Stops along the road

In August of 2008 I was made an honorary chief in the village of Ukpom-Abak, in the Akwai-bom State of Nigeria. It was an interesting experience with all the pomp and circumstance that accompanied such a ceremony. That region of the country is made up predominantly of the Ebo tribe (and tribal affiliation is very important).

Later that week I was scheduled to speak and choose a set of cloths given to me by some of my Yorba friends. I tried to make a joke about being Yorba, with my blond hair and blue eyes, but it didn't translate well.

Regardless of where I travel, or what honors I recieved those moments contribute to who I am as a person, but they don't define me. For a very brief period of time I was alloted the honor of being an Ebo chief. In Abeokuta I was shown great courtesy by the Yorba community. No matter how hard I try, or how accepted I may be, I will never be a native Nigerian of any shape or form.

How often do we forget that lesson? Our interactions on the road of life are just that - stops in a very long and wonderful journey. Some of those stops will feel like we are in the armpit of the world, others will lift our spirits into realms we rarely visit. The risk and danger is when those moments, those small dots on a map, or interactions with others begin to define us in significant ways. My head gets full of the praise and adulation of the masses after a moving speech or presentation, or I begin to question my self-worth when someone criticizes me for something they don't like.

Embrace the journey through life. Don't think to highly of yourself when things are good, and don't get too discouarged when things are bad. God paints light and darkness into the pallets of our lives. It adds contrast, color and definition to the people we are becoming.