Look at this photo. Tell me you did not smile and get totally endeared by that boy and the photo as a whole. The boy’s name is Samir and the photo was part of #captureKenya. I borrowed, begged and cajoled Owaahh for it because I fell in love with the little boy in an instant and saw so many little stories interwoven into this one picture. I fell in love with the boy anew when Owaahh mentioned that he kept vroom vrooming the donkey.
I saw a lifestyle story – This photo, more than the dhows and jetties and all that I’ve seen and heard about Lamu gave me a very clear idea of the lifestyle there. Not that I imagine that everyone in Lamu is out walking the narrow streets with their little son on a donkey – no. But I did get the feel of the general simplicity of life in Lamu.
I see a father son story there. Absolute trust that as much as this donkey does not have all the cushioning and harnessing for comfort and safety, there’s more safety than can come from any of those. Daddy is right there.
I saw the pointlessness of some of the things we do. I don’t imagine that this guy, like TV would probably suggest, disinfected the donkey and the gunny before his little son mounted it. Or the baby’s clothes and the floor he crawls on back home. Still the little man blossoms on, a picture of perfect health as far as I can tell.
I saw pure unadulterated happiness – This trio is just a happy happy lot! I see a sense of contentment with the available circumstances. I like their clothes and caps, some of which have evidently seen better days. Even the donkey does not look any burdened to me. It has soft loving eyes and it wears bling… Ok I’ll stop.
I know there is a lot that the historical town has to offer. But right now, I want to go to Lamu just to (among other simple things) have no other way to get around except by foot. I need this to get back to basics and enjoy simplicity in my life – simplicity that I have allowed the trappings of modern day life to strip out of my day to day life.