Just slow down and enjoy the walk....

Everyday I walk between our two hospitals. They are about 3km apart and I normally enjoy my alone time, put in my ipod and just let my mind wander. Yesterday as I was turning the corner and heading up the hill I heard someone yelling my name from the new hospital. Looking back I noticed a women waving and running-ish after me. I had no idea who she was but I began back towards the hospital and greeted her. She asked if she could walk with me. I thought “why not?” She knew who I was and I didn’t wan to insult her by asking her name (probably for like the 50th time), it was clear we had met before. I noticed her shirt said National Disability Day and she had an apparent limp, so I figured that I she was a member of the PLWD committee (as am I). We walked the 3km to the old hospital, up hill, in the middle of the hottest day yet. I was shocked. Never did she complain, never did she ask to stop, never did she ask for my help (it’s not forgiving terrain). Like a champ she led the way through the bush (community back roads) to the old hospital chatting with me the whole way. She told me what it was like to live with a disability in Namibia and how most people are looking for a handout but not her. As an officer of the committee she gets on peoples cases if they are trying to not pull their weight. She said she understands that not everyone can pull the same amount of weight but everyone can contribute in someway to their own happiness and well-being, for those who can’t she’s there (and the committee). Wow. I was speechless. As we parted ways I wished her luck on her days duties and that I looked forward to our next walk or conversation. Each day I’m more and more impressed with the empowered individuals in this Outjo community. It’s moments like these and people like her that make it easy to be here and hard to imagine leaving. Moments which would have been missed if I had not slowed down.