Yes. No way around it. No hiding from it. No way of avoiding it. Have to deal with it, head on! In my case, just another day in Africa. This is the part you get to call me heartless, clueless and all kinds of insensitivities. Go ahead. Enjoy it. I am sure it will make you feel better. But guess what? Feeling don’t change fact and truth always trumps. If truth and reality offend you, this is where you should stop reading and go back to fantasy land in the world of kumbayaa. Cheers…
In the bush, as a hunter, it is how most things are dealt with – head on. For this reason alone, I cannot help having a say on the Covid-19 outbreak. Making it public, is mainly due to seeing all the calamity out there. Not so much the virus itself, but how it is being dealt with and how it is being manipulated for unrelated opportunism. At this point, I am sickened by the effect on us. One things for certain… this pandemic has brought out the best and worst of our global society. What infuriates me is ignorance and disregard of a majority of an already overpopulated world who are so disconnected from reality and dependent on government and politics. They actually attack positive effort and potential solutions to what they can’t handle themselves. Darwin.
Unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes, Covid-19 has affected every country and settlement in the world. Regardless of not having infected patients in your area, EVERYTHING is affected. This alone removes all discriminatory garbage of race, gender, religion, class etc. This virus is not picking and choosing folks. It is hell-bent on multiplying itself and dominating all it can live in. Guess what? For the first time in our recent history, there is no damn place to hide. You can try. Run, hide, scream, cry, whine and blame all you want. This damn thing is here to kill and it is not going anywhere, anytime soon. The choice is simple – fight and live or lay down and die. Here’s the thing – if you’re afraid of dying, I can bet you don’t know much about living. Yes, I am not afraid of dying. You shouldn’t be either. It is guaranteed for us all. But I will not welcome it lying down or allow it to dominate me.
There are many who will consider my stance, stupid. It can be. How you choose to deal with it, determines the stupidity. If you stand your ground unarmed, with a raging buffalo charging at you, then it sure is stupid. Climb the strongest, closest tree and stay alive. If there is no tree, try something. Anything. Stay alive. But if caught out, unarmed, unprepared and killed. I had it coming. But I am going to put up a fight. I am not going to go limp and definitely not going to scream or blame Trump, Boris, Obama or Magufuli. Unlike many, I know I am my own first line of defense and offense. I was born into socialism, grew up in third world capitalism and living through an undefined mix of socialism, capitalism and communism. I think the US constitution is the best version ever “built” (as opposed to written or adopted). My Tanzanian constitution needs serious amendments, but will forever remain a “written” one. So what do I do? I do the do, that’s what. I was born here, I’ve grown up here and I live here. Will probably die here too. Not much in my domain is new to me, so I deal with it. I stay open to learning every step of the way, so adapting is part of my nature. Life, like time, waits for nothing/nobody. Least of all me.
I have always been the smallest in my age group, never weakest. Never naturally gifted at sports, but captained five team sports, been sportsman of the year, and earned a scholarship enabling my higher studies. So please excuse my primitive nature when I say, virus outbreaks are not atop my fear factors. Nobody had to teach me because I saw it all around me – kids drank water from anywhere, ate pretty unsavory stuff and were just plain ‘dirty’. They’d never get sick half the number of times I was. To me, they were tough. I wanted to be tough too. So I started doing the same things. Drinking out of streams and puddles, sharing food, playing in mud, sand and yukky stuff. It cost me some beatings at home and mouthfuls of good language, but from age 7 to 35, I firmly believed in it. It bloody well worked. It allowed me to ‘function’ where ‘others’ could not. Imagine if I could only drink bottled water or eat safe food? I would not be able to experience and accomplish half the things I’ve done in the safari world. So what changed at 35? Besides the fact many of my ‘tougher’ age-group showing shorter life-spans, it started affecting me. To this day, I still have a stronger stomach and immunity than most, but it will never be the same as during my 20’s & 30’s. At 35, I got so sick from eating dried fish at the usual ferry crossing over the Kilombero, it made me realize I am not longer able to take risks. I had eaten there for years. Loved and lived it. But that experience, followed by another bout of near-death malaria, made me accept I am no longer unbreakable. I am more careful today.
The first victim of Covid-19 in Tanzania was one of my closest friends. A strong, brave man. A personality and character like no other. Within a week, he was gone. A heart attack could have taken him sooner. Other great sons of Tanzania most notable to me, also departed shockingly and without warning. My good friend, socialite and sports mentor died in a car crash. Another great friend, a guru in academia and social suave, went to Zanzibar and never returned. All were young, determined, resourceful and full of life. Dead. But they lived. That’s my plan too. Life. I have lost many more and will continue to do so, until my time comes. You surely have and will continue to do so, until your time comes. Nobody really knows when their time is up. Every day is an opportunity to live. Through life, we learn.
From where I am, I feel for my kids. They are going to have a real tough time. Not in dealing with any pandemic or daily trials and tribulations. They are going to be a minority of ‘normal’ people in a majority of bat-soup crazy society. The world populace is so damn delusional and detached from reality, they are busy looking elsewhere, nowhere and everywhere for their very own immediate welfare. When did these people stop looking within? Is that not the very first instinct of man? All these so-called academics, celebrities, power-people, influencers etc. They are all whining and blaming select world leaders. What happened to the bragging? What of all the successes and show-boating? Why did they not credit Presidents with that? Truly pathetic. What of faith? Does faith and spirituality move to another planet during pandemics? But what about LOGIC and COMMON SENSE? Did billions of people get these basic qualities wiped off of their beings? There is so much senseless and sinister noise these days, finding reason has truly become like finding a needle in a huge haystack. Fortunately, it seems hunters’ haystacks are stacked with needles. I feel blessed and proud of this. It vindicates our way of life and pursuits.
Now let me tell you a little something about my reality. About my life. About my every day… Malaria almost killed me thrice, but attempted the same too many times for me to recall. I believe I am now immune. It has been 10 years since my last battle. I worked in the world’s malaria capital – Kilombero Valley. I developed chronic malaria which ensured an attack every six months and each time was a battle. Prior to that I have been prone to malaria since a baby and my first near-death experience was in my first teen. My second was on arrival in college & third was when I first got licensed as a PH at 22. On all occasions, I disappeared for over 12 hours and came back. I’ve had two one-off topical rashes that no doctor could figure out. It took home remedies to prevail and neither ever recurred. Assortment of worms throughout my life has led to bi-annual family deworming doses as standard practice. I’ve tackled thieves, poachers, public brutality and survived couple car crashes. Some “people”, including relations, made it their agenda to “finish” me. Soon after college, I returned to a mess where suicide was an option. Fought off typhoid five times, allergic to indoor dust, have gout, got terrible mental discipline, love to eat, drink and am also short, fat, hairy and never desire an office job. Me.
There is so much more throughout my life, writing about it could truly see this pandemic pass. Wishful thinking… I have my here and now to live and survive. Malaria, Typhoid, TB, HIV, SARS, Ebola, Dengue, Limes, government, bad luck and the list goes on. These are DAILY DANGERS
Back to Corona… its best served chilled, with a slice of lemon. What else can I say? Find your logic, common sense and self-reliance. Sadly, too many don’t even understand ‘independent-thinking’ or ‘self-reliance’ anymore. The global system is too effective in creating dependence and helplessness. I cannot say it enough – I am blessed to lead a lifestyle that engages me with people who are logical, sensible and strive for self-reliance. I am blessed to work with nature and enjoy environments that build character, while remaining connected to the one thing we are all reliant upon – nature and faith. By default, we live an active, organic & sustainable life. Death is no stranger, but life is our core cause and pursuit.
Over the last few weeks, I have felt it and on a couple occasions it’s been said to me blatantly. “What if you die from it? Would be ironic at your funeral”. Well guess what? There won’t be a funeral. The damn govt. will take over my last moments of existence and throw me in a hole at some forsaken place. While you’re waiting for your feel-good factor of my demise, I am going to keep living as best I can and be the best I can to my family and friends that matter to me. If you are a believer and proactive in lifestyle habits, staying healthy is as simple as the following:
On a daily basis, get out in the sun and sweat. Walk or run at least 5kms. Incorporate fresh and organic turmeric, garlic, ginger, honey and apple-cider-vinegar into your meals. Veg, fruit, carb, dairy and meats are all necessary. Spend quality time with family. Talk to friends. Work hard. Wonder and reflect. Grow. Love. Live. Pray. Be thankful, be positive and serve good purpose.
The following are images that illustrate mentality that is essential in life just as it is in hunting…
Overwhelm nature with congestion and suffer the consequences.
