Mental Pictures

Every time I am about to move or enter a new season of life, I often find myself taking as many mental pictures as I possibly can. Usually through this mental photography a few will last through the years. This time is not the same. I thought, perhaps I can give a glimpse into my mental images I am storing up.

1. Walking through the village, passing the endless gardens of food. The sugar can stalks are tall, green, and when mature have feathers on top. The are so close together that if you walk into the field a few feet no one could see you and you could not see them. Walking next to them reminds me of walking next to corn on a hot summer day. The coffee trees are full of berries, green, red, and bunch together. The knowledge that this coffee could end up in my cup of joe in the states amazes me. Walking through these fields, I come across women carrying firewood, bananas, beans, water on their heads as they bow to greet me. The children wearing just a t-shirt, often hold my hand as I make way to home to home.




2. Riding on the back of a motorcycle, at 30 MPH, without a helmet in town traffic. The breeze whips through my hair, I close my eyes and smile as I zoom past traffic. My favorite time to ride a boda is at night, when I can gaze at the stars going by as my driver safely brings me to my destination.

3. My office is behind a tourist craft shop. I often find myself sitting on the front step of the shop, facing main street with my friends and Ugandan family. We watch customers pass by, politicians, parades, and the normal flow of traffic. We huddle in whatever shady corner, talking about the days events. Eventually 3-month old baby Maggie is passed to me and I am caught up in baby talk and mesmerized by her chubby cheeks.

4. Sitting on the front step of my house, scratching the guard dogs ears as their tails wag back and forth. Meanwhile, Muffin, my dog is practically attacking the guard dogs in a fit of jealousy.

5. Laughing with my friends and co-workers around the long table with green table-cloth. Usually eating amazing home-cooked dinner such as lemon-peppered fish and potatoes. The conversation lasts for hours and then turns into a game of scrabble where I usually loose.

There are just a few of my mental pictures I am capturing as I go through my final days in Uganda. They will be stored in a special place in my head and heart, retrieved in the future when I need to remember and feel as if I am in Uganda. Every place I live or work, I have these mental pictures- and you know what? It helps. It helps when I move so much to remember the good times, and know that where I am at the moment I will soon have to capture new mental pictures for the future.