Muzungu!: Relaxing the Mind and Having Fun

Bare with me for a second as I promise the following will come full circle. I was unhappy at my first job for one reason only- I was not doing what I believe God called me to do. Yes, I believe everyone has a definite purpose in life, but it's up to us to be open to discovering that purpose. Am I fulfilling my purpose? I can't say, but from my first job to now it feels like I am getting a helluva lot warmer. But God is a funny man. If it wasn't for my first job, I would not be typing to you from Africa today. If it wasn't for my first job, I would not have the friendships that I gained nor the experience of having been tasked awesome responsibility for a guy right out of college. For anyone who feels a calling to the industry, it is a fantastic job and career opportunity. My department was full of good people and I couldn't have had a better experience with my first two managers in the "real world."

I respected my managers because they were excellent at knowing when to push, when to back off, and when to have some fun. They were also young and relatable, but most importantly, they were sincere in developing friendships beyond work related activities. To me, that's good leadership. Show me that you care outside of the "9-5" and I will follow you. You may disagree and believe that crossing over into the "friendship realm" is not always appropriate for work, but it worked in my department. It created a sense of closeness and camaraderie that no other department had in the office.

For the countless Braves/Thrashers/Hawks games, happy hours, lunches at Taco Mac, and dinners at places I won't ever be able to afford, I greatly appreciate the "pick-me-ups" that my managers used to keep us motivated and fresh minded. So, in honor of my friends at my first job, I decided to follow their managerial style by calling for a much needed day off this prior Saturday (there are no such things as weekends for the majority of Ugandan's - it's just another day of survival!).

Our Day-O-Fun was spent at 40,000 seat Mandela National Stadium, watching the Ugandan Cranes take on the Burundi Swallows in the Africa Nations Championship qualifier. The Cranes bashed the Swallows 4-0, which led to some wild and hilarious celebrations by the home fans. I have never been a real big fan of soccer, but after my first international game I just might be hooked - not necessarily hooked on the sport per se, but the atmosphere of the stadium and the crazy fans. It's a guaranteed good time.

For my Ugandan partners, I had one rule for the day - no talk of work. The day was needed and deserved and above anything it gave us the opportunity to relax our minds and establish closer friendships and better camaraderie. From my personal experience, I think we will be more productive this week because of it.

O yeah....and what would the world do without sports?