Strange

So I find myself, near the end of my six months in Togo, not shying away from the dangerous things that I probably shouldn’t be messing with. Generally, I would assume that, as the mindset changes regarding the time remaining in a situation, that risk taking would be greater towards the beginning or earlier half of the middle of an experience as opposed to near the end when it is perceived to be the time when the most can be lost. Well, the same amount can be lost throughout, the only difference is that you think there is more to lose at the end and or you are slightly more conscious of it.

This mini revelation comes after realizing that just under 6 months ago I took one of the scariest motorcycle rides of my life from Kara to Agbang at night. Now, I am driving that motorcycle (mine you that was the 4th time ever being behind the handlebars). In the garden I have uncovered snakes in digging up bricks and rocks. I stumbled upon a king scorpion moving dead tree stumps. And in a strange series of events I found myself creeping closer (the photo was worth the risk) to a pack of African honeybees using the gardens water barrel as a personal drinking fountain.

And it isn’t like this is a new occurrence for me. Four years ago this April or May (I forget the exact date), I found myself looking for an adventure along the goat paths that were at times inches away from 500+ ft sheer drops off of the Cliffs of Moore in Galway. And unlike my mom, I didn’t have the satisfaction of knowing that “I am reading this, he is still alive.”