I think writers’ minds communicate without the writers themselves being aware. Their collective thoughts seem to have a WhatsApp group that we are not part of. Through my writing journey, I have met fellow writers who said they consumed my musings and something unlocked for them. Sunny Bindra’s articles often do that to me. Last Sunday’s article in the Daily Nation was a pleasant read. It was about the wealth we can mine from people we meet on the journey of life.

In that article, he encourages us to be genuinely interested in people and to resist being the most interesting person in the room. Yes, there is a place and time when too much humility can work against us but that kimbelembele (forthrightness) should be used sparingly. It is not always appropriate to blow our trumpets. I find the melody nicer when my trumpet is blown by others because of the value I bring to them.

I also like Sunny’s point on mining gems from folks we would view as unimportant members of society. Gardeners, cooks, guards and many others who perform tasks we find laborious yet necessary in society. Most tend to be low-income earners. These folks will rarely be in the limelight or attract any major attention or accolades. Yet they have a more realistic (and often refreshing) view of life than most of us do. At least that’s my experience when I interact with them. I think it’s because they observe more than we do.

Let me share one such experience that I will remember for a long time. I met and indulged a random guard at a border crossing point last year. We were returning with the boys from celebrating Sancho’s birthday in Arusha. By the way free tip for anyone who’s planning to drive into Tz. Please adhere to the 50 kph speed once that sign appears and come to a complete stop at every pedestrian crossing, even if it’s just for the wind to cross the road hehe… Tz cops know that most Kenyans have poor road manners and they gladly fine us for that. They even tell you kindly that they are fining you. This was the first time we drove to Arusha and back without being fined so we saved some money.

We drove through the gates and arrived at the Namanga immigration offices. There was this tall guard who approached us and directed us where to park. He then told us to remove our bags and take them in for checking. We complied but also engaged him as we were in high spirits. We were feeling too lazy to unload our luggage, take it all in then return to pack it back in the cars. Since we had struck a rapport our new pal inspected some of the bags in the car and allowed us through once we returned from having our passports stamped. I engaged him about his job and how working at a border point is for him. I imagined he must be meeting all sorts of people and situations. He shared some humourous stories and we also told him about our trip. Once cleared to leave we decided to give him the Tz cash we had saved from obeying traffic rules in Tanzania. He was elated and even offered to help us next we were in Namanga. He gave us his number and I saved it for some reason.

Fast forward to last month. I was doing some shamba business in Namanga and had to spend the night. It’s a small town and so limited in options for accommodation and entertainment. I then remembered I had our guy’s number. I called him and he got me a place to stay. The highlight was when he asked if I wanted to have dinner in Tz as the food was cheaper and nicer in his view. I initially declined thinking about the whole immigration process plus getting my car across.

He laughed and assured me that as long as we are going in to eat and return it’s allowed. After checking into the hotel I met my guard pal at about 8 pm after he had clocked off work. We drove through the border crossing smoothly. We were stopped twice by security and once they saw one of their colleagues in the car they let us through.

We stopped at this eatery about one kilometer into Tanzania and ordered the tastiest banana plantains and kuku kienyeji. Dessert was the famous Kilimanjaro beer. We dug in as I got to know my new friend more. I remember my baby sharks calling me for our good night ritual and wondering why my phone was ringing funny. I told them I had traveled abroad for dinner hehe… it was hilarious. I was surprised to suddenly realize it was almost midnight and I was having such a good time.

We left after paying less than 2000 bob equivalent. Food is cheaper in Tz fact. I’m certain it would have cost twice that or more on the Kenyan side of the border. We crossed back home without query. It was surreal crossing a border point like I was just driving to the shops and back home. I dropped my buddy home and went to my small abode. That experience remains a highlight for January. If we had given this guy attitude because he is a guard I would never have been the beneficiary of his social capital and influence.

Sunny says that “making others feel worthy of attention is a superpower in a world that’s increasingly starved of real connection,”. I connected with this guard and that enriched my life and hopefully his too. We’ve been in touch since and I’m helping him with some business mentorship for a small side hustle he wants to start. My charge will be just another meal abroad hehe…

Be interested in people folks, they just might take you out of the country for a meal literally hehe…

Share this post:

One thought on “Be Interested.”

  1. WG says:

    Today as I celebrated my birthday, I remember mentioning it to a staff member at a place I frequent. She offered to buy me a drink. You are right, when you treat people well, i.e., talk to them and be interested, they feel special and they treat you right too. “Andu nio indo”… indeed, let’s invest in social capital.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *