America

This week late at night on some weird hotel channel I regrettably watched a show about gruesome deaths.   The only segment in the show I watched was about a beloved African man that partied hard one night at a game reserve, passed out inside in a chair, but left the door to his bungalow open...a hyena attacked him, killed him, ate him.  Yes, it's a terrible thought.  I changed the channel.  (Don't change the channel here, keep reading...)

A few days later I learned my UBER driver was born and raised in the mountains of Ethiopia.  He was a cattle farmer and he was the last person in his family to move over to the U.S.A., which was about ten years ago.

I told him about the hyena-eating-a-man segment.  I asked him his opinion on the situation.  He stated without hesitation absolutely that happens in Africa.   He said especially during the mating season when the male hyenas are full of testosterone.  In fact, his minister was eaten by a hyena while walking between villages.

He said hyenas eat men.  Lions do not (eat men).  According to my UBER driver, people and lions have a deep connection.  When his people see a lion approach they call the elder out to perform a spiritual calling/dance directed towards the lion, which always ends with the lion walking away.  I was touched by the story he told where men and lions are connected; it is beautiful.

I asked him if he felt connected to elephants in the same way (I feel connected to elephants!) and he laughed and told me that he lived in the mountains.  Elephants do not roam mountains.  My question was ridiculous, apparently.

As my ride was ending he said that Africa is a great land and everyone must visit it at least once.  However, he claimed again without hesitation that America is the greatest country in the world.  His whole family had jobs, houses, and good lives in this country.  If he hears anyone speak negatively about America or complain about America, then he offers to buy them a plane ticket and suggests they leave.

America is the best country was the last thing he told me before I stepped out of the car.