“Look Ma, No Hands” - An Improved Presence
Chingatochinje i-life yako, kwete nyika (What might change is your life, not the country)
I was sitting with one of the intelligent and street-smart fellow Zimbabweans yesterday discussing our adventures in the world. He was sharing with me about his fairly recent time in Zambia where 1 US dollar is equal to 25 Kwacha. In addition 8Gb of mobile data on Airtel, the leading of 9 cellphone service providers goes for 10 Kwacha which is around USD$0.40 or in ZimGold (ZiG) 5.42. He compared it to Zimbabwe where 10 GB of mobile data on Econet the leading of 3 - really 2 - cellphone service providers goes for $13 which would amount to 325 Kwacha or 176.28 ZiG. He talked about the president of Zambia and the changes made so far making Zambia an attractive place to visit and even settle. He concluded his speech by saying, “MuZimbabwe, chingatochinje i-life yako, kwete kuti nyika.” (In Zimbabwe, what might change is your life, not the country.) This was encouraging to hear as someone who has since decided to change his life not necessarily the country. Of course, the platitudes can pour out: ‘Nothing changes until you do, Change the man in the mirror, that’s how you change the world,’ and so on. But these carry so much truth too. A lot of us desire to change but somehow we are aware of how challenging it is, so we prefer ‘that and them’ over there to change rather than ourselves. I know I didn’t want to change, when I arrived in Zimbabwe and even when I got married. But there is something to be said about change and getting better at something difficult. And thriving in Zimbabwe is a difficult fit.
This week I want to celebrate my five goals in two games of boozer soccer. Imagine, I went from 1 goal in close to 20 games to 5 goals in two games. I am the most improved player on the team - check that featured photo - and this last game they said I should take the ball home with me. Of course we are a poor team and we don’t have our own ball so they were planning on me stealing the other team’s ball. I deserved to go home with it for my good performance. This last game we got scored on in the first 2 minutes of the game. It wasn’t looking good and our resident playmaker and coach, Emmanuel (Manu) blamed it on us still warming up to the game. We played like that for a while, and then I scored an equalizer, with a weak header but it did the trick and my team felt better. I scored again with another header and this time, it was a powerful one and it was on for my team. The other team equalized not long after, scoring 2-2 and then Zayn scored a third goal, to end the first half at 3-2 in favor of our team. My teammates heaped praises on yours truly during halftime. Mostly they were excited that they finally had a more functional me whose last game was not a fluke (I scored twice in the last match two weeks ago.) The second half, saw me demand a ball after 3 successive attempts at goal by two different players had failed. One pass to me, a turn, a well-placed ball, and it was in the goal, making 3 goals in one match and bringing the scoreline to 4-2. The very next play from the centre, I intercepted a pass, let it off to Zayn on my right, moved to space, and received it again. I drove it down, dragging some defenders with me only to offload the ball to Tony on my left and he took it into the goal. This is the score that earned me the taking the ball home comment. I was a goal-scoring playmaker, and that goal brought the game to 5 - 2. The other team had substitutes but we had none so eventually exhaustion got the better of us. We switched out our goalie for a defender and he is the one who drove our side forward for a narrow but well-earned victory. The match ended at 7-6 with some injuries. The other team was very good at fast-paced counter attacks but ball possession and strategic play were left mostly to us. And they had it on for me so much that I suffered some pushes and kicks, unlike any other game. Something about the devil having it for you if you are playing well the game of life fits here. I am encouraged to finally have endurance, skill, and a soccer mindset all in one body, mine. In this last match, I scored a hat trick, and in the previous match, I scored two goals. I am improving which makes the whole team improve. Zayn is taking more shots at goal, Tony-Tornado is showing up in the box more often, and Manu is dribbling way too much - haha
When I arrived in Zimbabwe I was concerned I would not have my favorite pastimes available which include cycling for miles on end. But after close to a year in the country, I picked up boozer soccer and I have slowly improved different aspects of my game. I was willing to be bad, I was willing to get worse, and now I am most improved and a key part of the team. I have earned some renown from my teammates and loads of self-respect. A part of me wants to say, if I can master cycling as I did in the US, if I can improve and sort of master boozer soccer as I have - I can master my time here in Zimbabwe and even more, I can get the hang of this marriage thing.
My Chiropractor whom I met three days ago to get my Sunday soccer injury looked at, called the first year of marriage “teething”. Now, I can neither confirm nor deny his characterization but I would like to run from this topic by scrutinizing my time in Zimbabwe. I feel I have been in panic mode since my day job in the USA - which was a TV show - shut down abruptly in February 2022 and not in June as I expected. I was leaving the US that very July and had planned for the April, May, and June paychecks but now they would not be arriving. I panicked and I remember texting SOS to Jo and 911 to Jeff and both called promptly because I was not known for panicking by either one of them. I was iron heart in their books and whatever had me rattled was worth their checking in. When I consider my composure years before, I notice that the last two years have been spent in panic mode. Mastering boozer soccer is an encouragement to slow it down with the adrenaline and the worry masquerading as concern. I want to tell myself in a resounding declaration: ‘Allen, All is well, all is getting better…it can look bad, it can get worse, but by sticking with it, you are - I am - getting better. Leaving Zimbabwe is an ever tantalizing option but ‘mama didn’t raise no quitters.’ I will get back on the bicycle every time I fall until I can scream, “Look Ma, No hands” - The country sure isn’t going to change unless and until I change. So why not change, become better, and drag the country with me like I dragged those defenders before passing to Tony who scored? After all, you don’t always have to score. If you can make an opportunity for your teammates, then you deserve to take the ball home with you.
From hat-trick Allen, the most improved player with 5 goals in the last two boozer matches - watch this space - thank you for your support and readership. Thinking of going back home from a neighbouring town, or a foreign country, be prepared to change, to get bad, to get worse, and to become most improved. It’s a process towards an improvement presence in your home country.
Cheers fellow travellers!