Category: Thoughts and Reflections

  • Modified delegation scheme:

    Well here’s gonna be a darned blog, A bit of insight into the process of delegation and the frustrations of working with youth and partially-motivated volunteers – maybe. I’m gonna start with an excerpt from Marcus Aurelius’s journals written among the Quadi on the River Gran. “First thing every morning tell yourself: Today I am…

  • Knowledge Is Power

    Before I get into more details about Livingstone and our week exploring southern Zambia and Botswana, I thought I’d revisit this great post! Knowledge is power, power is education, education is empowerment, empowerment is knowledge. Marcus Aurelius stood as a great philosopher king in his time. Today his memoirs offer us a glimpse of the…

  • Understanding ones priorities

    Well darn, that title right there is one heck of a tall order. I suppose y’all are strapped in for quite the ride with me tonight. I’m taking a little break from the trip updates to write you this little piece of musing on priorities. I’ve written on motivation a couple of times now but…

  • Samfya

    Samfya! All packed up, we said goodbye to Chisunka, piled into the car and headed south. We were on the road to Lake Bengweulu, Samfya district. Samfya is something special – it’s a gorgeous lake smack dab in the southen part of Luapula. It spans two provinces and is just big enough that you can’t…

  • Flipping the ‘On’ switch

    I know this one will resonate with a few folks. I’m writing today about that curious dulling sensation, that trance of auto-control and routine that blurs out details and subdues our senses in a cloud of numbness. I am of course talking about that feeling of sluggish response when you realize that your whole being…

  • I know I’ve written about this before…but

    I know I’ve written about this before, But Africa is gorgeous. My oh my, it is simply spectacular. Today was one of those rare days where just an hour before sunset, the moon started to rise. Clear, bright, radiant and gleaming above the horizon. It climbed lazily into the sky as the sun was setting.…

  • Vicissitudes of fortune

    Morning all! Hope y’all are well and enjoying life. As I’ve been writing tonight and thinking a lot – facilitated by Marcus Aurelius – I’m getting motivation for some decent blogs. A couple points from Emperor Aurelius: “Bear in mind that the measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about.”…

  • How to learn English

    Good morning folks, I’ve got an interesting topic for you today. A break from the harsh cruel reality of coping with death and suffering in the African bush. It’s all based on a 19-year-old kid, named Kapindah. As I biked in to my clinic a few days ago calling out greetings and being waylaid by…

  • Three rough days

    Hey folks, Well…this is going to be raw, and parts gruesome, skip over if you must. I guess that is how it is supposed to be, and I am sure you will forgive me and work in a little slack. I am writing at the end of three days of horror, frustration, helplessness, anger, and…

  • The seasons are a-changing

    These times, they are a changin’. Guess that’s fair enough. The winds have come, strong powerful gales blowing dust, seeds, spores, and memories away on grand adventures. They bring riders – cool nights, dew-covered grass, and crisp morning air. A cold splash of icy water across your face where just last week the same had…