Souvenirs

I have been back in America now for about 24 hours and realized that I have been pretty emotionless throughout my Journey back home. The 24 hours of flight time and re-adjusting to everything has had me a little zombied-out. And considering it is 4:41 pm, and my body is  telling me it is 12:44 am, I am a bit tired. But my emotions are coming back, and to tell you the truth, it is hurting a little bit.

 I was sitting on my American bed this morning in my American room, and glanced to a corner where I saw my African drum—the same drum that was sitting in the corner of my room in Uganda just 72 hours earlier. Here, it occurred to me that it was no longer an African drum sitting in the corner of my Ugandan bedroom, but it was suddenly a souvenir. I could project future conversations of, “Oh my, where did you get that drum?” “I got in when I was teaching in Uganda for two months.” “Why it is beautiful!” The fact that my personal items had suddenly been rendered souvenirs of a time that once was really struck me and brought tears to my eyes.   Though I knew my time teaching at Rwentutu would come to an end, it is difficult to now accept that it is over.  

I left for Uganda not really knowing what to expect from it. I knew I would be teaching at Rwentutu Christian Community School, I knew I would be living in a house with a woman named Doryn in Kasese, and I knew I was going to probably have a wonderful time. What I could not have known prior to my departure though was how much I would fall in love with my students, the wonderful people I was surrounded by, and the school where I taught. Having to leave my students not knowing if I would ever see them again was so tough. Though I intend to visit Rwentutu again in the near future, I do not know what exactly the future holds for my student, and that scares me. I just wish I could ensure they live well, and avoid the many challenges faced by children and families in rural Uganda. I grew to love them all so much, and saying goodbye to everyone that made my time there so great was one of the most challenging things I have had to do. As teacher Rau and others put it, good-bye is the saddest word, and the hardest word to say.

Rick Ridgway, a well-known rock climber, once said that the best journeys are those that answer questions you had never thought to ask. My journey to Uganda did just that. Not only did I learn a lot about education and culture, I learned a lot about myself. Wikipedia describes the word “souvenir “ as a token of remembrance, or an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it (Yes, I am quoting Wikipedia). Though it will be nice to look at my souvenirs I brought with me back from Uganda from time to time, they are completely unnecessary as reminders, because my time there was literally unforgettable. The relationships I built with my students, cooperating teachers, Doryn, Samson, and others will be sincerely missed, but never forgotten. The memories I have acquired have made me undoubtedly wealthy in terms of happiness. Rwentutu has a permanent place in my heart, and I will always remember those that inspired me along the way. Thank you Rwentutu. You have left footprints on my heart.             ThankYou.                          Thank You