I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. My body is so tired. My mind is pretty much alert but this has been one full month. I rolled out of bed and got dressed for church. I was supposed to join in the teen chapel today at Calvary. Reggie came to pick me up around 730 (330am your time). We decided to go up the street to grab something to eat first. Well about 5 minutes into the ride his car stopped working. He was so upset. I wasn’t. I was just glad that didn’t happen in the way to or back from Kade or any of those other far off places that we had been traveling. A tow truck just happened by to take his car off the road and bring it to the restaurant parking lot. We got some breakfast and waited to hear from the person that usually fixes his car. Well, turns out that person was in church. So I just suggested that we walk back to the guest house and he can watch tv in the tv room and wait there. So we walked about 15 minutes back to my place and low and behold Ali was on tv. And not just any part….the part when he arrived in Ghana for one of his fights. It was the scene where him and Malcolm X were talking and Maya Angelou was in the background. Legends I tell you. Anyway, I was so tired I took about an hour ½ nap and then the guy came to fox Reggie’s car and we headed to Angie’s house. Church, of course, had been over by then. Angie fixed me a great meal…rice, plantains and one piece of chicken. Usually when she cooks, I’m not a vegetarian.
We then hopped in a cab and set out to one of her friends’ wedding. It was at a beautiful place….well actually we went to the reception. It was in a big backyard and of course the weather was near perfect. Anything taking place after 4 or 5pm here will have near perfect weather. The sun is going down and the breeze is terrific. It was a standard Western wedding reception. From the dancing to the band to the cutting of the cake to the bouquet toss. The colors were orange and white which typically would seem like sherbert and ice cream but actually it all came out nice. I met a few of Angie’s friends…all guys. They had clearly been drinking up until that point and I will say that they did absolutely nothing to help my perception of Ghanaian men. It’s a good thing there are a few I know that are semi-respectful. They were loud and obnoxious. One guy was cool though…he clearly had an anger against African Americans and their perceptions of Africans which I did try and defend at times even though I did agree with him at times. We talked for a long time about media and stereotypes etc. But I think his problem was also with America in general…actually I saw that as being all of their problems really after talking with them…they disdain being classified as 3rd world (which I’m wondering is Ghana is…it shouldn’t be….well some parts at least) and disdain America as 1st. That to me was not a problem I could have a conversation about...i can’t explain it away nor can I control it. Anyway, Angie and her friends dropped me back off at the guest house. Off to bed for me. Only a few days to go. Now that my tour is over, I’m ready to go home. I'm curious, you know? Curious about just how much God has changed me in these twenty-something-odd days.
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