Life on the Road

Jane Eyre told me this week "The eagerness of a listener quickens the tongue of a narrator."

I love life on the road- travelling and meeting new people and pushing myself above and beyond limits is what I live for. Sometime this week a friend voiced her concern, "if you love being on the road, will you ever settle down?'

To evade her question I asked "define 'settle down,"and she let me be. But with age and time comes the reminder that someone has to settle down, get a partner, get amrried and definitely start a family-blah blah blah!

Family is important, and so is the strong dedication to a family but that aside, I visited my friend to congratulate her on having delivered her third child and she was all smiles. All the best to her, and I'm sure she might read this in the next century so (cheers Gracey! May you live long to noursih your children with love, understanding and endless motherly support).

I'm grateful for the opportunity of being a field assistant in Busia, it has definitely opened my eyes to so many things-and the diversity of people is beautiful-and given that each time I meet someone and they say they are Luhya, I have to ask which sub-tribe they are. Are they Samia, Kyao, Nyala, Marachi? I have also met some very beautiful Teso women who have fed me with sweet potatoes and bowls of porridge that I dared not move after that.

But Life on the road, also deserves a minute break, and this would be in form of time off to complete my book (The Book of Abel)- and it is my hope that this like all my other books, would shed some light on what it means to be a single Father-and jobless in Nairobi Kenya.

Of all that have been supportive in this endeavor, I thank you all and also to my dear friend @Lit_Chronicles for also sharing my story Dear Yellow with her readers.

You can be sure to hear more of the Literary life in Kenya by visiting her blog Literary Chronicles .Life on the Road has been challenging-and last week I sprained my left ankle as I attempted to cross a tributary-but I'm well and glad that we got the person we were seeking at the end of it all, other than that-a few things I noticed about Busia:

1. Most people have bicycles : those bikes that have baskets in front, you'd think they were free here.
2. Most women wear skirts or dresses and sit across the seat on a boda boda bicycle.
3. You get served a huge bit of Ugali with just a handful of sukumawiki-and I was shocked while at a place called Mundika to see a man finish the ugali and ask for more while the sukumawiki was still there.
4. Chilren wade in the rain.

How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

PANDORAS' BOXES EVERYWHERE.

According to Greek Mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship to create her and he did  so from earth and water. Pandora once created was endowed with all gifts from the gods hence the name "Pandora." (Now you know my name after the 'pan' means 'Gift from God.')
So, fast forward and Prometheus steals fire from heaven and Zeus wants revenge and he goes for it by having Pandora married to the thief's brother. Now, Pandora had a jar which she was never meant to open but out of curiosity she did and it unleashed so many evils. She tried to shut it, but in the end-all harm was done and the only thing left at the bottom of the jar was "hope."
So, now you know...I must admit every time I have heard people talk around me for this past week it has felt more like a Pandora's box.Let me elaborate: Monday I make my way to work. I walk for about twenty minutes before getting there-sign in (so my employers can validate my presence and commitment to them) then after that make my way to the pink plastic chair at the corner. See, I always get there early and have to wait for the main office door to be opened.
Then we have some time to relax before we leave for the field.
But that aside, on Tuesday through to Thursday it is pretty much the same thing and then all changes on Friday. Everyone comes to work jovial and they are glad to have the weekend to themselves. I had previously written about work and success and how much we are fooled (here ).
Then I came across an article on the Nairobi Star, 14th May 2012, "Mutoko on Monday" and she was talking about Genretaion Y. I take it these are people born in the 1980s way into the early 1990s. Her take on this generation if I may simply quote it "They want to look like winners more than they actually want to be winners."
So, how does Pandora's box and this Generation Y article link up?
Most of the people around me fit in this Generation Y, and I am in this group too- but at work the only thing that amazes me is how much life there is like Survivor Vanuati! There are talks between people, hushed tones, people liking comments they have not heard, reading into gestures and smiles yet all have hope- just like Pandora-they all have hope but what they hope for I know not, and it bothers me that I do not know.
It makes my mind run for miles and my heart is on a race that at times I believe I am going crazy...well, not that crazy but it's like one moment it's this and the next it is not and it is beautiful to behold.
So given that I have seen all this, it makes me wonder:

1. Why do you seek employment?
2. Who do you work for as an employee? Do you work for your employer or with your employer? or do you work for your employer's money?
3. If you would up and leave would you regret it?
4. If there was one thing about your employer that you would change other than what he/she pays you, what would you change?

I guess Pandora wanted something better-she wanted to be of use and to appease the gods who had been kind to her and so she agreed to be married to the thief's brother- but her curiosity unleashed evils and all she could ever do was hope that one day with her gifts and time she might set things straight.

Same with us, we have gifts and talents-but somewhere along the way we are deluded by shortcuts and other people's successes that we think we can go the same way too- we get disappointed , but we have hope of getting back on track all we need then is courage and determination to stick our course.

check out: Father Guido Sarducci's 5 Minute University

--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

Woman!

"Woman!" well...that's how my elder sister sometimes calls me- when she does this, I either run or start apologizing, why? Well, I must have taken too long to communicate with her or I have done something that she believes is an embrassment to the womenfolk!

So, today's special and to all the Mothers out there "Happy mothers Day."

I thought of saying My Mom is cooler than all Moms, but my Sister shrieking "Woman!" at me, just made me hold my horses. Now that I have no horses and I've decided to take that literally, I daresay, My Mom's the coolest. Imagine raising a child for over two decades-and putting up with their strange habits and concerns. It recently hit me of what Shakespeares' Mother would have thought of the boy. "Hey, why are you talking like that, stop talking like that?"

Or better yet Leornado Da Vinci's mom- because genius is untamed and I'm sure she must have seen the curiousity in young Leornado and must have gone bonkers trying to tame him!

But Mom's are special and they always have that soft spot for their children-it is because of this that no matter what happens home is where our heart is. It is the one place that we go to, where love is endless. It might not be rosy all the time, but the fact that someone cares for us more than we could ever understand is strong enough to keep us coming back.

Thinking of Mother's day, have you ever wondered why some fictional characters never get the acclaim for all they've done?

Like Tiana's Mother and Momma Odie in The Princess and The Frog , here both women stand by Tiana-and though they do it differently-the previous out of maternal instinct and the latter voodoo and hope- well, they still do.

Sometimes it just hits me that a mother's love is everywhere- all you have to do is look around,not only in human beings, but also in the things that human beings create like movies, books, paintings, songs, acts--and many more.

--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

IF I EVER.

I find it very interesting that for the past weeks I haven't posted an article on this blog. It is also interesting to hear my friends and frequent readers of my blog ask 'what's up?'
So, here's what's up:

1. I have been on the field- doing lots of data collection and learning about the livelihood of people unknown to me.
2. I have been writing-yes, long term writing.
3. I have completed the first chapters of two potential novels.
4. I have missed blogging!

Believe it or not- number 4, came first, I just changed the order. So, I have talked of working in a team and meeting very strange people here in Busia. Whoever said that 'man is a social animal' needs to define what he/she meant by 'social.'
It's been interesting to note that where you have people of the opposite sex-chances are two or more would get cosy. By getting cosy I mean- each pair or just that one pair would eventually start dating and at some point consider themselves a couple. So, I am bound by Andrew Zahn's Ten Commandments for Creatives if I can literally take the 5th Commandment that says "Don't be an Expert."
Still, I find it amusing that love is in the air at work, and in the field. It is rather interesting to find that a guy would go to the extent of treating a lady (who has a boyfriend in another town) on the pretense that he's just being a good friend. It even gets better that the lady would accept the treat- knowing intuitively that the guy's actions (calls, attention, courtesy, concern, money) all indicate that he is interested beyond friendship.
So, what's the lowdown on my experience in the past five weeks?
Well, I have been branded an "Environmentalist" because I would rather deposit trash in a trash can.
My recent attempt to prove to the organization that the tap outside drips 400ml of water per minute and that means we lose 24 liters of water an hour- has seen them label me "petty" and grant me a nobel peace prize for caring for the environment"
Now you have the lowdown, but all these events have gotten me thinking- what do we live for as people? I hear most people talk of money, time and their children or spouses, but most focus on money.
Do you live also for yourself?
I guess If I ever find that answer...while out on the field, you will be the first to know:

FYI: Check also : Andrew's website: Creatives


--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

20 KGS, 3 HOURS, ONE TEAM- DIFFERENT GOALS.

Women lie, men lie -money don't lie.
People lie, numbers don't.

The first one I got it from LilWayne's song- or something like that and the second from the hit TV Series Numb3rs .
Say, working on the field has it's good side and down side- at times focusing on the down sides has made me write a whole novella-about a girl who whines with every step she takes and how much she misses out on the good side of life. Other than that I have been able to learn a few things about being out on the field-there's more use to my Psychological knowledge out there than in any office. First I have to be patient-and also a good listener.
So, when we leave for the field we have to carry a bag that weighs roughly 16-20kgs. Yes, that's like carrying a healthy two year old or three year old kid the whole time-but what's in it? I wish at times it were "bricks" like I once saw in Malcolm in The Middle , so I can use it as my weapon of choice against people who stare at me, and offer no assistance!
So inside these bags we have: a weighing scale, hand dynanometer, folders, survey sheets, gps machines, and a Haemoglobin testing kit- and some other things as seen fit given the location we are visiting.
A survey that's well done and captures the details of the people we seek does take roughly two to three hours, and of all this what is important is the team work. It means that when we leave for the field we leave as a team and get our work done individually and come back to the office as a team.
One time on the field- we walked up a hill for almost half an hour and my back was on fire-and my heels stopped supporting me and I could not explain why the clouds were getting black, and my head spinning faster than FloRida can explain!
It got me thinking of the many things we do-we set out about certain duties daily and we always hope to achieve something. For most in Kenya and the whole world-it has become money. Most set out to make money. The means does not matter only the end result does to most people. I had confessed to a friend that I'd love to save my earnings and volunteer in a children's home in Uganda-and he laughed-asking why I would not aim higher for comfort. But with money is comfort ever guaranteed? Let alone comfort-I do not seek that, but I want to keep going-to reach out to as many as I can, when I can and using what I have-because there's nothing as awful as not being able to cultivate the mind.
Say maybe you are reading this post as you head to work- or are at home, or are getting ready to do something-would you stop and ask, why you are doing it? What is it that you are after? Would life be different for you if you stopped and thought it through?

--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

SPOKEN WORD, WRITTEN WORD

I recently finished reading Agatha Moudio's Son by Francis Bebey- a Camerounian. The story follows the life of La Loi a boy whose Father asked that he marries the daughter of his best friend Tanga-at his death bed. To them at that time the spoken word, especially that of a dead man was to be respected and though he loved Agatha-he would have to marry Fanny-the girl who is younger than her and whom he's never seen. The book can be found on Amazon .
So, something caught my attention do books keep secrets?
Are books the kind of companions that would simply keep quiet if we asked them to at midnight-or do they simply lie there waiting for someone to open them and they start spilling secrets?
For spoken word- once uttered cannot be retrieved but written words can be erased or deleted if they are typed -and no one would know of their existence except the author. So, it also got me wondering how many secrets have authors told us through books? How many of these secrets have we told others and what impact has it had on their lives?
A book is a companion- a good one at that, for all it does is take in what it is fed. So, then writers love writing-for it may be tedious but then they do have something on their mind and soul if I may- that cannot let them be until they jot it down. They do so and no matter how hard it is they go for it and in the end-some publish the books-they tell the world of what they were working on. Others have become famous by not only telling but also showing people a new world or their world simply through words-and as such a book once picked is at the mercy of the reader. All the reader has to do is flip pages and soak up as much information as he/she can. But, upon much though it hit me that it's the other way around- for the reader is at the mercy of the book. Yes-that's why most people love thrillers and fiction tales and detective stories. They keep you reading- it's action after action and discoveries galore- but try reading a memoir or an autobiography-there are dull moments where all you can do is put the book aside, listen to music or hang out with friends who are more entertaining.
But what still shocks me is what people learn from books!
A book speaks with the same voice- it is written by one author and at times two- but readers learn different things from books-all because of their unique personalities and also upbringing.
Call it spoken word, written word- or whichever form of a word there is...in the end, they get to someone, and all that matters is will that person be the same after hearing, reading, writing, or saying it?


--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

WORLD OF SECOND HANDERS

I love buying second-hand clothes. I love the hand me downs from my

sister-because she has a feminine style which I don't. But, here I am

not talking about material possessions I am talking about people. See,

I know people are different. We all have a mind and I cannot think for

you or breathe for you-there are certain things that just cannot come

to be. When I say 'think' I have no control over what comes to your

mind-what I have control over is your integrity to the thought and

also your being. Let me expound on that: say I ask 'what do you think

of hope?' and you say 'hope is hanging on when things get tough and

bleak' -that there is your thought. How can I control it? Well, I can

start by saying 'why must you hang onto something? first of all what

do you mean by hanging? Give me a tangible answer.' There- I have

controlled your thought-confined it to a dimension be demanding that

it fits into a criteria-if you do as I say, the I shall have taken

your integrity and streamlined your thought into what I know-and not

given you the chance to show what hope might be.

We live in a world of second handers. Second handers are parasites.

They do not think for themselves. They let another create and demand

to benefit from that creation. Second handers simply copy paste what

has been.

I have been out on the field for a while-and it hit me, that though

most workplaces desire variety-they do nothing to see the variety

grow. In a previous post "Stop stealing Dreams" I had talked of this.

The schools teach uniformity, employers seek diversity. But this

diversity is only limited to the brain-and nothing else. It is

sickening.

Second handers will often say 'it has been done like this before' or

'this is how we do things around here' or 'our policy hasn't changed

over the years-because it works well.'

If you sit down to a public lecture- all that's there is second hand

information. The speaker talks and people ask questions about the

talk-not the inspiration behind the talk. See, what you get when you

leave is second hand information. Who's to say that if you went online

you'd not find that information?

If you simply sit on the receiving end-you are killing your self. Most

people in the world have been taught to live for others. I was taught

to live for the well-being of others. I was taught to love my neighbor

as myself-and I know that in loving myself I have to

create-produce-make something grand out of what I have and seek what I

don't have but need. It is only then that I can purely love my

neighbor.

We have to put a stop to the thrive of second handers-by first letting

people know that they have to cultivate their minds. They have to

create and produce things that no one has-because they can and because

that is the best way to thrive in this world. Second-if you have read

this post thus far-are you a second hander?

Are you the type of person who reads a book, listens to music,or makes

conversation without knowing why? Are you the kind of person who would

rather have others do things and you take the glory by saying you were

in their team or their team leader?

Are you the kind of person who will read this and simply nod and

comment that I am right-and do nothing about building your knowledge

on second handers?

If so, just stop-think it through and start using your mind-build on

information.

My favorite character, Howard Roark, in The Fountainhead, asks "if any

man stopped and asked himself whether he's ever held a truly personal

desire, he'd find the answer. He'd see that all his wishes, efforts,

dreams and ambitions are motivated by men."

--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?