A Little Slice Of America

There is an annual softball tournament in Niamey. The missionaries have a team, Peace Coprs has a team, and even the Japanese volunteers have a team. The tournament last two days. Yesterday Patrick and I spent the day watching soft ball and eating hot dogs. The whole experience was fantastic because I almost convinced myself that I was back in America watching Jenn and Bill, my sister and her husband, playing softball. Being here has made me miss the smallest little nuances of America. Summer softball games, family dinners, cool evenings, cold winters, Mexican food, and good beer. Being away for an extended period of time makes you realize that these little details are integral. When I was home I had a tendency to over-look all the little pieces which contributed to make my life full, but being removed has brought it all back to me. I miss driving and that sensation which it grants; the sensation that the world is yours and that things could stretch on forever because there is always possibility beyond the next curve in the road. The world of Niger is a stale world; things are always the same and possibility seems so limited. This limitation seeps into the very core of me and in-turn creates an internal haze. The bright lights go out and days become something to endure rather than something to look forward to. Maybe it is the state of this country and the lifestyles of its people which has narrowed my perspective. At the moment I could not say because I am here living this and it is impossible to analyze something when you stand knee-deep within it.

Last night Patrick and I went to dinner at the country director's house. His wife puts on a dinner for volunteers once a month. The dinner was very nice and the food was excellent. I spent the evening at the smoking table talking to some embassy employee. He was a little weird, but the problem with the smoking table is that you must endure the weird conversation in order to have a smoke. He had the look of an ex-alcoholic; when he was offered a drink and he declined saying Sprite for me, I knew I was right.

I guess I will close this off by saying that tomorrow Patrick and I will be traveling back to Dosso. We will be back in town the 21st of October because Patrick is taking the GRE the 22nd. I will get back with more interesting stories.