Does Bravery and Spirituality Drive Life?

Bravery is widely understood as facing danger or pain without showing fear, while spirituality as intangible relationship with superior beings that is full of impact on life experiences. Spirituality is best practiced outside organized settings as religion.

From the experiential point of view, bravery is the sheer determination to go past a fearsome situation in spite of the dangers that could be encountered. A case of a relaxed person opting to go through gruesome experience can be one for all of us to see.

Spirituality are connections with the superior and invisible powers -whose relationship individuals choose to experience when frightened or squashed beyond their abilities to recover or beyond what their energy levels can hold. It is associated with a lot of benefits, though, like defeat of enemies, success at business and at school, to curse and/or motivate others and overcoming general challenges of life.

At 1:45 am on 17th December 2009, I was coming from a DSTV football show to know results of Arsenal FC and Burnely FC contest. The results had been so disappointing that for a considerable distance, i was saying to myself, “this is unacceptable!”

Along the way, 100 meters from the Nakulabye entertainment area, i passed-by three dogs; a male one struggling to mate and younger other male watching over. Under beaming security lights along most part of the road, I saw another another male dog running towards me.

Suddenly, the ones behind me started bucking as the intruding dog went passed me. The bucking then intensified as all the dogs ran towards me. I got concerned and looked back; just to find that all were racing towards me -but unsure whether i was the problem. So i left the pedestrian lane, two steps into the middle of the road and quickly though of finding a short stick to defend myself with in vain. Surely moved by the events, i relaxed.

Still walking -whilst watching my back, one dog went fast passed me; the other two stopped a meter away from me and went back. At this point, i realized i was not part of the game. Instead the male dogs met earlier were protecting their territory from an intruding one. If i was a dog, then the story would have been different. The state of affairs, on the other hand, had erased concerns about the football match and switched my attention to another 500 meters stretch route to safely return home.

Within another 100 meters, i saw eight dogs on the sides of the road. The younger ones where sitting around a bigger male dog and a few others standing in a circle -as if at a family meeting. Five meters towards them, they all paid attention to me. The ones seated too stood up and three of them lowered their heads as the big one made a lowly sound, “gr...gr...gr.”

Along the road, i chose not to change my slow walking pace and middle lane -much as the middle lane would bring me closer to them. So i went along; straight and erect. One brave dog walked towards me and took the space right behind me, but continued my way as i watched events that followed. I saw the rest joining the brave dog right in the middle of the road as though a sign of victory -having taken part of their territory.

There came a transporter motor cyclist whizzing past me. At the back was a female lady. She looked at me as they passed and saw her bend towards the motor cyclist. I felt so brave and contented that i did not have to lean towards anyone.

I was mid-way then to my home, i arrived at a huge mango tree -whose surroundings and for a considerable distance very dark, but kept walking -focussing only on arriving home. I thought of looking at my phone clock, but hesitated as that could be intimidating; after all it was understandably late.

Safely, i went and continued past a water channel; another very dark area for a considerable distance. But a few meters past it, i knew it was my very big neighborhood. But, of course, no one knew me given a kind of western culture -with so many houses fenced and each on its own (independent) and God for us all.

At that point, i saw one dog lying at the roadside but directly in front of an open gate. Here i was feeling strongest: in case there was any confrontation, it would be a fair one-to-one. Besides, having walked through one road-block heavily manned by eight dogs, that was no threat at all! I later realized it was gentle female dog. It only turned its neck glancing at me as i went passed it. Since i was 50 meters to my home, i too felt i was in my territory. I walked very gently, slowly and confident.

As if i we just joking, when i branched off the main road, four youthful dogs ran from a broken fence towards me. Incidentally, my mood was unchanged. When they arrived, i was unmoved. So they changed from bucking sound to a conceding and be-making friendship one, “umm...umm...umm,” as if wanting to make peace -but ignored them.

As i walked away from them, they occupied the area of the path i had walked though and resumed bucking. At just 5 meters to my apartment, I heard silencing sound far behind the dogs. And so it went, “shh..shh...shh.” What was followed was distraction of the dogs and too looked back. In amazement, i paid much attention with questions and answers: “is it windy?” “No,” i replied to myself; “Is there a tree being blown by wind?” “No,” i concluded.

Still going on, i realized it was coming from 20 meter space area off the Earth (ground). Then, it stopped. I began wondering as to whether something invisible was moving with me and influencing events rather than me.

Into my living room, i spent 15 minutes reflecting in amazement as the scenario comparison with Biblical Exodus struck my mind. My last question before i slept was, “Is this the God i used to hear my loving mother pray to for protection of me and my other siblings?” “Maybe,” i said to myself.

I later understood the life events in general as driven by bravery and that we are never alone during testing times. And that fear has no place in life's successful fulfillment; it only impends progress. Also that spirituality is part of our day to day living and experiencing it is personal.

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analysis
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com