“I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.”
I slept late, until close to ten. I swear it is because subconsciously I knew the weather was the same as it has been. That I had to snuggle under the warm comforter last night was reason enough to stay in bed, but I dragged myself downstairs, let Henry out, started my coffee, went to get the papers and fed Maddie and Henry. The morning ritual changes little from day to day. The grey clouds change little from day to day. The dampness changes little from day to day. This is my world right now. The only bright spot, figuratively as we haven’t seen the sun in eons, is I have more books to read, more books to take me away from the daily chores and the weather.
Every Sunday I chat with my sister in Colorado. Today she asked me if I had done my laundry yet. I haven’t.
When I lived in Ghana, I never had sloth days. I was always up early and dressed early. Coffee was first then breakfast then teaching. It was a daily pattern just as my days now have a pattern, but every day in Ghana and the pattern of every day was amazing. Roosters often woke me up. I could hear my students sweeping the school compound then I could hear water flowing from the taps into their metal buckets as my students stood in line for their morning bucket baths. I often had my second mug (giant mug) of coffee sitting on the steps in the front of my house. Small children walking to school stopped and greeted me. “Good Morning, Sir.” English was new to them, and they were learning greetings first, the same as I did in French and Spanish. Their teacher was a man. If it was market day, I went into town. I loved market day. It was like a country fair and even more but without the rides. I loved wandering among the tables, among the rows selling everything: fruit, cloth, chickens, eggs, vegetables, juju beads, pots and pans and bruni wa wu (used clothing translated as dead white man’s clothes). Sometimes I found a treasure. Once it was a small watermelon.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
September 9, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Election day here and we’re all worried that the fascist party will get lots of votes, they might even become the biggest party and that scares me. Then again they say that it seems more people than usual have voted so that might save the day. Last election over 85% of us voted so I’m hoping for even more today.
The day started out a bit sunny, then came rain, then some sun again and now it’s cloudy, can’t say that the weather is dull 🙂 🙂 Mostly around 68F though so it was rather pleasant anyway.
Have a great day!
Christer.
September 9, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Christer,
Over here we worry about Trump probably to the same degree you worry about Fascists. I am so impressed by the percentage which vote. Here the problem is always the people who don’t vote. There are always too many who just stay home.
Here the weather hasn’t changed in days. I think Tuesday may have some sun. I really hope that is true.
Have a great day!!
September 9, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Here no one, except the extremists, will identify as fascists. However, they use dog whistle terms to cover up their racist ides.
The generation that fought and defeated the Axis powers are dying out and a new generation of extreme nationalists, racists and bigots are creeping out of their holes everywhere. In the 1930s in Europe it was the Jews and now it’s the Muslims turn. Hitler killed off almost all of Europe’s Jews and there aren’t enough Blacks to hate so let’s all hate Muslims.
Hate of the ‘other’ is the driving force behind Trumpeters in the US, Brexit proponents in the UK and just hatred spewing parties all over Europe. The EU was created in part to keep the big European countries from going to war again. It didn’t work because none of the EU countries was willing to give up enough sovereignty to a central government to have a federal system with checks and balances. The confederation that is the EU is falling apart with the help of Putin. Unfortunately, the fate of Russia after the fall of Communism may be the future filled with little Putins everywhere.
The really sad part is that Western Europe, Japan and the US have declining birth rates. If we don’t bring in smart, educated immigrants from around the world and integrate them into our society, then there will be no one working to support the social systems that we rely on in our old age. Sadly, no one will survive another world war with nuclear weapons. Albert Einstein was asked to describe WWIII. He replied, “I don’t know about that, but WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones”.
September 9, 2018 at 6:30 pm
Bob,
The world is in the middle of hating. In Europe, no refugees are welcomed. In the US no one except white Europeans with degrees are welcome.
Americans of any ilk don’t want to do small jobs. They won’t harvest or plant or work for small money at a fast food joint, but they don’t want people who would willingly do those jobs as a first step toward becoming Americans. Brown will be the majority color in less time than most people realize. You are right: we are becoming a population of old people with an insufficient number to take our place.
September 9, 2018 at 4:40 pm
Hi Kat,
I have done part of my laundry. The other part is in the dryer where it will probably stay for several days. But half done is better than a laundry bag full of dirty clothes still lying at the bottom of the cellar stairs a week after being flung down there.
It has been a productive several days for me. Besides laundry, I have cooked several involved things which generated many dirty dishes which I washed right away! Imagine. Must be the cool weather. 🙂
Ghana mornings sound wonderful. Except for the roosters.
It’s cold up here, relatively speaking. Dropping 30 or 40 degrees over a day or so is extreme. There are socks on my feet for the first time since last January. I’m not going to complain. The early part of the week was brutally hot. This is just fine for me.
Enjoy the day.
September 9, 2018 at 6:39 pm
Hi Caryn,
Nope, I haven’t done my laundry. Usually I have to be close to running out of underwear before I’m forced to do it. I tossed the laundry bag down the stairs on Thursday. I think it is growing roots.
My house is clean, and I did a bit of de-cluttering to make it look neater. That’s it for my productivity.
After a while, you just don’t notice the rooster. Ghana has its faults, but the mornings aren’t part of that. I loved the mornings. They are the coolest part of the day, but cool only in comparison to the rest of the day. When I went back, I was thrilled to hear the roosters.
I just shut the other window in here. It was cold.
Have a great day!