Thursday, February 9, 2017

That time I shared a Ships Cabin with the new Somali President.

I am not someone who is good with faces, but I remember this guy well.
I was crossing the Baltic Sea on my way to Finland some 21 years ago now. Wee had a ships cabin with four bunks in it, itt was nothing fancy, just your typical base Ferry Cabin.
In come walking this Black Guy in a suit. We all introduced ourselves and then we showed him the most Amazing thing in our cabin, the Window.
That's right folks, the window was absolutely amazing. Not because of the spectacular view, rather the lack of one. As we opened the curtains there was the indentation for a window, without an actual window. That is right folks, there were curtains over a window that did not actually exist!
It was then that our new Shipmate would exclaim "Simply Amazing!"
We chatted with him for a bit, and of course were blown away with a businessman from Somalia heading to Finland, it was our understanding that Somalia was war torn Hell.
The words he said in reply have stuck in my mind to this very day "Do not believe everything you hear on the Media"
That really is it, I could make up that I had some great financial talk with him, that he gave us incredible prediction of the future, but those would be fabrications, something I do not do.
However if I took anything from my brief meeting with the new President of a developing country, his words on the Media have stuck with me, and shaped me to this day.
So MR. Muhammad if that truly was you, give me a shout out. I wish you the absolute best in your new Presidency, with peace and prosperity in your future.

Signed, the American Traveler wearing the Leather Motorcycle Jacket

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