Rounding Up Errant Thoughts

I was gently nudged by a dear friend and loyal reader regarding the erratic train of thought in my last post.  Truth be told, I'd intended chatting about how our plans were turning out to be more liquid than plan, and as flexible as a meandering stream.

Breaking off midway through my musings for a cuppa, the state of the kitchen brought my temperature to boiling point faster than the kettle rattled steam from it's spout.  Hence the diverse sidetrack, sorry about that.  One of the downsides of not planning my blogs; off the cuff scribing means that I'm not totally in control of where it is headed.

OK, so you've got the gist - our departure date for East Africa has stretched further and further out and even a firm resignation and resolution hasn't actually made it reality.  To add more complication to the mix of installing lightbulbs in hospitals, Kenya's August election result was declared null and void by the High Court and a re-run ordered.

Frankly, I'm delighted by this African first, an election result declared free and fair by outside observers successfully contested in court.  Not that I'm leaning one way or the other regarding the parties but this display of democracy at work is very pleasing.  Except, with the new election date set for 17th October and many expats heading out of the country again until things settle down, Him Outdoors sensibly began to wonder if a further postponement of our trip should be considered. 

A call last week to an expat friend in Nairobi scored a point for my opinion, that this was the time to be bold and be there, people who would usually be too busy to see us will have time on their hands.  1 - 0 for the optimist.

A lengthy Skype chat to our Kenyan business partner on Monday evening levelled the score though.  In fact, it earned double points and weighted the seesaw towards the Realist.  George strongly advised that we delay, saying it would be a waste of our time - Kenyan business owners are simply frozen until after the election. He himself was preparing to take his family out of Kenya for a while and this, coming from a Black Kenyan entrepreneur, carried huge weight with us.

Sadly reporting back to our Jozi pals that the drinks send off on Saturday was to be postponed elicited an interesting and heartwarming perspective - 'yay, now we have you for longer' was the general gist.  Wow, guys, we didn't see that coming and absolutely love our Monty Python-esque pals - 'Always look on the bright side of life' is now ringing in our ears and HO belts out a whistle or two every now and then.  Mostly when my bottom lip quivers and pouts.  

In today's world of instant gratification and push button convenience, it is so easy to lose sight of what life really is about - a straggly, potholed track strewn with fallen trees and the odd puddle.  The only way through is to keep moving forward, slowly navigating all the obstacles and to press ahead. Smooth paths and life on a plate are the exception, not the rule. Hollywood and popular fiction have dulled our realistic expectations and should be seen for what they really are - feel good fantasy.

Life itself is a muddle that keeps us on our toes and constantly stretches and challenges our ability to think on our feet and adapt, and thank heavens for that. Disappointment aside, the kinetic energy of change is exciting.