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“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.” – John Steinbeck

One of the Boy Scout mottos is “Ready for anything.” My dad was an Eagle Scout and to this day still embodies that motto. My siblings and I would sometimes get annoyed with his seeming over preparedness, but we were inevitably grateful when extraneous precautionary items became essentials. Before the days of GPS there were always VA, NC, MD and DC roadmaps in the glove boxes of Williams family vehicles. He always has both a bottle of sunscreen and an umbrella in his golf bag and he always has a band-aid in his wallet. I was never a very good Boy Scout. In truth I didn’t even make it to Boy Scouts; I dropped out around WEBLOS.

I make a much better African than I do a Boy Scout. Africans tend to operate under a different mantra: “React to anything.” Preparedness is not appreciated as much as adaptation. Nigerien unpreparedness is more attributed to a lack of means than a lack of foresight. Consequently, an African ambulance would probably arrive late to the scene because they would have to stop and get gas on the way. Repairs on vehicles and tools are always in reaction to a problem. Preventive maintenance is a luxury only the rich can afford. Being prepared in Niger means driving a four-wheel drive Land Cruiser with sand tracks, an engine snorkel, tow rope and Gerry can filled with fuel. Being Nigerien means driving a beat-up motorcycle with a half tank of gas and a prayer.

These past few months I have had a series of adventures on my motorcycle. I have become skilled, if not expert at doing simple bush repairs on my bike to get it home in one piece. Spark plugs, tire plugs, dead batteries and carburetor repairs are things I’ve learned to deal with out of necessity. Despite my basic understanding of motors and how to get them running properly, I still have found myself broken down in the bush frequently of late. However, 8 months ago when I had to be rescued by Rodrigo just because my spark plug was spent (a three minute fix when you carry a spare) I resolved to never seek rescue when I break down or the road seems impassable. Prepared or not I am determined to make it to and from my destination without having to call Niamey for rescue. On several occasions I have paid the price for unpreparedness. Sometimes seeking help amongst villagers costs more than it would to call Brent or Rod. However, embracing the Nigerien mindset of reacting to anything, I have been rewarded with experiences and relationships that would not have been otherwise.