Back in the Saddle

When I’m not busy with work, I’m usually busy waiting.

Waiting for transport to come.
Waiting for meetings to start.
Waiting for teachers to arrive.
Waiting for funding to come through.
Waiting for learners to listen.

It’s one of those things that—until now—I’ve never been very good at. I like things to happen. And I like it best when they happen now.

But these days, I’m getting a lot of practice with being patient. And I think it’s safe to say, I’m definitely getting better.

The week before last was painfully slow. (And yes, you guessed it—all about waiting.) I had projects to work on and clubs to work with, but too many factors beyond my control meant there wasn’t much work I could actually do.

I was eager to host more primary school dental workshops. But materials were running low. Without transport to collect more toothbrushes and toothpaste, there was nothing to distribute.

My office space was cleaned and the shelves emptied as phase one of the transformation from workspace to hospital resource room. And while I was ready to file, label and organize, the materials I’d collected had yet to be delivered to Khorixas.

I’d organized activities for the Awareness Club at the secondary school, but Grade 10 exams meant the kids were too busy studying and preparing to attend much after-school anything. And Girls Club was supposed to be a lesson on physical conditioning and a healthy heart, but a last-minute awards ceremony was scheduled for the same time.

The beds of our community garden have been ready for weeks, but it was disappointing to learn that without funding, there’d be no food to feed the kids while they worked. So for now, not much more can be done.

In a week like this one it’s easy to feel frustrated and hard to feel productive. So while it seemed like my work life was on hold, I decided to focus on my own life instead. I picked up War and Peace, and plowed through half of the dense Russian text. And I took up a morning running program that gets me out in the streets well before the sun comes up.

It was my only way of feeling accomplished at a time when it seemed nearly impossible to be productive.

Luckily that’s changed.

This week the dental supplies were purchased and workshops have started once again. My office is now officially the hospital resource room. The learners in Girls Club know about healthy hearts and cardio kickboxing. And while the garden may still be on hold (since funding is always slow to surface), the OVCs and I are keeping busy on Saturday afternoons playing games, learning English and drawing pictures to decorate their walls. They’re having fun and just being kids.

And me? Well, I’ve got 650 pages left in War and Peace and I’m still heading out on those early-morning runs. But mostly I’m just feeling a whole lot more productive. And ultimately, a whole lot happier, too.