I am a mother of three, a medical doctor by profession, who has always been fascinated by the written word. I am a published author- my first fiction novel was published in March 2012 and is entitled ' The Last Lifeline'. I self -published my second fiction novel entitled ' And The Lights Came On' . I am currently writing my third fiction novel and intend to launch it soon. I also write short stories: two of them - Buried Alive in the Hot Kalahari Sand, Move Back to Move Forward were published among the 54 short stories in the first Anthology of the Africa Book Club, Volume 1 of December 2014. It is entitled: The Bundle of Joy.
Arguably, Nature delights and it heals. The beauty of Nature brings out the kid in each one of us. It fills us with awe and wonder and helps us to find our own place in the universe. Over the years, I have learned to claim it as part of myself.
Like the fundamental rights and freedoms, you enjoy the beauty of nature while at the same time you are being given the responsibility to protect and conserve it for the future generations.
The two quotes by Sir David Frederick Attenborough of Britain, the greatest naturalist of our time remind all of us of our natural duty to protect the environment. He said: “It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
“The question is , are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?”
We appreciate nature through our five basic senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell ant touch. Appreciating nature reminds us all of the Creator of it all.
I have been an amateur photographer and an outdoor fanatic for as long as I can remember and I had the privilege to take numerous photographs.
I am sharing a few of those which have made me shriek, “Wow!” in delight and amazement.
The golden sunrise
The Cascading watersThe rugged Table Mountains dominating the Cape Town horizon.The barren desert.The rolling grasslands- the SavannahThe Amaryllis in bloom in my small garden in BotswanaAre n’t these rocks by the ocean beautiful ?A mother and its puppy in the back garden
Do you have any spectacular views that you caught with your camera and would love to share with us?
Painting the canvas of life is simply to create the life you want for yourself. You use your gifts , talents and strength of character to build what you want. What matters most is that at the end of your life you have completed what was your own to do and influenced others around you to build a better world. Like the successful professional artist, painting on the canvas of your life demands a lot from you. You create to express beauty and significance in your life depending on your imagination and what you know at that moment in time.
As children,our parents nurture and care for us; teaching us the knowledge and skills that we need to grow and develop into independent and self-sufficient adults. The formal education enables us to become useful to ourselves and the communities we live in. Generally, by the age of twenty we have developed the sense of responsibility to decide to be ourselves and a plan to achieve our biggest dream in life. We develop a vision for our lives and commit to fulfill that vision.
All of us are at different stages on our journeys and the psychologist agree on the most important characteristic traits we need to complete painting the canvas of our lives. • Passion- the fuel that drives your desire to create, to paint the canvas the colours of your choice. Without passion you cannot get satisfaction out of what you do with yourself. • Persistence- to start and finish what you choose to do, learn new skills to improve yourself and sustain you through over the course of a lifetime. • Patience- painting the canvas of life takes a lifetime. It requires barrels of patience to take you through the twists and turns of such a journey. There is no guarantee that it will turn out as you planned. Patience and persistence are together fuelled by passion. • A Sense of Adventure- life itself is an adventure, loving life and having a spirit of adventure allows you to explore new things and to be willing to follow the direction in which the wind blows you. • Discipline- You need it to start the painting and follow it through. Each morning you have to wake up determined to put one foot in front of the other over the course of a lifetime. This is the only way you can finish painting the canvas and have something to show for having lived in your time and made a difference. It is never lost on me that little by little, I get the work done.
As a senior citizen I can look back at my life and share with you on how I have fared so far. Between the ages of 20-30, I started claiming my own power; I learned to depend on myself while gradually taking on life’s challenges and responsibilities.
30-40- it was essential that I honed my craft and this drove me to push the boundaries. I recognized that what I loved worked its way into what I was creating. It was thrilling to take simple things like two people in love and turn them into something strikingly beautiful – marriage. It increased my willingness to try new things. Through trial and error, I got it right.
40+-It dawned on me that half of my life was over so I no longer had all the time in the world. I looked closely at my life and saw the need to make some important changes. I had to listen to my inner voice , reduce my circle of friends and choose to belong to something bigger than myself if I were to be more effective in life. I became an active member of my community. I was creating a new identity for myself during this mid-life period. I needed to discover and express my true Self at a deeper level. At the same time, I was still clinging on the big dreams for my life.
I needed to stay motivated and to persevere to achieve my big dreams. I needed to become better and better; there was no room for complacency. Through the challenges and struggles that life had thrown at me, I had come to realize that I was not the master of my destiny but instead I needed to acquire more knowledge to help me understand myself and what I really wanted in life.
By my sixtieth birthday, I had been there , I had done that and yet I did not feel complete and whole. The urge to express my authenticity and uniqueness other than follow the predetermined roles of culture and society had become more pronounced. There was no going back on the recreation of my life: my life my own. I was fully awakened and ready to take the responsibility for being true to myself. I had more to gain than to lose by being my true self. Oscar Levant(1906-1972) an American pianist said: “It’s not what you are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts.’’
I tapped into the fullness of my capacities, the good and the bad. This was the time when my heart, mind and soul worked in unison to influence the direction of my life. To my amazement, at that moment in time, I reached the highest level of mastery. The psychologists tell us that when we create from our hearts ,minds and souls, we create things that are true and beautiful. This is what makes it possible for any individual to have spiritual depth and to be successful in life, work and love.
For where I am at this moment in time, I am both mature and humble enough to take full responsibility for what I create and be held accountable for it. I can even stand back to admire and take pride in what I have created. The older I grow, the more I understand that painting is a lifetime responsibility and as long both my heart and belly are not full, I cannot hang up my painting brushes.
With hindsight, I am happy to have created my own life. I recognize that there were moments when I never painted, other times I created masterpieces beyond my own imagination and other times I have had to improve on the colours. I now prefer to use vibrant and brilliant colours when painting.
The greatest lesson that I have learned so far is that: little by little, doing what seems right and authentic, I grow into what I was meant to be. The responsibility to remain useful to my community urges me to share my wealth of knowledge and experiences with those around me. Robert John Meechan said : “ Your life as a teacher begins the day you realize that you are always a learner.’’ Since learning is a lifetime job then we are all naturally lifelong teachers.
QUESTION: While painting the canvas of your life, how often do you remember that you have all the colours of the rainbow to choose from?
There is a local Ganda proverb,loosely translated it says: anyone who never knew you in your vibrant youth has no idea of your capabilities. I could compare it to the English saying: I used to wear Stilettos. I for one used to run like a hare. That is how I found myself in my High school 4 by 110 yards relay team from the age of 12 until I celebrated my 18th birthday. I also competed in the 220 yards race and the Long Jump. By then I was of medium weight and height and as confident as a lioness in the Savanna! For six consecutive years, our relay team dominated the annual National School Athletic Championships, making us proud and famous. I always took the first position, Alice took the second, Esther took the third while Catherine took the fourth position and was our anchor. We entered the race to compete and win. To get there, we invested time, energy and efforts. We loved it and gave it our all.
We prepared for these Athletic championships for weeks. The late Polycap Kakooza , a parent of the school, and a member of the National Council For Sports volunteered to coach us. Three times a week, we would be at the well- maintained grass sports field with him at 6:00AM to the dot. Many times we would be shivering in the cold but once the rigorous warm up exercises started, we would be smiling. Barefooted and donning our yellow sports tunics we would ran round the field, practice how to hand over batons and how to keep in our lanes.
Time over time, he instilled in us what he called the three keys to success: • that the race required speed, endurance and great depth of talent on the team. • that working together, everyone would win. Each member’s efforts mattered greatly to the whole group. There was no room for loafing; each member had to do her part exceptionally well. • We had to meet the challenges through hard work and dedication as a team and were to win as a team.
Later in life when I came across Ash Hoehn’s They told me there is no “I” in the team, where he recognizes that when the “I” is absorbed then he becomes part of something much more powerful. For me it was like preaching to the already converted. Our coach was so good that not on any single occasion did I make a false start or any of us ever dropped the relay button or strayed from her lane. Traditionally, the 4 by 110 yards relay is usually the last event of track events therefore it is watched by an enthusiastic crowd. I can hear the deafening cheers today as our anchor crossed the finish line. I would shout myself hoarse as I cheered her along. Thereafter, the four of us would hold our hands together and let it reality sink in. It brought so much joy to us while at the same time motivating us to do much better the following year. We recognized early on that being the best came with a price tag-working harder to remain at the top.
Arguably, we were given an opportunity to show off our ability. Our reward was a Uganda Bookshop Voucher worth Twenty Ugandan shillings. It could buy at least three books by then. During those six years, I bought many books and novels from the well-stocked Bookshop using the Relay, Long Jump and 220 yards vouchers. It fuelled my reading habit fiercely. I remember that period of time with a lot of joy and gratitude. I am the richer for having had such competitive experiences. The words of the American ballet dancer, Misty Copeland ring so true: “My childhood is a part of my story, and it’s why I ‘m who I am today and why my career is what it is.”
Looking back now, I recognize that I gained much more than the victory and the books by being a member of my school relay team. The ancient Greeks who started the first recognized Ancient Olympic Games in 776 BC believed that sports made us better people and at the same time kept us fit and healthy. Yes, I admit that I am a better person for having been an athlete. Sports helped me to develop virtues which I continue to apply in almost in any endeavor in life. Among the most prized virtues are:
Self-knowledge- In your quest for human excellence, you first have to know yourself: your strength and weaknesses. You have to recognize and confront your weaknesses in order to improve. You are a ‘work in progresses’ so your strengths can also be refined.
Discipline- to train regularly, pushing yourself to do better without burning out or maiming yourself.
Courage- to stick to the good and persevere despite the outcome. Winning is not everything so you have to value it mainly because of the virtues associated with it. You have to be tough and intelligent enough to know when to quit too.
Working as a team – whatever you choose to do or be in life, you start as an individual but along the way, you are always helped by teachers, mentors, sponsors and friends to achieve your goal.
As I grew up and matured I applied these virtues in marriage, parenthood and in the medical profession. They served me exceptionally well; probably that is why I am writing this post. Our team motivated many youths and young adults because everyone loves a winner. Which Ugandan can forget our two Olympic golden boys: Akii-Bua (RIP) and Stephen Kiprotich? Having said that, everyone is also quick to withdraw admiration for any sportsman or woman who wins illegitimately. Who can forget the 1988 Olympics in Seoul? Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter, for the men’s 100 metres was stripped off his Olympic gold for doping. In the blink of an eye, he fell from hero to zero. Who can also forget how Lance Armstrong the seven –times Tour de France winner fell from grace to disgrace for drug use in October 2012?
My sincere wish is for sports to continue being part of a child’s education. As it fires the child to cultivate human excellence, it endows her/him with great principles and values which he/she will need all her/his life.
“ Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere,’’ so says one Chinese Proverb.
QUESTION: Were you a Sportsman or sportswoman? How did this experience contribute to who you are today?
I remember when I was in senior secondary school decades ago, I wanted to drop out of the Fine Art class so I paid very little attention to it. I never completed any painting and at the end of the double lessons, I would deliberately store my unfinished , unsigned painting in a drawer for the lower classes’ work. Each week I would have no painting to complete so I would start on a new one right away. Surprisingly, the Arts teacher never noticed my trick. It went on for almost a year and it would have continued had not the Ministry of Education changed the grading and examination for the Ordinary Level students. Among the new changes was that the course work for the two years would account for 33% of the total marks of the final examination while the examination papers themselves accounted for the rest. I was in a total mess so I came up with the idea of talking the Headmistress into allowing me to drop Fine Art and devote the extra time to French. One afternoon ,I talked to her, I pleaded, begged and cajoled for her to allow me to drop Fine Art. She opened the big record book that contained all the students’ results for some years. She combed through mine and looked up, “ I ‘ve heard your request and I ‘ve also studied your examination results from Senior two to the present. All the years you’ve been able to pass all the subject brilliantly except Fine Art. I know that you haven’t paid attention to it. If you put your mind to it, you would pass it too.’’ I cried hysterically but the white lady never gave in. She had seen enough African tears to tell the difference! She had told me the bald truth. I walked away in despair but changed my attitude towards the subject there and then. The first thing I had to do was to find my own time to start and complete as many paintings as I could under the genres of Composition, Drawing, Still Life and Nature. It was a daunting task but since the course work was to account for a third of the total score in the finals, I focused on it. I gave it my all. Guess what ! I passed Fine Art with a good credit. For my Headmistress it was a case of ‘ I told you so.’ The two great lessons I learned from this experience were: when you start something with enthusiasm, you have to finish it with enthusiasm and secondly that unfinished work is as good as no work; you stay where you are.
Fast Forward, 2018 has passed and we are now in 2019. Out with the Old and in with the New. Each one of us has a mission and purpose on this earth and each new year gives us an opportunity to start afresh on something that fits into our life’s mission. Before you start on the new, you have to complete the old by taking time to reflect on it. You have to go through what you set out to do in 2018: List your success, your achievements and failures. List your strengths and weaknesses List what you would have done better and how you would have done it. List the great lessons you picked from your experiences of 2018. Bearing your life’s mission in mind, then go on to determine the true priorities for 2019. From here, then set your Vision and Goals for 2019. This should be followed by drawing a clear, specific , achievable Plan of how to achieve the goals for 2019. Immediately, get into action to paint the New Canvas.
We are all artist ; creating our lives and writing our own scripts as we fulfill our visions and goals for each year. I have come to look at the journey of life as a Marathon and each new year allows me to focus on the end in mind. The race starts in my mind then I plan and set my pace to get to the end without forgetting that there are other runners around me.
While creating our lives and living them, we have to remember that creating great works demands for great imaginations. It is the imagination that helps you to interpret the world around you in an artistic way. Michelangelo the greatest sculptor said: “ I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.’’ “ Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the Sculptor to discover it.” It is always hard work to release the potential within you. You need to find a balance between childlike spontaneity, openness and maturity, skill and wisdom to create a better life as you uncover the buried potential in you. Your creations express who you are and what you think and know at that moment in time. Over time, you become so good that your creations express the beauty and significance even in the most horrible experiences like the loss of a spouse. You can only produce your greatest work: things that are deeply meaningful, beautiful and moving, after you have come to know, accept and appreciate who you really are. You create things out of the truth of who you are. If you are a writer, this is when you are said to be writing down your Soul , if a singer you are said to be singing from the heart and an architect is said to be creating houses with souls. Your heart, mind and soul work together in tandem. Your efforts to create no longer feel like work or labour but instead give you a sense of great joy. It is fun to do what you love and enjoy.
The aim of creations is to bring out the beauty and significance in your life and of others around you. The losses, the doubts, fears and failures we experience each year serve to inform us as we create our lives in the New Year. You never deny anything that happened to you but you accept them as worthy and valuable. What you have overcome, dealt with or failed to achieve teaches you a lesson you need later in the New Year. Honesty and authenticity tend to come to us in old age for by then we have stopped living in defined roles instead do what we feel is right and is our own to do. It takes a lot of courage to break all the rules and norms to be ‘you’. This explains why expressing your true story is a painful process and yet it is a great moment of liberation. If each individual is true to herself /himself then we can collectively make a better world. Jane Nannono, The Last Lifeline(2015) THE GIFT OF TIME We all mellow with the years. Like good wine we become better people: older , wiser and respected, we have hindsight and know who we really are. We have found our purpose and meaning in life; We have learnt from our mistakes and grown from our failures. We are comfortable with ourselves , we look at things in their true perspective; no jaundiced views, no tinted glasses, no veils or masks. We are our own bosses and have learnt to say ‘no’, we have stopped playing along to get along. We have stopped feeling guilty and now do what is right. We have learnt to forgive ourselves and to laugh at ourselves. We have learnt to love ourselves and unashamedly put ourselves first. We only do what adds value to our lives; what we love and enjoy doing. Being comfortable with whom we are, simply being ourselves.
QUESTION:
In this New Year are you ready to respond creatively and anew to each new experience?
Or are you still limited by social conditioning ; working within predefined roles and being defined by the roles?
The New Year has already begun so you should have started painting on the New Canvas. Do not wait as I foolishly did in my Fine Art class decades ago; it caught up with me and I paid a huge price for it. The wisest among us always learn from other people’s mistakes.
apagefrommunakusbook 