When was the last time you were on a long bus ride to a different country? I recently was on a 15-hour bus. I can’t explain if it’s old age or familiarity to comfort, but my body just rejected this journey. My feet were swollen and screaming by the time I arrived. Let’s not even talk about the back. Yet, a few years ago, being on the bus was all I knew because it was the most available mode of transportation. It was not even a matter of cost-effectiveness because that is all I knew. Have you ever left your house dressed in your Sunday best, only to meet someone wearing a perfume that is worth your entire salary? It humbles you, this experience. Brings you back down to earth and reminds you that you aren’t that special. I have had countless experiences like these. Recently I was taken to one of East Africa’s lovely revolving restaurants, The View, which pretty much depicts its name. I spent 90% of the time fascinated and staring out of the window to enjoy the evening city lights and guessing which part of the city we faced. Needless to say, I wore the most delicate dress I could find. When you enter a high-end restaurant or hotel, you can tell who the first-timers are by their attire and excitement or anxiety on their faces. The regulars are usually dressed as casually as possible, in ripped jeans and flat shoes, with even no make-up. The disrespect! After this night out, I narrated my experience to a few friends who shared their revolving restaurant experiences. The most outstanding was a lady who came out of the bathroom only to find her date had disappeared, and she panicked for a while wondering where he ran off to! She thought the guy had left, kumbe their seats had moved from where she left them. My other friend says she placed her purse by the window next to her seat when she sat down. Needless to say, a few minutes later, after she had recovered from her village excitement, the purse was gone, and she was furious! She flagged the waitress, enraged, and demanded to know HOW she could lose her property in such a high-end restaurant! She was enraged! To her surprise, the waitress simply smiled and went ahead to fetch her purse. I am so invested in these revolving restaurant experiences that I want to meet the staff and hear more from their experiences with villager diners. But much as I wanted to share my revolving restaurant village excitement, my eyes were opened to the fact that life is just like this experience. After finally purchasing the first Toyota Vitz with five years’ savings, you will give yourself a pat on the back. A few days later, a friend may offer you a ride in their fancy car that warms seats when the temperature is low, and wipes the rain off the windshield automatically. The experience will make you loathe your Vitz vehemently. Because in your Vitz, that is a little dysfunctional, breathing comfortably on a hot day means taking a deep breath before jumping into the driver’s seat. When you step out, the following air supply will be the natural air conditioning generously paid for by God. Life is so full of vanity! When you finally purchase the ‘latest’ Samsung phone being advertised on the billboards in town, you will end the day in high spirits. You might even show off the phone to friends and family, only to wake up to a new billboard with a foldable Samsung phone twice as expensive as the one you just purchased. My sincere hope is that we can really learn to be content with what we have. When we resort to purchasing items because of their value, not because they’re the latest—we’ll thank our future selves. Being so stuck to the next new thing frequently makes us miss out on enjoying what we presently possess. I hope that we choose to enjoy ourselves every day! The writer is Rwanda’s first female saxophonist. stellathesaxophonist@gmail.com
