Changing Gears

Some people think that life moves slowly in Africa. Life is not slow, it is just not automatic. Instead it shifts according to gear. In situations where the challenges are many and life is really hard, gears change. In such cases, you have to petal more to get anything done. We are in bikes, not sports cars, so we move more slowly, but we are sweating a lot. Conversely, when things are easy, we speed, but often find ourselves downhill.
Sometimes we are in taxis that are stuck in the mud at the bottom of a hill during rainy season and on an unpaved road. At such junctures, we move REALLY SLOWLY but we are out there pushing and sweating. Sometimes, the gears are just not working right, or the administrative choices of policemen, drivers, and other passengers are to blame leaving us stuck inside the taxi, waiting endless, hot, stuffy hours. Other times, we are squashed by really huge people (women) that have taken too much local milk and butter. Don’t forget, however, that we ourselves can cause delay, taking time to talk or have lunch with friends, or being stuck at the bank, while the taxi outside is waiting for passengers.
It amazes me how such slow situations are interspersed with really fast moving situations, when things are happening all about. I am at the one year mark—a time when the realities of Uganda come to light. I am in a crux of several great things happening and several things slowing them or closing them down. The delays, however, give time for reflection and polishing, re-evaluation of my time here and my priorities. Some days, I really want to stay another year. Some days, stuck in the hot, sweaty taxi full of obstacles, I think I will be happy to go back to the US as soon as possible. I don’t really know what will happen, but either way, it is a great learning experience. Anyway, as all of those in the US know, there are dirt roads and mudslides on that side too—along with the worst of all—rush hour traffic!