Hope

In a country where names like "Patience" and "Blessing" are common, I shouldn't be surprised to find Hope everywhere. A couple of weeks ago when we brought our puppy home, we asked our security guard, a 60+ year old man who seems very wise, what we should name the dog - without hesitation, he said "Hope". It somehow felt much deeper than a suggested name for a dog.

Tonight, Ghana played Egypt in the final for the Africa Cup of Nations. Going into the tournament a couple of weeks ago, Ghana's chances weren't looking so great. At least 5 of their top players were out with injuries. On the day of the first round game, I asked my driver how he thought the team would do. I was expecting some sort of smart remark about the injuries, but instead he said simply "they will do their best". As Ghana kept advancing, Ghanaian pride became more and more obvious - cars with flags, people wearing Black Star shirts, everyone talking about "the game". I, of course, was not going to miss this. I dropped the kids off at a Pirate Birthday party that was strategically timed for the duration of the game and I headed to the Guinness outdoor screen and stage that had been setup for the Africa Cup. I'm sure there were other Obrunis (white people) there, but I didn't see any. I just enjoyed being in the middle of true Ghanaian spirit. Everything I observed reinforced the feeling of hope....people being interviewed prior to the game said things like "no matter the consequence, Ghana is the winner". "Ghana will do its best, who wins does not matter." Easy enough to say before the game, but what about afterwards, when Ghana lost 1-0, Egypt making the only score of the game in the last five minutes? People were still proud. The announcer on the radio kept trying to make Ghana out to be the sad loser, making comments about "poor Ghana" and how "devastated" Ghana must be. But when fans were interviewed, they remained upbeat and the most typically Ghanaian comment I heard was "Hope is not lost.....we lost to a very good team and we played well. There is hope."
Yes, there is hope. And, yes, Ghana IS the winner.......