Here in Botswana a few things quickly became apparent to me. These things were tough to get used to at first, and even now I struggle with some of them.
1. As hard as life is usually made out to be in Africa, there isn't really that much to do after chores and school are done for the day. That means for like half of any given day, you've got nothing to do.
2. $pend your time wi$ely. In Botswana it is virtually impossible to make friends. So you have a lot of time on your hands, the first six months were "Go insane-boring" After that, I decided that being insane was boring and that it was time to move on. In the two years after, I began to wonder; "What of all that I have done will serve me any where in life?" fair question right? well with that in mind I took up music again which I will expound upon later.
3. Where are you during the day? Here most- if not all of a given day is spent within the premisses of one's own yard, even if you walk your dog (and yes, you have one), and go running, and run all of the errands that need being run- you'll still spend at least 8 hours of a day in the yard. There's no getting around it.
Although I knew all the above, it took me nearly two years to realize that my family is the only thing that will always be constant (and God, that's a given). From one day to the next, friends, neighbors, enemies, and even our place of residence may change, come or leave; but family remains. In the past year and a half, it embarrasses me to say that I haven't tried nearly as hard as I should have to make the most of the time I have left with them- 2 years, 10 months, but that doesn't stop me from trying again tomorrow. So I will.
3. Where are you during the day? Here most- if not all of a given day is spent within the premisses of one's own yard, even if you walk your dog (and yes, you have one), and go running, and run all of the errands that need being run- you'll still spend at least 8 hours of a day in the yard. There's no getting around it.
Although I knew all the above, it took me nearly two years to realize that my family is the only thing that will always be constant (and God, that's a given). From one day to the next, friends, neighbors, enemies, and even our place of residence may change, come or leave; but family remains. In the past year and a half, it embarrasses me to say that I haven't tried nearly as hard as I should have to make the most of the time I have left with them- 2 years, 10 months, but that doesn't stop me from trying again tomorrow. So I will.
Chris, this post made me cry. Isn't family everything? Yet it can take some of us years or even our whole lives to realize it. You have realized it at a young age (younger than I did) and that is very good. Don't beat yourself up. You do appreciate and love them, but it wouldn't be real life if we didn't get on each others nerves here and there.
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