“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen” – John Wooden
The previous night, hardly 6 hours before, all bubbly, energetic, dancing, almost drunk. 5:30 am, my roommate now writhing in pain, a splitting headache, chills, a fever, malaise and joint pains… a diarrhea so vile… Hours on and it is not just him, but 5, 12, then 20 or so with the same look of despair, pain, uncertainty, disbelief at all the drama that was unfolding right before our eyes…a free, painful crash course in communicable diseases in emergencies awaited so to speak.
There was more: from the comfort of a hotel by the lakeside…to the experience of 2 different health facilities on opposite ends of the quality of care spectrum. A bus ride that for many just never seemed to end, and that took double the time it took to get to the beautiful resort in the first place. Through the journey the very bushes no one paid attention to two days before, without complaint now played a silent host in the dark to all that longed to relieve themselves (i love you all, won’t mention any names!) of what lay within … what bugs! It did not matter, desperate times do call for desperate measures after all.
The little details that mattered… what and how much one devoured the night before, the 5 cases within hours should have had heads turning faster, an apt start of a little, now life changing, tablet…
The little bugs … that for the sake of those prone to post-traumatic stress disorder I will not name.
These little details made big things happen…decisions/choices, actions, relationships strengthened.
The experiences and lessons learnt from those few “memorable” days of January 2013 will live with most in the GHC 2012/2013 East African class for ages. As the fellowship year draws to a close, let’s go make big things happen in the world, but remember that little things do count as well.