Show UP

I recently started jogging and as I jog, people would say ‘hey I will join you sometime’, or ‘...come get me the next time you jog’. The interesting thing is that I have found that very few people would actually show up the day of the jog or after I had told them when we are jogging.  As much as I want to achieve something in life I have found that I say I want to do something and go somewhere yet I don’t even show up. In most instances the first thing that I need to do is show up.

Knock, knock is anybody home?

*silence*

People have showed up in my life, some have been very good and influential others not so good and what did I do, nothing. I don’t know what I missed. Honestly I can say that in some cases I peeped through the whole and saw a gun; my response was not to answer in that case I dodged a bullet. Allow me to blow my own horn and say that, that was a wise move. Other times in fear I hid not even to peep through the whole to see what lay ahead.

The most interesting times have been when I knocked peeped and opened. I was willing to listen and see what I could do with the opportunity presented and the choice would lie with me do I take a chance or decline. My favourite times have been those rear, very rear times when I opened the door and a gift lay on the floor.

Knock, knock.

(peep through whole, safe to open)

*open*

Stranger: “Welcome to Life.”

The Climb

Over the last month, I have been privileged to have traveled to Swaziland on an outreach with 10 other people. The experience was amazing and during that time, we learned so much. We had an amazing opportunity to climb the highest point in Swaziland and that was an adventure. So much of the experience of climbing a mountain reminded me of life. There were different terrains and obstacles to face. We walked through:

·         A small forest land
·         Rocky paths
·         Very steep hills and
·         Grassland

Some places were easy to walk through and others

weren't. I was tired way before we were even half way and there were times I was ready to quit and just wait for everyone else to get to the top then find me on their way back. I didn’t quit; I struggled through till I reached the top, we all did. Reaching the top was spectacular the view was amazing and worth every sore muscle.

The interesting thing was that climbing down was fast and so much easier than climbing up but the last 500m was torture because you can see were you need to go but, it seems like too much.

The mountain hike was only just the beginning we got to see and experience a different way of life. The one big thing that stood out to me was the people. Swazi people are so friendly and very open to conversations; it is so refreshing to walk pass people who will greet you.  We worked with a lot of young people and that is a humbling experience. To be corrected by someone much younger than you is a test of character, it will drive you crazy the entire day. I am not a teenager anymore but, I’m only 21, I learned so much from the teens we were with and I also got to reminisce on my not so wise teen moments.

A great moment for me was going into the villages and being with people and not focused on technology because there was no network reception. It made me re-evaluate what I deem important. I remember visiting an old lady by the name Lucy, her children had all died and she was left alone with just neighbours. The thing that struck me about her was that she didn't have much, no family, no money, and no job but, with the little she did have she gave. She had a straw basket with nuts which she had picked from the ground and she gladly shared them with us and when we had finished our hand full she insisted that we have more.

 I live in a world where we fight to get ‘stuff’ and to get ‘stuff’ done and through all this we miss the people, we even claim to be doing these ‘stuff’ for. I realised that I miss people, I don’t always see them or notice and when I do, I rarely acknowledge them. I've walked passed greatness and not even know because I’m so focused on achieving greatness.

I have missed you and I am sorry.