Meaning of My First Name Goé

My name is Goé André Ismaël TOE, and I’m going to explain the meaning of my first name Goé. My home country, Burkina Faso formerly called Upper Volta is located in the middle of West Africa. The country is bounded on the North West by Mali, North East by Niger, and the South by Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. My dad is from Toma, a village located nearby Mali. Goé was the nickname of my great grandfather.



My great grandfather was the leader of a small group of wrestlers from Mali. One day, after days of walking, his people and he arrived in a village called Toma, and he said that he is the new king of the village. He was well known in the region as a good wrestler, so the villagers thought he might be a good leader. The actual king disagreed with that and challenged him with initially two tasks. Suddenly that day became a holyday, the news spread throughout the village, and within a few minutes the audience was full of people. Then the king announced the tasks.

First, my grand dad had to fight the best wrestler of the king. Usually when two wrestlers are fighting, it can take hours before the bravest wins. So during that time people just drink, eat, exchange news etc. Unfortunately after a demonstration of his wrestler’s abilities, everybody knew the feast will end up sooner. It took only a few minutes to the king’s wrestler to admit that my great grandfather was the best. Then the king announced the second task.



To be sure that my great grandfather won’t win, the king ask him to cut a cotton yarn with an arrow and a bow. The king suggested to my great grandfather to take the day off to be prepared, and the latter answered that a great wrestler does not need to be prepared; he is always ready to do any tasks. That was good news for the villagers; otherwise they have to return to their duties. Two people were holding the cotton yarn at a hundred meters to my great grandfather. Suddenly the public became silent. A few people were making fun of him saying it was impossible. He cocked this bow with an arrow made from a certain timber, and then everything went so fast. The cotton yarn has been cut into two equal parts. Victory for my great grandfather, but the king wanted an ultimate task. He asked to my great grandfather to fight an animal called the panther that the king had.

Without any hesitation my great grandfather accepted. People thought that was enough the king has to honor his words. They brought a wild panther in front of my great grandfather. For a minute neither he nor the panther moved. Some people said my great grandfather was kind of communicating with the animal. Then he decided to fight the panther with bare hands. After an incredible battle, my great grandfather won. I know he got some injuries but I don’t remember how serious they were. Since that day people gave him the nick Goé which means Panther in my language.



Since approximately hundred seventy years my people are the leader of my village. Even we don’t have any more a king; they have a very important role. I really wanted to experience that day, it looks it were a day to do not miss.

FREEDOM AND ME

For centuries the meaning of Freedom has been a topic of debate. When I think of freedom, the words such as rights, freedom of speech come to my mind, but I think there is no more freedom except the pride that everyone owns. By definition freedom in philosophy is the human value or situation to act according to one’s will without being held up by the power of others. “While the State exists, there can be no freedom. Where there is freedom there will be no State” is a quote from “State and Revolution” by Lenin. We are still thinking there is freedom in our societies because there is written laws that tell us we are free to do certain things, but I think just by thinking about the word freedom makes us prisoners of the society.

I believe freedom dates back to the prehistory. Here is what I call freedom. There are two million years ago, when the cavemen wake up in the morning, they probably look for something to eat unless there is the rest of yesterday food. Then next they will probably turn around and then they will do whatever they want, like going to the river for taking a shower or fishing, take a nap, make a spear etc. When they are hungry they will go to the jungle to find some fruit or chase an animal. After they had a full stomach they will probably sleep again or find something else to do like discovering their environment. So they could do whatever they want whenever they want without feeling obliged to do anything else. Of course they lived in a hostile environment with dinosaurs, volcanoes, and earthquake but at least they were totally free.

Then they learned how to live in society. Without knowing it they have begun to lose their freedom for the benefit of the society and I think that’s why Lenin said “While the State exists, there can be no freedom. Where there is freedom there will be no State”. When I think about society, I automatically think about others, and when you think about others this already restricts your actions. In a society there are rules, you cannot as you want. For example you cannot chase whatever you want whenever you, you need first to get a hunting permit and then respect a schedule. Back to the prehistory they did not have any hunting permit, they just chase when they want. After all life in society is to meet the needs of the community therefore we cannot do whatever we want.

Why do I think I’m not free? First of all I’m a prisoner of the society. Since my birth I am destined to do certain things like go to school, then find a job, and have a family. I couldn’t avoid going to school because my parents wouldn’t let me any choice. Now I’m an adult I can decide to do not go to school, but who will feed me after my parents died. The society will not help me because I’m not giving to it something in exchange. I have to follow what the society wants or die. I never taste a caveman life style nevertheless I think I’m the kind of person who does not need much to be happy. A simple life in the Mother Nature like what do the Bushmen in the Kalahari will be great for me.

As a conclusion since the human being exists, he progressively creates the lost of his own freedom. The total freedom no longer exits since the creation of the society. Instead of controlling the society, the latter took over on us. To fight this unfree world, the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature Albert Camus, a French Novelist, wrote “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion”. At least we are free to have free thinking of mind.

Abraham Lincoln Bio Poem

• Abraham
• Brave, Great leader, and important person (as a president, father, husband, friend etc).
• Husband of Mary Todd Lincoln and father of Robert, Eduard, William and Thomas.
• Who loved freedom and equality for everybody with no exception.
• Who hated slavery, hated to see his citizens in poverty, hated to see the states of the U.S not unified.
• Who feared that his country won’t be unified, feared that some people will still believe that there is a good effect of slavery, and feared that inequality will never and ever disappear.
• Who ended the slavery thanks to the thirteenth amendment; he is the author of famous quotes, letters and speeches.
• Wanted to see all the states of the U.S together, no slavery (he succeeded), no war, but love, peace and freedom for each American.
• Born in Kentucky and Died in Washington D.C
• Lincoln

Where do I stand with regard to writing?

FEET: What do I stand for as a foundation of writing?

Writing is one of the most important things in a society. According to scientists humans have started writing five millenaries ago. Without Writing no prehistory, no history, and we wouldn’t know anything about the far past. Everybody should know how to write and express him/her self with words. Books are one the best way to increase our knowledge. If I was the president of my country, it will be mandatory for every citizen to write a book no matter the size. Fortunately we have some people who know how important the writing is.

STOMACH: What upsets me about writing?

Writing is scary for me, because I don’t know what to write. It’s a huge problem. I have the ideas in my mind, but how to express them.

Solution: Freemind seems to be excellent software. I’m sure that will help me to come over the lack of my ideas’ organization.

HEART: What do I love about writing?

When I’m writing an essay, I love the sound of my hands on the keyboard. In some situation, writing helps me to come over the stress. In that kind of situation, it’s really a salvation to write and write everything that comes in my mind.

HANDS: What do I feel about writing?

Writing is a good way to help us to express ourselves, but it depends what we are writing for. Academic writing is always scary for me, of course depending on the theme.

EARS: What do I hear about writing?

I heard from my friends and relatives that for example write a book or journalism are difficult, because it’s so difficult to express our idea and make it clear for people who are going to read it. Of course with hard working, practicing, we can express whatever we want with words.

EYES: What do I see about writing?

I see in writing a good source of information.

BRAIN: What do I think about writing?

I think without writing, there is no education, because no writing equals no books and no books no knowledge. Writing is not my favorite hobby, but I do recognize writing is an important thing for our society.