this place makes me think…

i find it rather interesting that while living in such an exotic locale such is Togo, West Africa, there are some days when seeing mud huts, women with bowls on their heads, naked children running and playing, and old men sitting under mango trees just does not inspire me.  it sounds rather cold and negative but it really doesn’t seem to jump out at me when i see something that someone else would call “exotic”.  i’m a firm believer in Africa and would gladly jump on the bandwagon which claims that the dawn of the new era is the era of Africa.  even here in Togo, i like to state the mantra, “i believe in Togo” much to the cynical displeasure of others who visit/work here.  regardless of what i believe, i still am not rendered awe inspired by the things that i have experienced.  i’ve had close encounters with elephants and cape buffloes, snakes and scorpions, riotous crowds and extreme poverty, yet i am not overwhelmed nor brought to my knees.  i do believe in Africa, but not in a fad-like, get on the bandwagon type of belief.  i believe that many people like to stand up for the cause of Africa since it is relatively popular.  i constantly hear about large corporations, singers, actors, politicians and other noteworthys who promote their committment to the continent but seem to be unwilling to go the distance.  i hear alot about Rwanda and the tradgedy of the genocide and how so many governments, politicians, actors, singers, writers, clergy, missionaries, etc are all ready to jump on the bandwagon yet forget that as they focus attention on one place in Africa, they neglect another.

i’m not trying to say that one place is not so much more important than another but it seems that there is quite an imbalance in how we pay attention to the problems that plague Africa.  i happen to live in a place that does not get much press nor international attention, only when something goes wrong.  sometimes i think that i should just let it go.  maybe it is just easier for people to go to places like Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda… places where they can speak English and just enjoy their visit.  either way, i’m happy to be where i am.  maybe the reason that not much inspires me here is because i feel like this is where i belong.

finally something that makes sense to me…

i read (and am continuing to read) this article from the NYT about the need people have to work with their hands.  you can read it here.  being here in Africa and surrounded by people who work with their hands daily, it took an article that i’ve read on the internet to remind me of the value that i gain from the simple tasks that i do.  from drilling wells (and getting really muddy) to small gardening stuff (cheers to you Matt) that i get to do, i’m thankful for the things i have the opportunity to do.  yesterday, i sat for a while with an older man who was cutting branches off of a palm tree (that was about 10 feet from where he was sitting) stripping them down and then weaving a basket.  his only tool was a rather dull knife.  it is things like this (and the story from the Times) that i envy.  even as an artist, i do work with my hands and am thankful for having a space where i can work.  i’m encouraged by others who have such distinct, tangible goals for the products that they produce.  like the guy weaving the basket, sometimes i just want to learn basket-weaving.

We have another meeting…

Well, just when you think that there is nothing more to say, let’s have another meeting. Yep, the village where we have been working to bring clean drinking water and the same village that could not show up on time to do the work is wanting to have another meeting to get this all sorted out. Well, I’m glad that they are interested. I guess 105 degrees during the day can change a guys mind.