At the beginning of 2020, I moved to a new neighborhood in Kampala (Rubaga division), a place that was so removed from places I was familiar with. I only knew it as an area I passed on my way out of Kampala going to the western part of the country. I was very anxious about the move thinking of: if my new landlord would be as nice as the previous one, if I would make friends in the new neighborhood, whether I would find a good place to jog whenever I was up to it, how I would have to cross through town to attend the regular meetings of a program I am part of, and several other things.
Fast forward to March 2020 when the world came to a standstill because of COVID19, I had plenty of time to get accustomed to my neighborhood, to get a jogging trail, hospitals like Mengo and Rubaga are within a walking distance from my home, that my neighbors were great, discovering a nice little bakery that makes the best bread, doughnuts, and pastries in Mengo opposite the hospital (Kadosh), that my workplace is a less than 10 minutes ride by motorbike and under 20 minutes in a car with no traffic. So, what was I fretting about? All my big worries at the start of the year seemed trivial because I was looking at my new neighborhood in a whole new dimension.
It is this same outlook that I carried forward to get me through the lockdown. Talk of adapting to working from home, attending meetings and events online from home, making new friends from the virtual engagements, solidifying friendships online, attending international meetings, this virtual life is quite something. I attended meetings in London, several in Kenya, and another in New York all in 2020. Yes, the realities of 2020.
In the same year, I had my very first camping trip courtesy of Mountain Slayers of Uganda an incredible experience with amazing people.
All the above is not to say that 2020 did not come without challenges, like everyone else, I had my fair share of them. And for everyone whose 2020 was marred by a lot of pain, loss, and all sorts of challenges, I am sending you virtual hugs but also congratulating you on overcoming. We are here in 2021 a sign of triumph over the challenges of the previous year, to build back up, to continue reinventing ourselves and adapting to whatever life throws at us because we are in it to win it. That is what I always tell myself.
I read a statement on a post by @thetravelingchels on IG that I found very profound : “All the problems of 2020 did not/may not have disappeared at the stroke of midnight going into 1st January 2021 (mine did not). But here is to hoping that we all find ways to see more moments of light in 2021 or better yet find ways to create them”.
This is all I hope for you dear reader and friend and as I end this post, I will leave below three things to think about, I will be thinking about the same!
- Be brave, seek clarity so you do not move blindly, and be okay with asking for help.
- Invest in yourself, grow, and get you to the next level. Let us dream when we are awake and chase our dreams relentlessly
- Live life to the fullest. Humble reminder, we each have one life to live.
Happy New Year 2021!
Hermusings 
Great piece there, as always dear. I leave you with The desiderata. Read it like you mean it… even if it’s not your first time.
https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html#:~:text=GO%20PLACIDLY%20amid%20the%20noise,they%20too%20have%20their%20story.
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Oh my goodness Steve, I don’t how I have never come across this beautiful piece of writing. This “the desiderata” has made my Monday and will make my days to come. Thank you!
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