Last Day in Gulu

It has once again, been a good trip, just a little bit different than last year. CSC member Ben Bocher sent me an e-mail that said, "There is no one you could not love, if you knew their story." So as I told the Gulu SS teachers the other night, I am gathering more stories.

This morning woke up to a Rooster at 7 am, on the day we could all sleep in. I staggered to the bathroom, and of course, Obibi the goat had pooped in 3 different locations. This morning is the last day, I will ever have to sweep up goat poop. I cannot wait until I have heard news back from Gulu, that Obibi the goat, is now sitting comfortably next to ample servings of rice and potatoes on a dinner platter. I can also sympathesize with all parents who allowed their kids to buy a pet, and then never took the responsibility for cleaning up after the pet.

Odong Collins Otika, the S2 student from Awere, showed up at the gate this morning with a clean Awere SS shirt, and a nice tie. He was off to take his English midterm or final early this morning. I hope that he can have a successful end of this term, and end the year in style. I wonder if I do come back next year will he be in the same city I am. The transient nature of small friendships makes those so few minutes great. But it also forces us to be better friends and better people, because we have to work at making these short times work.

Collins was worried that he might not see me as I left Gulu. I tried to explain to him that I believe life is a movie and not a snapshot. It does not matter if we missed the last opportunity for a picture, it is the movie we have created over the years. If I took time to lament missing the last snapshot of seeing my friend at Mardi Gras this year, I would not be watching the movie of our great times together, and the incredible friendship that he gave me over the past 9 years.

I will probably write something reflective next week, but again I may not post again until I hit New York (of course there is a chance that I will post 3 more times)....

John