2 May
So I parked my truck at the hospital today, like usual. I get
out, and wait by the side of the truck for my colleague to collect her
belongings. I glanced at the rear bed of the truck, and noticed that the
sliding screen appeared punched in (My pickup truck has a covered bed lining with sliding screens so one can sleep inside, allow ventilation, etc.) My thoughts drifted from "huh?" to
astonishment to F#$%... It was then that I realized that someone had stolen some items from the back: a
mattress, a sleeping bag, my headlamp, and my glasses case. I opened up the
back door, expecting to miraculously see those items, but they were gone….
See, I had just been at the EcoLodge I am starting near
Nyungwe Forest on Saturday night, and I slept in the back of the truck. It is
quite the perfect place to sleep, nice and cozy. And I had yet to remove the
items from the back of the truck. At least my Cleveland Browns T-shirt was
still there, along with my underwear; if they had taken the latter, then I
would have been really mad… haha.
I let out a few loud, certain not so nice 4 letter words, and as a result was on the receiving end of some
interesting looks from the Rwandans walking near me. Then, a calm settled over
me, and I realized that there was nothing I could do now to recover those
items; that it was my fault, and I need to make sure to fix the latch, and to
not leave anything in the back. And that is all I thought about it the rest of
the day. The old me from a few years ago who have been super pissed off,
yelling, ruminating on this all day. Maybe it is maturity, maybe divine
intervention, but I honestly feel OK about it. And part of me gets it: I live
in a a poor country, where I am asked for money every day. People are starving
and desperate, and will resort to stealing to make money just to eat. But it is
still the principle; I feel violated, my possessions were stolen, it is
illegal, and it is against the churches teachings (10 commandments.)
Regardless, I have learned a lesson, and I have moved on.
So, guard your stuff, watch out for each other, and just let
those small things go. You will be better for it in the end.
Until next time,
Enjoy life, Find meaning, Be happy,
Craiger
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