I have been thinking about the things that I take (or used to take) for granted. Things that have been so much a part of my life that I no longer think twice about them – until there is a disruption of some kind. So many of these things are rooted in my upbringing and experiences. Here are some I have been reconsidering lately:
Electricity. In the US, of course, I had
electricity 24/7 – except in rare cases of a snow storm, a tree branch falling
on local wires, etc. In Baboua I got
used to electricity from 6 – 10 p.m. and arranged to charge my computer and
other gadgets during those hours – taking it for granted. Then, just before we were evacuated, the
generator on the station started having troubles. I sat for a couple of nights in a disco-esque
room with the light flashing on and off every second or so because the
generator could not maintain a steady output of current. Then, it quit altogether. Fortunately, the Troesters, my next-door
neighbors, have solar panels. (I am go
get some too, sometime…) So, I could still recharge my stuff and got into
eating and reading by candle light. Things
are in process to get a new generator for the station, so, hopefully, by the
time we go back, a new generator will, too.
Even with all these disruptions, I have
electricity much more than many of the people in Cameroon and CAR. Some never have it at all! How often do you think about electricity? Do you take it for granted?
Water. We cannot live without
water. Clean water is a luxury for some
although it has always been something I have taken for granted. In Baboua (as in many places in Central
Africa) a generator pumps water up into a water tower giving people access to
it thanks to gravity. So, maybe you can
imagine what is coming next. No
generator in Baboua means no indoor plumbing and much more difficult access to
water. Fortunately, we borrowed a small
generator to temporarily pump water.
Even with these disruptions, I have water,
and especially clean water, much more than many of the people in Cameroon and
CAR. Many still have to carry water from
a well or the river. How often do you
think about water? Do you take it for
granted?
Internet. I know computers and
Internet are luxuries, but I have sure gotten to the place where I take them
for granted! I have found an USB
Internet key or codes for WIFI systems of other missionaries to be able to
communicate with home and get news. I
find ways to recharge the computer. I am
sure I could live without these things, but I don’t want to!
Many of the people in Cameroon and CAR have
never had access to computers and Internet.
A few have irregular access. How
often do you think about computers and Internet? Do you take them for granted?
Food
Choices.
When we go into a supermarket in the US there are rows and rows of
similar products with different brand names.
With global markets, we can get seasonal foods pretty much all year
round. Here there are fewer
choices. Many people don’t go to the
small grocery stores that exist, or buy few items there because prices are
higher for macaroni, canned goods, etc.
Mostly people “eat out of the market” buying locally grown
products. (A great idea, actually! Go visit a farmers’ market this week…)
Restaurants, fast food places, and
pre-packaged foods are also abundant in the US.
They exist here, but on much smaller scale. They are also generally too expensive for
most Cameroonians and Central Africans.
Have you thought about your food choices lately? Do you take them for granted?
Lines. I went with a friend to the
hospital this week. I couldn’t help but
think about waiting and standing in line.
Yes, we wait to see a doctor or hospital staff, but we take it for
granted that there will be a fair system to determine who is seen next. Here lines exist, but if you know someone or
feel that you are important enough, you just go to the front of the line and
push your way in. As a white person, I
am often asked to go to the front of a line.
As much as possible I refuse and wait my turn – even when I get very
annoyed because others push ahead.
In the US doctors’ staff use patients’
charts to keep track of the order in which they arrived and are to be
seen. I have seen a similar system
here. People keep their own medical
notebooks (which saves doctors and hospitals from having to store and organize
them!) People give their notebooks to
someone and a pile is made. Sometimes
there is a small box outside the doctors’ door where patients put their
notebooks. The problem is that people
don’t always put their notebook behind others already there. People who collect them don’t keep them in
any kind of regular order. So it works,
but not as well as most places in the US.
I did see a hospital in Yaoundé where you take a number and register or
pay only when your number is called.
Sound familiar???
Have you complained about waiting and long
lines? Do you take it for granted that
there are more efficient ways to move people and get what you need more
quickly?
Walking is also harder in towns like this
one because there are so many motorcycles, including many motorcycle
taxis. Although the law says that
drivers of cars and motorcycles must have licenses, most motorcyclists (even
the moto taxis) don’t have a license. I
am convinced they don’t know the rules of the road so they make up their own –
cutting in front of others, passing on the left and right even when there
doesn’t seem to be space, driving up the “sidewalk” on the wrong side of the
road, etc.
How much do you think about traffic and
driving? Do you take your car(s) for granted??
Do you take it for granted that drivers will have a license and (most
often) obey the rules?
Parents: By the way, today is my
parents’ 61st wedding anniversary!
Wow! What an accomplishment. I have always taken their love and care for
granted and hope they know that they can do the same with my love for them.
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