There’s a Japanese legend that says, “If you get on the wrong train, get off at the nearest station. The longer it takes you to get off, the more expensive the return trip will be.” This isn’t just about locomotives; it’s about life. About staying in dead relationships, defending failed policies, and clapping for wrong choices out of pride. Some are bleeding quietly on wrong trains in beautiful suits. Some countries are collapsing in silence while leaders call it “transformation.” But the fare accumulates. And when the bill comes, it’s not paid in naira—it’s paid in consequences.
Wisdom is not always boarding the right train; it’s knowing when to get off the wrong one. But many stay—because of fear, shame, sunk cost, or stubbornness. The Igala say, “He who walks with eyes closed will meet the wall with his forehead.” Staying longer doesn’t sanctify an error. It solidifies your loss. That relationship draining you, that leadership posturing without purpose, that alliance feeding your enemies—it may look manageable now, but the price is waiting at the next junction.
Even God allows detours. Jonah found his divine mission after jumping ship. Paul’s train derailed on the road to Damascus—and that derailment saved a generation. The prodigal son bought a return ticket in a pigsty. If heaven makes room for U-turns, why must we stay trapped by ego? In Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s words, “There’s no humility in staying where God has left.” Get off before your grace runs out.
Nigeria is a classic case. We’ve boarded many wrong trains—tribal politics, compromised democracy, institutional silence—and called them strategy. From rigged elections to recycled promises, we’ve been applauding in coach while heading to chaos. The cost? Broken infrastructure, bitter youths, shattered hopes. The Igala nation too knows this grief—once royal voices, now political orphans. Why? Because we missed the station where unity was waiting and chose the route where betrayal drove.
Your spirit always knows. The tension, the silence of God, the repeated failure, the fake peace—those are your signal stations. If you miss them, you’ll wake up at a terminal you never planned for. Dr. Paul Enenche said it plainly: “Delay is not just dangerous; it is deadly.” Don’t wait till it becomes irreversible. Better to lose face today than lose purpose forever.
Whether you’re a leader, lover, teacher, builder, or believer—know this: It’s not weakness to leave what’s killing you. It’s not failure to walk away from confusion. It’s not betrayal to get off. Loyalty to a mistake is not maturity. Courage is exiting early and reboarding destiny with clarity.
So, are you on the right train? If not, don’t decorate the coach. Don’t spiritualize the mistake. Don’t argue with your peace. Get off—before the fare eats your future and calls it fate.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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