Africa is Good for Me

I'm back home after my medical-run to the big, bad city of Nairobi.

As the shuttle chugged through the traffic-choked streets, I found myself thinking about how much I don't like that town. But I had a little change of heart once I was on foot. Walking along the busy streets, I greeted street vendors and chatted with ladies running fruit stands. I noticed how pretty the trees looked in their blossomy veils, and how white the clouds were against the bright blue sky.

Yea, I think Africa is better when you're out of the car.

The lady at Nairobi Hospital (where both Trevor and Heather were born) who did the mammogram said something very interesting during our time together. The fibroid and cyst concerns that I have experienced in the past were not present.

"Those issues will have cleared up because you've moved back to Africa," she said.

I must have looked at her a little quizzically because she elaborated.

"You'll have left a lot of stress behind in the West. The stress and pace there make people eat chocolate and drink coffee to cope. Here, the stress and chocolates are less and so you've cleared up."

She's right, you know. It's not that life is easy in Africa. It is challenging in many ways on many levels and the issues that weigh upon this continent are huge, gnarly and complicated. But we don't keep a manic schedule and we eat simpler, cleaner, fresher foods.

I'm happy about that.

Photo by Jesse Borden