These were my high school classmates playing soccer during a PE lesson in 2005. The soccer matches instilled us with a spirit of brotherhood that I have treasured over the years.
When I was in Form 2 at Starehe Boys' Centre in 2003, I switched my classroom sitting position so that I could become the deskmate of a bright classmate named Martin Wamoni. And behind us were deskmates Kevin Maina and Lawrence Sikuku.
Wamoni, Kevin and Lawrence criticized me for having dirt behind my ears. I didn't understand why my ears were dirty because I showered every day. Perhaps it was as a result of playing volleyball on a dusty court.
During one lesson, Kevin stretched my hand and began scrawling something on it with a biro. It felt nice to have him scrawl on my hand, so I let him do it.
Guess what! The following day, he stretched my hand again and saw the scrawling he had drawn on it the previous day was still visible, which made him tease me in Swahili, "This Thuita doesn't shower properly!"
Haiya! I hadn't realized that Kevin's motive for scrawling on my hand was to test whether I showered well. His cleverness probably made me scrub my body more thoroughly while showering.
Then when I was in Form 4 in 2005, my classmate Mwiti Makathimo accused me twice of having bad breath even though I brushed my teeth every morning after breakfast. His accusations embarrassed me, but at least he spurred me to brush my teeth regularly, a habit I have maintained to this day.
I will always remember another chitchat I had with Mwiti in Form 4 when he saw me carrying a colorful magazine. Curious to know the contents of the magazine, he asked me to let him have it. Then he perused it while asking, "Are there pictures of beautiful women in this magazine?"
After our time at Starehe ended, I continued interacting with my high school classmates on the internet. One day in 2011 for instance, I disclosed to them in a Facebook group I had created that I was feeling emotionally disturbed. Muthusi Muoma then suggested that I needed something like "chemotherapeutical trivilis".
Not knowing what "chemotherapeutical trivilis" meant, I decided to ask Muthusi to clarify its meaning. But to show him that I also knew some hard English, I told him to "abjure sesquipedalian obfuscatory argot". Him being a good-natured man, he must have liked my comment.
************************ RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on my high school memories, you might also enjoy another one on "Leadership Lessons" which I wrote some time back. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.
The young black man slicing a cake together with a beautiful blonde is Josh Komoth, a schoolmate of mine at Starehe Boys' Centre who I shall talk about in the story below. As you might probably know, I used to run a blog I christened Polly. A former schoolmate of mine at Starehe Boys' Centre named Josh Komoth, who was a year behind me, was so impressed with the quality of writings on the blog that he asked me to meet him for a talk.
At first, I thought Josh Komoth wanted to unload his problems on me, so I told him I couldn't commute to Nairobi. But alas! He offered to visit me in my beloved hometown of Kiserian. I had no choice but to allow him to visit me.
Josh Komoth visited me on a morning in 2015 on a date I have forgotten, but I remember Kiserian was muddy that day. It being his first visit to my hometown, he kept asking me whether he was heading in the right direction.
Arriving safely in Kiserian he did, without keeping me waiting, something that impressed me. And guess what! He was driving himself in a black hatchback. So it seemed he was more blessed than me yet I had thought he wanted to unload his problems on me.
Because Josh Komoth was new to Kiserian, I showed him where to park his car and then took him to a cafe owned by my friend Lincoln Kivuti. I was pleasantly warmed when Josh Komoth asked me to order any meal which he would pay. We both ordered a cup of tea and a chapatti as we commenced with our talk.
He began by extolling the brilliant articles I used to post on my blog. I thanked him and then informed him that I had a challenge of converting that brilliance, or rather knowledge, to power since I was still struggling with such weaknesses as guilt, bitterness and oversleeping.
Then Josh Komoth chimed in, "Those are the kind of challenges that drive young people to alcoholism and drug abuse." I agreed, then swiftly added, "And prostitution!"
But I didn't disclose to Josh Komoth that the articles on my blog were full of lies, exaggeration and plagiarism. And it came to dawn on me that was actually the reason I was a Walter Mitty because since I started sharing stories that are truthful and original after I rebranded this blog in 2016 to what it looks now, the quality of my life has improved significantly.
If you didn't know, Walter Mitty is the main character in James Thurber's story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, who tries to portray his life as full of excitement and adventure when it is in fact ordinary. I suspect some of my Facebook friends are Walter Mitties in that they try to show off how exciting their lives are whereas they could be experiencing distressing problems.
Coming back to my rendezvous with Josh Komoth, I mentioned to him that I had gathered he worked for the Australian Embassy. When he told me it was indeed true, I asked him whether he had ever been to Australia. He said yes. Then I asked him whether he had been to any other country.
"Yes!" he blurted out, " I have been to Austria."
I surmise that Josh Komoth thought I didn't know there is Austria and there is Australia. So when he informed me he had been to Austria, I asked him, "That's Vienna?" He said 'yes'.
As we continued with our rendezvous, Josh Komoth asked me whether I drew any inspiration from Che Guevara. Widely read as I consider myself to be, I have to admit that was the first time I was hearing of Che Guevara. I confessed to Josh Komoth that I didn't know who Che Guevara was but I noted the hero's name so that I could read about him later.
And later that day, I learnt from Wikipedia that Che Guevara was an Argentine revolutionary who loved the "If Poem" like I do. But unlike me, he was a staunch communist who was eventually murdered. Some pundits opine that CIA assassinated him which I think is because the United States government wanted to adhere to the Munroe doctrine - a policy that says a foreign power that tries to interfere with the affairs of any nation in the Americas is also considered a threat to the United States.
Yet again coming back to our rendezvous, I remembered as we continued with our enlightening conversation that Josh Komoth once broke his leg when he was in Form 3 at Starehe Boys' Centre. That caused him some complications as I will explain.
Starehe Boys' Centre is made up of two schools. There is the old school where students' dormitories are located as well as the school chapel, the dining hall and the assembly hall. And then there is the new school where most classrooms and laboratories are located as well as the swimming pool and the playing fields. Those two schools are separated by a highway called Gen. Waruinge Street. Starehe has a strict policy that all students, even the most senior prefect in the school, have to use a footbridge when crossing Gen. Waruinge Street as they move from old school to new school and back.
When Josh Komoth broke his leg, he couldn't use the footbridge. The school administration then instructed one of the school drivers to be ferrying him from old school to new school and back in a school van. I observed how the driver would punctually pick up Josh Komoth at lunch time. It spoke volumes of how great a school Starehe was under the able leadership of Dr. Geoffrey W. Griffin, the then school director.
After I remembered that leg injury Josh Komoth had, I mentioned to him about it, to which he reeled off, "Oh, that time I broke my metatarsal?"
"Eish!" I exclaimed, "Metatarsal - your word power is strong."
By the way, when I became friends with Josh Komoth on Facebook, I didn't know who he was. It's not until I saw his profile picture that I was able to connect the dots and realize he was the friendly fellow I used to see getting ferried in a school van.
And I have come to wonder why he calls himself Josh Komoth since that name sounds very European. Were he to discover a cure for HIV/AIDS, people reading about him on New York Times would be forgiven if they thought he was from Sweden. If I happen to rendezvous with him again, I will suggest that he gives himself another name that sounds truly African. A name like Tolulope Lodung'a Akeem. I am just kidding.
"Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do... Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."
~Phillipians 4:4-7 (TLB)
About the Author
Name: Thuita J. Maina Nationality: Kenyan Lives in: Kiserian, Rift Valley, Kenya Mission: To inspire the world to godly living, one person at a time.
Just for Laughs
There was this drunkard named Azoge who loved drinking at Josiah's Bar. On being told a certain Hon. Nanga was flying to America to be conferred a law degree so that he could be admitted to the bar, Azoge replied, "Why fly all the way to America to be admitted to the bar while you can get into Josiah's Bar any time?"
The 7 Deadly Sins
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Author's Note
I am learning to treat life as a journey, not a destination. So I am striving to enjoy each moment even as I anticipate to fulfill my dreams, especially meeting my soulmate and traveling abroad. Tomorrow may never be mine.
Fun Facts
The fear of having no cell-phone service, running out of battery, or losing sight of your phone is called Nomophobia, reportedly affecting 66% of people.
A single Google search needs more computing power than it took to send Apollo 11 to the moon. The Apollo computer was less equipped than a modern toaster.
Besides being some of the biggest names in the tech industry, HP, Apple, Google and Microsoft share another commonality. They all started in garages.
~Extracted from Codingforums.com
Health Tip
So many of us take for granted the wonderful construction of the human body and the workings of its various parts. Some of us even expect it to function efficiently with less than the minimum care and attention. Learn the much you can about your body and how the care of it can help to give you that greatest blessing of all - good health.
Wonders of the Modern World
The Simplon Tunnel
The Sky-scrapers of New York
The Boulder Dam of Colorado
The Panama Canal
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Taj Mahal at Agra in India
The North Sea Oil Drilling Rigs
Great Example for Politicians
"My life in politics was a joy. I loved campaigns and I loved governing. I always tried to keep things moving in the right direction, to give more people a chance to live their dreams, to lift people's spirits, and to bring them together. That's the way I kept score."
~Bill Clinton
Scientific Marvels
Space travel
Heart surgery
Fibre-optics communication
Concorde
Radios
Computers
Anesthetics
My Supreme Desire
Although I'd like to be rich and famous, my supreme desire is to be radiant: to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage and goodwill. I wish to live without fear, hate, guilt, worry and jealousy. I wish to be honest, natural, confident, clean in mind and body - ready to say "I do not know" if it be so and to treat all men with kindness - to meet any loss, failure, criticism and rejection unabashed and unafraid.
Greatest American Presidents
Abraham Lincoln
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Franklin Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Andrew Jackson
Making Peace With the Past
"Dwell not on your past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."
~Eileen Caddy
Toughest Colleges to Get Into
MIT
Princeton
Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Brown
Columbia
Why You Should Trust God
"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities and pour out peace."
~Ezra Taft Benson
The 7 Greatest Scientists
Albert Einstein
Isaac Newton
Galileo Galilei
Nikola Tesla
Aristotle
Archimedes
Charles Darwin
You Matter
"Always be yourself. Never try to hide who you are. The only shame is to have shame. Always stand up for what you believe in. Always question what other people tell you. Never regret the past; it's a waste of time. There's a reason for everything. Every mistake, every moment of weakness, every terrible thing that has happened to you, grow from it. The only way you can ever get the respect of others is when you show them that you respect yourself and most importantly, do your thing and never apologize for being you."
~Unknown
The Most Industrialized Nations
United States
Japan
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Italy
Canada
Keys to Success
"...in his effort to withstand temptation, to economize, to exercise thrift, to disregard the superficial for the real - the shadow for the substance; to be great yet small, in his effort to be patient in the laying of a firm foundation; to so grow in skill and knowledge that he shall place his services in demand by reason of his intrinsic and superior worth. This is the key that unlocks every door of opportunity, and all others fail."
~Booker T. Washington
The 7 Social Sins
Politics without principle
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice
Science without humanity
Cherish What You Love
"Cherish your visions, cherish your ideals, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts - for out of them will grow all heavenly environment, of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built."~James Allen
The World's Largest Cities
London in England
New York in the United States
Tokyo in Japan
Berlin in Germany
Chicago in the United States
Shanghai in China
Paris in France
Benefits of Optimism
"In terms of success, optimistic people out perform their pessimistic colleagues. Research shows that they are consistently promoted higher and make more money while working fewer hours than those who think pessimistically. Optimists also contribute more significantly to social progress. It is the optimists who start and run successful companies, who win elections and carry out reforms, and who make breakthroughs in the realms of science and technology."
~Pepe Minambo
The World's Greatest Lakes
Caspian Sea in the Commonwealth of Independent States, C.I.S. (formerly U.S.S.R)
Lake Superior in North America
Victoria Nyanza in Central Africa
Aral Sea in C.I.S.
Lake Huron in North America
Lake Michigan in North America
Demonstrating His Love
"Take your communication for instance - the way you address others. It ought to be with loving, gracious and edifying words. Never talk people down. Never use words that hurt and demean people. Communicate excellently with others without destroying their self-image or making them feel sorry for themselves. Talk to people in a way that they never forget the excellence of your words, the love and grace of Christ that you communicated. It's how God wants us to love."
