Too many thoughts, they're spilling over:
Eric
Proverbs
Culture
Climbing Mountains
From 11 March 2010
Today must be a day of cliche proverbs because for one reason or another, I'm full of them:
If you want to have a garden, you must plant some seeds first.
Those who are patient enjoy the ripest fruit.
Let me explain the context for the first.
It was a beautiful morning and not knowing if the sunshine would last, I decided to take a walk before class (which was inevitably canceled due to an insufficient amount of energy making the use of computers impossible) this morning. On my way, I noticed that there were many new greens sprouting up all over the mountainside where only a few weeks ago the villagers spent their days digging up and turning over the soil. I realized that I could have greens now too if only I had put the energy and effort into planting a garden.
This second one, about the ripest fruit..
This afternoon I just couldn't wait any longer.
Last weekend I bought a papaya at the market (250 RWF = 50 cents). That was DAYS ago and I was thirsty for some fruit so, knowing by touch that my papaya was still incredibly firm, I decided to go ahead and cut it open anyway with hopes that I'd find it soft and juicy inside.
wrong.
It was so hard and so not ready to be eaten, I felt defeated. Half the food in my house, if I don't get to it in time, it spoils (I really try to prevent this from happening) and the other half is devoured by the rats (I try to keep this from happening too - can rats jump?? because one way or another, the get into everything - no matter how unreachable I think I've made it).
Goodness. I'm not a patient person.
--------------------------------
The other day I met Eric,
a little boy who, when he's walking, waddles and swings his arms all about, but who, when he's running, holds them stiff u at an angel behind him, as if this makes him more aerodynamic, as the air rolls off his big ol'gumball belly, his elastic waist band hardly hugs his bottom, promising to fall of at any given moment. he doesn't even pause to tug them back into their proper place, but rather continues trudging along at full speed, momentarily covering his coin-slot only for gravity and the gusto of a 3 year old boy to expose it again seconds later.
Today I left the house with my backpack. I was walking the route I've walked so many times before. All of the villagers see me and assume I'm on my way to Musangabo - which is true about 95% of the time. For one reason or another though, I had it in me to see something new - or to see the same old with a new perspective. Next thing I know, I find myself glancing up the road in front of and then back behind me, just to see if the coast was clear. People are really getting used to seeing me these days, so they don't follow or stare quite as much as they used to.
The coast was clear. Up I went.
I couldn't say for sure if the path I was taking was man-made and actually a "foot" path up the mountain or rather if it was just washed away Earth from all of the heavy rains. Either way, I wanted to be certain that on my little adventure off the usual track, that people wouldn't witness the muzungu fall flat on her face if the stones and gravel beneath her feet gave way.
As I climbed, I could feel my heart beating in my ears. That's no exaggeration.
thump thump thump.
But the view kept becoming more and more spectacular, luring me further and further towards the sky.
I felt like I could reach up and touch the blue.
I eventually reached a small path through the eculuptius bushes to a little home. Deciding that wandering up was enough adventure for the day and that I didn't need to show up in some person's living-room, so I stopped, caught my breath.
Realizing my fear of heights, and feeling like a kitten stuck up in a tree, i sat down on top of the world, under the shade of a couple eucalyptus bushes to read a book called "Half the Sky" - all the while taking in the other half stretched out over the lake before me.
Reading this book lately (as well as attending an event called "Operation Smile" in Kigali last weekend) is helping me to more clearly define some life goals of mine. The other day I made a list in my journal of what I want my future "career" to encompass:
- girl power
- literacy
- photography
- safe sex education/health
- underprivileged communities
Girl power might sound cliche, but I'm really thinking I want to dedicate my life to empowering young girls and women.
Being a big sister is the most important thing to me in this life - so why not pursue something I care so deeply about? I don't want to abandon the amazing family I have, I guess I just want to expand that concept of sisterhood - and I think in many ways I already have, being an RA, a camp counselor, ect. It's just really important to me. Something I truly treasure.
clothes on the line outside a family's home look like prayer flags out to dry across the yard.
i went to the top of the world & back before lunch today.
Selfishness
i took a faithful leap
& packed up all my things and all my love
& gave it to myself
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