It used to be that I’d be driving along, texting, eating or otherwise distracted by a really good song or the view from Broadway Bridge or the cute little ladybug crawling along my dashboard with three spots, one on the left wing and two on the right wing and wait, didn’t I hear the number of spots indicates something like the number of years the ladybug has been alive or some pessimistic prediction of the number of years I’ll continue to be alive or wait, was it the number of years it’ll take before trans-saturated fats are banned in Oregon’s restaurant system or…and all of a sudden I’d have to slam on my brakes to avoid a run-in with an Audi or some other expensive, living or otherwise unexpected obstacle.
A few weeks back I got a small dose of whiplash that reminded me of the good old days, only in this scenario I was walking distractedly, counting my own spots/freckles which I can only hope are an indicator of my remaining years, humming a really good song to myself since some Kenyan man is appropriately learning all about Radiohead’s Karma Police on my Ipod and all of a sudden, BLAMO, I’m face-to-flank with a giant cow. For description’s sake I’ll clarify it was my face to the cow’s flank, though if you Google image “ankole cattle” you might find more excitement and/or humor in the reverse scenario. Terrifying creatures.
It took a bovine fender-bender to effectively put into perspective how dramatically my life has changed in just over one year and also to remind me what a unique experience this really is. Every day here is completely bizarre and wonderful. Tuesday: sat and watched two crested cranes peck around in the garden directly outside my house for over an hour (…if you Google image “crested crane” you might find more excitement and/or beauty in the scenario). Wednesday: was unexpectedly given the responsibility of naming a friend’s newborn baby. I finally settled on Corrigan, which is not simply Oregon with a C, or at least I don’t think so, or at least I didn’t notice the similarity until it was pointed out by another volunteer, or at least that’s not the only reason I like it. Last night: sat in a village bar with no electricity and learned such vital phrases as “We are drinking beer!” and “We have just finished drinking beer!” and “Gosh, beer is great!” in Rufumbira, albeit slurred Rufumbira, from the man sitting to my right. Afterwards, the man on my left asked me to give him a religion. A word about my soul: I’ve since realized my friend’s request to name his baby stressed me out far more than this second man’s search for spiritual guidance and eternal salvation but since realizing this, I’ve been stressed out enough by the implications of the discovery to make up for my lack of care and concern in the first place. Which essentially puts my soul right back on balance. Phew.
In conclusion, life is amazing. I know that was also the title; I figured if I started out with some sort of intended thesis you might be forced to come to that very conclusion yourself after just 499 jumbled words plus at least one word that’s not a real word at all. On the other hand, maybe a serious case of cow-induced whiplash is just what you need.
No comments:
Post a Comment