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THE FIRST TRANSACTION: Why Your Life Started with a Scream (And Why That’s Good News)

An Analysis of Chapter 2 of "The Compulsory Marketplace" by Itoro Sunday Uwah

Have you ever wondered why no baby is born laughing?

We enter the world with a sound, but it is not a chant, it is not a giggle, and it is not a speech. It is a Cry.

In Chapter 2 of The Compulsory Marketplace, titled "The First Cry – Life’s Painful Welcome," I deconstruct this biological mystery through an economic lens.

The cry is not an accident. It is the First Transaction.

The Womb vs. The World

For nine months, you lived in the "Womb Economy." Everything was free. Oxygen was supplied. Food was automatic. Warmth was guaranteed. You were a Passive Consumer.

But the moment of birth is an eviction notice. You are pushed out of the "Free Zone" into the Compulsory Marketplace.

That first scream is the shock of the new reality. It is your body saying: "I am no longer safe. I must now work to exist."

Pain as a Teacher, Not a Thief

Society tells us that pain is bad. We take painkillers, we avoid awkward conversations, we run from challenges. We want the gain without the grit.

But as I wrote in Chapter 2:

"Pain is not the enemy. It is the market bell that signals your arrival."

The cry forces the lungs to expand. It forces the mother to pay attention. It forces the doctor to act.

Your pain is a signal.

If you are feeling pressure right now—in your business, your finances, or your career—do not run from it. That pressure is not a sign of failure; it is a sign of Birth.

From Crying to Crawling

The chapter ends with a crucial shift. The child does not stay in the cry. Eventually, the cry turns into curiosity. The curiosity turns into crawling. The crawling turns into walking.

You cannot skip the cry and go straight to the walk.

The King's Conclusion

If you are going through a "Painful Welcome" in 2026, stop trying to crawl back into the womb of comfort. The womb is closed. The Market is open.

Scream if you must. But after you scream, make sure you start moving.