Home, But Not Exactly On The Range

I actually felt a little sad getting in the taxi for the airport. Africa was good to me. Yes, it was dusty and dirty. Yes, I was dusty and dirty. And yes, I know the exact ratios of sweat, bug spray, sunscreen, and river water necessary for making a human being feel as gross as is humanly possible.

I learned that Mirinda Fruity is possibly the best soft drink known to man. I learned that malaria medicine is excellent for the complexion. And I learned that the ant is arguably the most brilliant of all God’s creatures—or at least the most ambitious.

At the end of August 2008, Africa opened its arms and embraced me. I had become exhausted in every way by the madness that is New York City, but as the breeze of Lake Victoria blew across my care-worn face every day, the struggle and uncertainty of the last year slowly faded away. I fell into the joy of doing what I was made to do. I basked in the freedom of my calling. I was sloppy with creative juices. And when Africa saw me off at the end of September, I was myself again. I had been nurtured back to health and happiness by the Motherland. She gave me a new beginning.

Now I’m back in New York…and to a new beginning indeed. I’m homeless and jobless. I have no plans and no sense of certainty about anything at all—save one. I am certain that I’m about to write a book. I have no idea how it’s going to turn out, but I know that my task now is to pray, close my eyes, put my fingers to the keyboard, and write. No amount of uncertainty, hardship, or New York insanity can change the task so clearly before me.

When someone asks me what I do, from now on, I will not say, “I’m just a temp.” Nor will I say, “I’m a housekeeper,” “I’m an office monkey,” or “I’m a barista.” Even though I may be any of those things, my clear and decisive answer will be, “I’m a writer.” This is my new beginning.

Consider me an ant with an enormous crumb. Carrying that crumb to my ant lair is going to be difficult if I try to do it on my own. That’s why I need you to be with me. I can’t carry this thing by myself. You are not just my audience; you are my co-laborer. The accountability and encouragement you have already given me and will give me in the months to come have and will challenge me to do my best work and to do justice to the calling placed on my life.

Thank you for being with me thus far. Thank you for being with me in the future. The blog won’t stop because the trip is over. We’re in this for the long haul. I need you. I look forward to sharing my stories with you individually, so don’t hesitate to ask me a million questions next time you talk to me. It was tough to leave Africa, but because of you and because of the task ahead, it is really good to be home.

T-minus Three Days and Sprinting to the End

Remember the days when I was able to spend some time writing long, insightful posts for you nice folks? Those were good days. They were the days of plenty of room on my computer and ipod, the days of clean shoes, the days of having enough time to shower every day. I remember them well...and I've left them behind. I'm not complaining, mind you. I mean, I DID just spend three days on safari. But I returned and found myself in the final sprint to the end, and boy am I running!! Today I'll be crossing the Equator. I hear they have a place there where a guy will do the water thing for you. You know, make it drain one direction on the North side, and the other direction on the South side. Lori and I are going down to a village made up almost entirely of the elderly, small children, and the mentally handicapped. I hope to conduct some interviews. Tomorrow I'm spending time with a girl named Jackie whose parents were killed by the LRA. And Wednesday I'm packing up and making my way to the airport. I hope to be able to write at least once more before I leave Uganda, but if I can't, I'll catch you up from the sunny banks of the Avon River on my quest to see Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Until then, I've made a video of the last week or so. This one is a bit longer than normal, so you may want to grab some provisions. Enjoy!

Note: This is a post I wrote several days ago...when I was still in Africa. For some reason I couldn't get it to come up on Blogger. So its a bit outdated. Sorry for any confusion! :o)