My Story?

My story, what is it? What is the value of it? Is it important to have a story to tell, or is it more important to just be able to be a part of a story.  Why blog? Do I blog for myself or for others? If for me, why put it online? If for others, is there a set of rules or ethics? If I leave out pieces, is that ok? Is it worse to omit or to make-up elements? Travel writers have become famous, embellishing their adventures & even describing sunsets they never witnessed.  We all see that at wrong, but what if I leave out the sunrise that I did experience? What if I don’t share some of my best thoughts, or show some of my worst mistakes?

I read a story about a twenty-dollar bill this week. It demonstrated that the value of the currency is the same whether it is crisp & new or wrinkled and wet. We appreciate it the same.  Do I need to try to look crisp; do I need to show my wrinkles? Maybe I should be less concerned about story telling & more concerned with being…

Off & On...

Everything here is off and on. The water comes and then it goes… …maybe for five days. After a blackout you reset your clocks just in time for the power to flicker again. On a larger scale, we are having un-seasonal rains. This is the same year that brought a drought devastating Kenyan farmers & in turn food-supplies. Sometimes a guest shows up unexpectedly and stays for dinner or even the night. On the other side, people I make appointments with can be absurdly late or even not show up. I live in a nice community where commodities are relatively reliable, but even here we have not had the internet for over a week. My motivation seems to ebb and flow as well. It is not like the tide, constant & predictable. Rather, it is like Kenyan water service; you never know when it will be there & when it will not. I meet an inspiring person or see an incredible community effort and I become enthusiastic about my opportunity to be here. In the same day I will wait for 4 hours to meet someone who will be more interested in what they can get from the white guy than making their community organization effective or sustainable. I need to find out a way to sustain myself & my motivation. When the water is on, families fill every bucket or container they have in order to ensure that they do not find themselves without when the water is off. How can I capture & store my source?

February Excursion

One of my goals this year is to take advantage of my flexible schedule and the fact that I live in Kenya.  Every month I am being intentional about doing one major excursion.  These excursions are my time for adventure, and may also be the key to my personal sustainability.  February’s was easy. I went with The 1010 Project’s service learning team to the Masai Mara on a Safari.  Normally these trips will not be associated with 1010 or “work,” but for the Safari I made an exception.

After a few hours on a paved road our driver left the “hardball” and started down a dirt path. Passing pastoralists, small villages, & vast panoramic views we drove towards the National Park & our camp. We arrived in the early afternoon at a surprisingly comfortable lodge or “Safari Camp.”  We cleaned up and rested while we waited for the afternoon rain to clear up. Refreshed from the trip & anxious to see lions, we took off on our first game drive. 3 kilometers into our “hunt” we came to an impromptu river that the rain had formed. It was too wide to through a rock across (yes I tried, its what Marines do when they’re bored), and waist deep (no I didn’t try, I let someone else be the measuring stick.) We returned to camp a bit defeated. Mara = 1 Keith = 0

The next two days brought us great weather, unbelievable scenery, and a lot of lions! It was unbelievable. We drove around the savannah hunting for one animal or another: Lions, Malibu, hyenas, hippos, elephants, zebras, buffalo, monkeys, dik dik, birds, birds, and more birds…

The trip, the exploration, the bit of adventure... ...it was just what I needed.

More Pictures Here