2007 came along with life-changing twists and turns. My Ordinary Level final examinations were due, and I thought I was edging closer to my dreams. Life, however, had other plans; one dull evening, my little bundle of dreams fell apart, for I suffered a mental breakdown. The symptoms had all along hovered; bouts of headache, invariable difficulty focusing and concentrating. This, however, was not the first time my family had expressed worry over my health; in primary seven, I unsuccessfully tried to take my own life. What sort of child attempts to take his own life because he feels overwhelmed by life? I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety.
When I dropped out of school in 2008, everyone was devastated but not entirely surprised. My old man had his troubles; he’d been in and out of jail on remand for an offence he was later acquitted of. My old woman was hell-bent on finding sustenance for her struggling family. I can’t fault them for banking on the hope that everything would fall into place. It didn’t. I’ve always found solace in the Arts. I fell in love with lyric poetry when I discovered Justice James Ogoola’s poetry collection ‘Songs of Paradise.’ I love painting. I love drawing. I’m putting aside some money so I might undertake a short course in Graphic Design. I make a few bucks off the informal painting to be able to afford my daily dose of sodium valproate and fluoxetine, an antidepressant. Spending 3200 UGX or thereabouts daily, my medication costs are the only impediment to my dreams, but I can’t complain. I at least have my life for which I should be grateful.
Happy Karim. 28
