This Week from Africa 1.5.26

We continued our tour through the Saloum Delta in Senegal. On the way to Toubakouta the other week, we ran aground once. Then, while moving the boat again the other day, we got completely stuck.

I had to lower my beloved self-built Ferrari-red dinghy, connect it with a halyard, and tilt the entire boat to reduce the draught. Nike kept working the throttle, and eventually we were free again.

On the first evening after arriving in Toubakouta, we were simply happy to be around some kind of village again. We went ashore to get something to eat and have a cool glass of rosé. By accident, it turned out to be the anniversary of the place’s owner and his wife, and they were throwing some kind of party. At some point musicians showed up playing bass, local drums, and a beautiful local string instrument that reminded me of a harp.

We truly enjoyed the night out

When we returned to the dock, our dinghy had flipped upside down, and the new outboard engine had been under water for hours. We do not know for sure what happened, but it might have been children playing and trying to fish from the boat.

At least I now know that my construction does float even when completely submerged.

For me, that was still too much

Somehow I had put too much effort and money into getting things working again, and in that moment I simply wanted to sink the entire boat and just walk away with a backpack. Maybe one for me and one for Django.

Luckily, Nike kept a calm mind.

She worked on the engine for half the night, continuously flooding it with oil to get rid of every bit of water and salt. The next morning, while I was sitting in a coaching call, she kept going for another hour or two.

And then the engine came back to life

It has been working like a charm ever since.

What stayed with me was not only that the engine survived, but how different the same moment can feel to two people. I was done. Nike was not. I had already left the whole thing in my head, while she was still there with what needed to be done.

I think that happens in other parts of life too.

Sometimes you do not need someone to cheer you up or give you a clever answer. Sometimes you need someone who can stay calm while you cannot. Someone whose steadiness helps you not make the whole thing bigger than it already is.

For a while, I borrowed hers

And that was enough.

I think that is also part of what I aim to be in my coaching sessions. A calm counterpart when things feel bigger than they are. Someone who helps you stay with what is there until you can find your own clarity again.

If you need somebody to hold you up for a moment, I am just a call away.