UgandAshis 21. Follow your heart

June 10, 2009

Fort Portal, Uganda

Follow your heart

Dave Matthews sings that it is all out of his hands for now. He makes majestic music and here as I hear I disagree. Everything is in your hands. Follow your heart.
Today I examined 28 clinical officers for their clinical medical exams. Fifteen minutes of grilling of these future health workers in Uganda. Their final practice for the exams which is in a month and after these exams most already have a post somewhere in Uganda. Reviewing their skills has been a blessing.

After candidate 26 I temporary lost the plot and started to feel dehydrated. I hinted at the candidate that I may be more of a patient then the one he was presenting and that I required urgent rehydration. What would his regime be for me? As he looked at me puzzled I informed him that without an urgent pop my brain would disintegrate and I would collapse into a serious shock. One of his colleagues picked up the hint, pocketed a quick 700 shilling and left to get me a Mirinda.

But before I let the innocent clinical officer leave I requested for a blue Mirinda (which does not exist). Giddy and silly yet the patients and the clinical officers understood I was BS them. Three minutes later (and several serious question further) I got my soda pop.

Follow your heart; I came to Uganda after having been here for two months previous in my life. I had some friends yet knew non of them for more than two months. Something is telling me that I made the right choice. My working week is filling up rapidly and soon will be overfilled. I do what I like to do; teach clinical officers, I shall be teaching public health at a university, work in a medical ward (soon a pediatric ward as I review my current diagnostic and therapeutic skills), join a medical clinic, start PGHF (about to launch, prepare for a month tour of the USA, network and create opportunities for friends to come here and work.
Some say you dominated by circumstances or others in the choices in your life. I disagree as long as you follow your heart you create your destiny. Easy? No, yet not living in your true vision and mission in your life is so much harder.

So as some of my friends have taken their two young kids for a 9 months sailing trip of the BVI’s, Cuba and tens of islands more and others have emigrated to Canada. Was it easy for them? Perhaps not yet as I read their travel blogs or when I visit him in Calgary they have dared to live and have all the more fun for it. Walking the talk!

As the clinical officers march off to all parts of the country in a month’s time I wish them the courage to follow their hearts.

Namaskar,

Ashis