Learning to be...

As we were warned and have come to quickly realize and accustom ourselves to, time is different here. In Africa. In Uganda. It’s all different. Certain people may not "follow time" like we may in the states, but let me remind you that time is just a concept. Time passes, no matter how fast you move or what you are doing, ultimately, at the same pace. So, why rush?

As Sean (our Country Director) has stated many times, upon visiting or living in Uganda, you observe that Ugandans sit. They simply sit... they may sit idly and seemingly without purpose. Or they may be reflecting. They may be sitting with people, conversing. They may be enjoying a meal (which you will find they often invite you to, though you are simply passing by). They may be sitting alone. They may be sitting in groups. They may be with people and no one ever speaks. It is part of their culture. So, as one of the thousands of things I have tried to take in from this magnificent place and the even-better people, I, too, have learned to just sit.

You take in the breeze (or there lack-of). You take in the sounds (the birds, the wind in the trees, the garbage rolling in the dirt, the water sloshing in jerrycans, the never-ending music in the distance, the speedy bodas passing...). You take in the hot, piercing sunlight, or the comforting, cool shade. You take in all the creatures around you (the ants crawling across your toes heading along their busy way, the birds flying from tree to tree, the flies buzzing around you, the roosters pecking through the tall grasses)…. you just sit. You can learn a lot from your environment. You learn to remain calm. You learn patience when you feel as though you have no more to give. You learn composure. It is certainly an adjustment, but it’s an almost meditative activity that restores the soul.

To my fellow volunteers who are struggling with the constant boredom that ensues during this time of purgatory before Term 1 begins, or to people who are home living the hustling-bustling lifestyle that I know Americans do, take it from me. Just learn to be...

#April