Road deconstruction

And you thought your job was tough.

I recently heard the unmistakable hearkening of the end of the world: the sound of a flood and an earthquake all rolled into one. I ran to the window but the source had flown down Kibirizi Road too fast. All I saw was Stella staring at me with that “is the door locked?” sort of look.

So I returned to my business as usual and a bit later the sound came flooding back.

This time I made it to the window in time to see a pickup truck hauling down the road with two men standing in the back holding onto a big mess of rebar which they were dragging noisily behind them. The only reason I can think to drive multiple times down a road dragging rebar is to resurface it. And if you have seen Tanzania's roads in the wet season, you can understand the virtue of this.

But it was a good reminder for me, and perhaps a good reminder for all of us: when I next think my job is tough, at least I am not holding onto a bundle of quivering reinforcing bars while standing in the back of a pickup truck which is flying down the road at break-arm speed.