The answer to how did I get here is sometimes Dan Brose

Before I left for Uganda, Trina told me she was invited to an international tennis tournament that the U.S. Ambassador was holding. When I got back from Uganda, I was shattered… because the road from Burundi to Uganda is really long, and hard to describe, if you haven’t done it. Any long drive in Africa will take it out of you, and this was one of those. When I arrived back in Bujumbura at about five pm, nobody was home, and I was locked out. I was thinking Trina may still be at work. After some time, I managed to get into the house, and have a bite to eat as I waited for the belle. About an hour later I hear trina’s truck pull up, and I go out to have a proper greet. She’s cheerfully walking up the yard, with tennis bag, and racket in tow. I ask her where she’s been and she said she just won her first match in the tournament.
Now this isn’t the first tournament Trina has played in during our time in Burundi. It’s like… the third or fourth. And I don’t care that she hasn’t won, or made it to the finals in these tournaments mainly because, she’s too good to play against girls, so she’s always playing these big Burundians who are twice her size, and are many times stronger, and she just looks so cute out there playing against these guys. Like this helpless small creature fighting these huge creatures, but you notice… “wow, that little creature has some punch… too bad she’s so small, when compared to these other guys.” Now Trina is a fierce optimist, and occasionally she says something like, “I may make it to the finals this time.” I don’t mind that… if she does, great, if not… great. She loves tennis, and she’s blessed to be able to play. She’s good at tennis, and it’s good for her to have a tension/stress relieving mechanism… and tennis by all accounts is a good mechanism.
Jim wins everything when it comes to tennis tournaments here, and that’s just fine. He’s our friend, and I think he’s originally from Minnesota but I’m not positive. Trina and I really like Jim, and we have him over from time to time, and he has us over. He’s here on a mission too, and we always have lots to talk about. Jim was invited to the tournament, just like Trina, and we all suspected Jim would win. Before Trina played her next match, she said something like: “I may play Jim in the finals.” I thought… why would she want to play Jim, there is no chance she could win. But of course it’s not all about winning. What’s it about again? I can never remember.
Now, if you are in this tennis tournament, you are allowed to invite two guests to the ambassadors house to have some snacks, and a bar-b-que and some drinks, and watch the finals of the international tournament. The ambassador, and her husband would be there, some distinguished guests, from other embassy’s and countries. I happened to be one of Trina’s invites, which was cool, and the other invite was Trina’s coach. I took a sigh of relief as I realized I barely made it onto the invite list, as Trina has many fans. I was surprised and delighted to see my friend Chris from the South African Embassy show up to watch the match as I hadn’t seen him in a while. I don’t have to tell you Trina made it to the finals do I… Trina made it to the finals. And she was nervous.
Before we go to the Ambassador’s house, I always ask things like: What do I call the Ambassador again… is it your honor? Or Madam Ambassador? Or your Excellency? Trina says yes to all three because she’s nervous, and it’s not a priority at this time to tell me how to address the ambassador, and I take mild offense to that but have enough grace not to get mad. She’s too concerned about the tennis match, and she says things like. “I’m so nervous.” I gracefully remind her. “Don’t worry, you’re going to loose… and when I know I’m going to loose, I find that thought very freeing.” Sometimes it’s weird when people get mad at you for telling the truth. Trina couldn’t believe how insensitive her truthful husband was, but I was honestly trying to share knowledge that works for me. When I know I will loose, I’m completely calm, and enjoy my loosing. It’s not about winning, it’s how you enjoy the loosing. Right? The loose mentality is a win win. If by some chance you actually win, well that’s great… you didn’t see that coming, so you’re excited. And if you loose… well that’s what you expected. No problems… it’s a win win either way. Trina just refused to see it, I can forgive her for that.
At the embassadors party, I felt very important. I said important and meaningless things to important people. I went from one important conversation to the next. I was dressed smart, and was on my game. I wasn’t king on the scene, but I wasn’t the court jester either… and after a while, I camped out next to the honey mustard pretzels. The ambassador gets American foods shipped out, and I hardly ever get to eat the American way, so I OD’d on the pretzels, then after a while, I realized I was missing the game because I was consumed with the pretzels. All the important people had moved courtside, and there was an empty seat for the husband of Trina. Shoot! I told myself to calm down and take a few breaths, “you’re not an idiot Seth. This could have happened to anyone. You just got side tracked by the pretzels again… no big thing. Pull yourself together, and get your butt in that empty chair, as casually as possible… and plan an important line, to say to the important people next to you.” Check.
I worked my way to the chair, dropped in, and said to the guy next to me. “Trina’s got a great fore-hand… good top spin.” Check and mate.
Trina did better than I expected. She still lost, and that’s okay. It was fun to see all eyes on Trina, playing her heart out. The ambassador, and others cheering her on, enjoying the match, that Trina and Jim put on for us. I was proud of the little belle out there. And there were a couple of close games too. It was a moment when you wonder… how did I get here. I have a lot of moments like that these days, and I really love it.