Infinite Possibilities

In many of our communities, we’ve been taught to glorify the hustle we can see . The sweat on someone’s forehead after hours of digging. The tired shoulders of a construction worker. The calloused hands of someone who spends the day carrying loads. And truly, this is noble, admirable, and worthy of respect. Physical labor is one of the purest demonstrations of commitment and endurance. So, as I was hanging out with a friend of mine, they posed a question about what I do every day I go to town. They were genuinely perplexed as they wondered what sitting behind the computer and pushing keys, day in and day out, would accomplish. But here’s the thing: after being part of the desk crew for a couple of weeks now, I have come to appreciate the fact that not all hard work looks like sweat. Not all hustle is loud. Some of the most demanding effort happens in silence, behind screens, in the stillness of clicking keyboards sometimes. Think about the person who spends endless hours debugging a s...

Not long ago, in fact, a couple of nights back, I was seated with an uncle of mine visiting from the United Kingdom. When we drifted into a conversation about Uganda, our culture, and the journey still ahead of us. He started, seemingly appreciative of how formal percentages within our generation have gotten quite high, which he said was really impressive, and how engaged we as Africans and Ugandans in particular have become so involved on a global scale. Then, at some point, he said something that lodged itself deeply in my mind, and I just couldn't afford not to share it here with y'all: He said, “... You Ugandans do not truly know the beauty and happiness that one should feel about having a language of their own. A language is part of one’s cultural package, an inheritance richer than gold!...” He went on to explain that a language is not just a collection of words. It is a vessel that carries our history, our values, our humor, our way of thinking, and the rhyth...