Just when I start to get comfortable...

I have found that life here in Botswana has thrown me many curve balls. To be honest, I have delighted in figuring out which way to sway, when to turn slightly, and when to stay put and let the ball go flying by. I have found that within my adventure I have become very comfortable with these curve balls; and yet one always manages to sneak by me and hit me square in the chest…these are the moments that I relish because it reminds me where I am and what I am doing.
The façade of my life here is strikingly similar to life at home. I get up in the morning for work. I visit with friends and neighbors whenever I can. I make plans for the weekend, and I somehow seem to be constantly on my cell phone (the only difference here is that it costs too much to call so we end up texting all day long….its my consolation prize for lack of e-mail). Yes, on the surface my life looks very similar to the one that I left, but if you look very closely you can see the startling ways life has changed…and will likely change me forever.
One thing that is a lot like my life at home is that I am going to a bridal shower this weekend for a woman who is soon to be married. The code word to enter this party is “dishwashing liquid”, and if you don’t bring dishwashing liquid your penalty is to drink a very strong punch that is anything but non-alcoholic. Any gift that you bring has to be wrapped in a dishtowel so that the bride may collect an abundance of these to use in her new life. Additionally, boys are strictly banned from this shindig at all cost (a familiar rule and, of course, violators of this rule are again subject to the potent punch).
As you can see, everything is pretty much the same…until you take a closer look at the reality. The reality is that this bride will not be partaking in the festivities when it comes to alcoholic beverages because she is positive and is on ARVs. The reality is that this party will mostly be attended by nurses that have come to know her at the clinics, and by some support group members that have made her family. The reality is that this bride is living with AIDS and is choosing to LIVE her life, no matter what her diagnosis is. The reality is that I live in a country where some statistics report that a third of the population is positive, and many are still refusing to test. The reality is that this is now my reality, and if you take a quick glance at it, it can look like any other Sunday at the ball-park; but if you look at it closely you can sometimes see the curve in the pitch and try to brace yourself for the hit.