My mother always tells me stories of how she and her siblings managed to go through school during war-torn Uganda in the ’80s. How their father sought refugee for them at his sister’s home on Namirembe road, because their home had turned into a mini-barracks, and it wasn’t safe to keep young teenage girls around.
As someone who is fascinated by the past, I never tire from visualising that experience in my mind; using photos I have seen of how this country looked back then, and photos of her as a teenager, I see a time of crisis. A crisis that was too hard to make through, as a student who had to concentrate and read for exams. I imagine myself not being able to survive through it. Because, how would I? I can count the number of times I’ve heard a gunshot go off. But she and many other young people then went through it.
Seeing what’s going on in the world now; a pandemic that’s threatening to wipe the whole human race clean, one that has ravaged the economy, leaving us with the possibility of having no jobs and no means of survival. I don’t know what’s worse; a pandemic or war?
This, to me, is a huge lesson. I’ve honestly been quite ungrateful. Because my parents lived through war, and probably did everything possible for me not to see such terrible events happen in my lifetime, I have grown into this entitled chap, who is convinced that things must go my way.
These past few weeks have humbled me. Some of my clients, who are in tourism and hospitality saw a slump in business as early as January. These began pulling out, one by one. I was depressed for while, but later pulled through, with hope that Covid-19 wouldn’t come to Africa or Uganda. Soon after it was here and now we are on lockdown. I now worry for the future of our business, albeit having little to do about it. I know this is what everyone is going through, and believe we shall all overcome.
However, I’m grateful for the lessons. To be appreciative of the small wins. To love and allow to be loved. To value relationships. To appreciate the beauty and opportunity of being alive. To quit grumbling over one or two things that didn’t go right, and be grateful that I had the opportunity to try in the first place.
This pandemic has taught me that it is not too big to be lost completely. Appreciate it and live in the moment!
What have been your lessons?
hassan@satisfashionug.com
