Things

There are times when things simply happen in one's life.  Just a day ago I awakened early in the morning to the noise of friends who were shouting and my door was open.  A quick look around made me realize that I had been robbed.

I ran outside and found my trousers who had been hanging on a chair on the ground, wallet to the side of it. The money was missing but my ATM card was there and so was my driver's license, but cell-phone was gone.

The police was called and they arrived some time later with tracking dog but nothing was found, camera, binoculars, laptop, all gone.  Research work and documents gone, work on safaris lost.

Thank goodness I had a backup for my pictures, music and documents, that was there. (since then the external drive has quit functioning).

People here suffer a lot, crimes are committed by those who have nothing in life.  A westerner is seen as rich, and compared to most Ugandans, we are that.

A laptop is very expensive here, the camera can fetch a lot of money and the cash in my wallet was over a month's salary for most.

My reaction to all what happened is simply this; there are times that things happen.  I am grateful that I have my life.  Things are things and somehow they can be replaced but life is life and one can rejoice and be thankful for it.

Things are things but the caring friendship of people who come to comfort one and share grief is more important.

At the end of the day it is all about what is on the inside of one self.  Times such as this test one's spirit.  I kept thinking of firing up my computer and work. Like it still was there. Of charging my phone while the power is on, only to realize that I could not. Adjustments and changes, but then here in Africa I have learned to adjust to live with what one has right now, to live with less instead of more, and yet enjoy the moment, to cherish friends near and far and hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

Things will always come and go. I was reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul who wrote years ago." I have learned to live with much and have learned to live with little."  I am still learning...from Uganda...jon

Since then:  I have moved to another house nearby inside of a compound, with a proper gate and now live in a two room house with outside enclosed kitchen, inside there is an African styled, tiled bathroom with flush toilet and cold shower.  The water is piped to a tank above and quite warm, so it is ok.

The things:  Well most of them are still gone and one learns to make do with what one has in his hands.  One learns that what is most important is life and friends.

Who did it:  The evidence points to one who visited my home on many occasions and with whom I shared many things such as food, gave money when he did not have some.  Here the need is so great that when one sees some things, they may see it as an opportunity to enrich themselves in order to make it through another month.  You live from day to day and planning how can you?  You simply exist a day at a time

A personal endorsement based on my recent experience:  I want to say that Amazon Store on line is simply a classy operation.  I bought a cell phone from them and had major problems with a Motorola krzr phone that broke down after 5 days and I spend about 60 to 80 dollars trying to get it fixed here, including having it worked on at Motorola with no avail...they are sending a replacement phone to the address in the states that I had the original one sent to.  I am grateful to them and how classy their staff was to work with them.  Living in Uganda where customer service for the most part is unheard of, I was extremely happy with Amazon their attitude to satisfying the needs of a customer.  My hat off to them, and I do not even wear a hat, but would get one for this occasion.  Thank you Amazon.com for your help...jon

A side note: If you were planning on coming to visit Africa, I would encourage you to still do so.  I would like to invite you to come and visit the pearl of Africa Uganda and take the ultimate African Safari, from gorillas to Lions and everything in between.

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