Want of” usually means the inability to do something because you lack an integral preceding item, part, party, etc.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

After he gisted me about the origin of this saying and why it meant so much to him, he finished by asking, “What if I am the nail? What if all that is required of me is to be the change I seek in my home or amongst my neighbours? What if all I need to do is change myself?”

Have you ever thought about how your small actions can bring about pockets of change? Maybe all you have to be is the nail that gets it all started. Do your own – play your part so that in doing so, you enable others to play their part too and the ripple effect will be marvelous and beautiful to behold.

May it never be said that “For want of Ijeoma, so so and so did not happen.”

How about you, my people?