I just finished listening on CD to “Blue Shoes and Happiness” by Alexander McCall Smith. It is the 7th book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency about the “traditionally built” Mme Precious Ramotse who, after the death of her dear father, has opened the only detective agency in Botswana, southern Africa. Though the books have a slow pace, they are so pleasant to read because they represent, through her life, family and friends, the culture of Botswana and the issues that the people of Africa deal with like drought, famine, poverty, AIDS, witch-craft, etc, but not in a heavy way, just as a context or background in African life. Mme Ramotse loves her country and always speaks praises for the country’s first president, Seretse Khama. Even though she has her ‘busy’ times (definitely not comparable to anything we would call busy here), there is always time for cake with friends, conversations filled with bits of old Botswana wisdom, people-watching (she is a detective after all), talking about cattle and pumpkin-eating. I don’t agree with all that is written about men. Men are rather degraded in the books - at least the bad men are, but in her view and the view of most of the women in the books, most men are bad (lazy, adulterous and/or abusive). However you may really be lucky and find a good man as did Mme Ramotse and Mme Makutsi, Mme Ramotse’s assistant,. The books give high praise for ‘good’ men. Anyway, sometimes these things make me laugh or just roll my eyes, but so much of these books are rich in other things.
In the last book, and more and more as I read each book, I am struck by, as I mentioned above, the simple, slow pace of life and the priority given to friends and family. At the beginning of the book she was sitting on her veranda on Zebra Drive “thoughtfully” drinking a cup of tea. In a conversation with the director of an orphanage they say one to another over large pieces of cake, “We are not born to work, work, work all the time. It is important to just be able to sit and think... It is quite unnatural to work like that. There should be time for work and play. And some time for sitting and watching the sun go up and down and some for listening to cattle bells in the bush.” Doesn’t that sound refreshing? I am definitely not opposed to putting in a good day of hard work whether it be at home or the office, as a volunteer or in a ministry, pouring our life out for Christ, but doesn’t listening to cattle bells sound appealing in some way? I realized that I fill my day from sun up to sun down with something to do almost every minute. When I eat breakfast, I’m reviewing scripture memory or listening to a sermon or reading the Bible. When I eat lunch I am looking at recipes for dinner or making a grocery list or reading the news. In the afternoons, I sometimes sit down for a cup of hot tea but again, I am still doing something. My mind and body never really rest until my head hits the pillow - oh, but there I also read. For weeks I was having the worst time ever sleeping and decided to try resting for a while in the afternoon along with a couple of other things to maybe help me sleep better. I read for a little while and then just laid there. It really worked to help calm my thoughts down and just rest my body. I recommend it to anyone! Maybe you have kids. I know plenty of families where everyone in the family has a quiet time in the afternoon, even if some of the kids are too old to take a nap. They read or color or listen to tapes or draw, etc. It seems to refresh everyone and everyone’s mood is much better. I cannot tell you the last time I “sat on my veranda” and drank my tea “thoughtfully,” not doing something and if I have, I feel guilty. I felt guilty to for laying down for a rest in the afternoons lately but not anymore. I have seen the benefits of it to my mind, emotions and body. Back to the cup of tea... I am challenging myself and I challenge you to try sitting down for just 10 minutes a day with your favorite beverage and drink it “thoughtfully” not doing anything else. NOTHING ELSE! Don’t listen to the radio. Don’t watch tv. Don’t read. Don’t work a puzzle. Don’t surf the net. Go outside and listen to the wind and birds or the cattle bells if you happen to live in a place where that is possible. I think you will be amazed how clear your thoughts will become and how refreshed you will feel. Or, why not have a cup of tea and cake with a friend, just because... just because.
If you’re interested in the Botswana, check out these sites:
http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/index.html
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