Book Review | Courage: Learning to Live with Uncertainty

Sometime last month, my attention was drawn to this book on the timeline of Naomi Kabarungi, the author’s unofficial Chief Marketing Officer.

Timothy and I go way back, right from the time we once almost caused a stir in primary school. We attended different schools and had emerged the best two Maths pupils in the district mock exams that year.

A string of corrections meant that he and I kept swinging between #1 and #2; and an initial 88% best score eventually ended up at 94%. Each of the of schools believed they had, in their midst, the best mathematician in the land. It turned out an episode of friendly fire when we finally met at Kabale Stadium, a couple of months later.

I never got to see him that day, though those who did alleged he was no taller than 4-feet tall at the time.

We would later connect in Senior One at Ntare School, going all the way to A-Level, where we still shared two subjects in our combinations – Physics and Mathematics.

Upon learning about the book, I promised myself I would get the book if both time and finances allowed. It wasn’t long before I got my own copy (though he still owes me an autograph).

In Courage, Timothy delves into a string of personal experiences, and a subtle serialization of the tales that used to feature on his timeline under the the hashtag #TodayILearnt.

Timothy talks different topics. Courage. Hope. Faith. Career. Et cetera.

He variedly discusses evolution; from technology to mannerisms and thought processes. While at it, he does hint at a couple of premonitions and coincidences, and how some of the things he once dreamed of subliminally manifested in his life, months or years later.

Were he not modest in his ways, he would perhaps now be subtly pushing for a new title – Prophet Rubashembusya.

He discusses Stockdale paradox and the downside to misconstruing hope for faith. To paraphrase Stockdale paradox, for the uninitiated, it refers to the idea that one must retain faith that they’ll prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties; while at the same time confronting the most brutal facts of their current reality.

So, yeah. Timothy says we should not just ride on hope “fwaa”.

It showcases a rich reading culture, epitomized by the truckload of quotes, each at the start of each chapter.

One moment I am scratching my head to remember the last time I heard about Mary Ann Radmacher. The next, I am seeing a quote, in English, attributed to Luciano De Crescenzo, an Italian-sounding name I get to know for the first time.

The book highlights the inherent human penchant for societal validation, and how vain it may turn out.

Timothy is very alive to the common questions long-lost peers ask when they finally meet you after a while. There’s this lifestyle checklist that society has drafted, of milestones that everyone should have achieved by a certain age. Marriage. Car. House. Kids.

Once all the four boxes have been ticket, you are simply declared RICH.

It reminds me of my own experiences. Someone you haven’t physically met in a while suddenly carries a fleeting audit before supposedly breaking some news:

“Iwe, do you know the kind of car Alex drives these days? A Mark X. UB-series. He started an IT firm on Kanjokya street and is doing well. He employs a string of old guys that he orders around like small boys. But you should be doing better than him. You used to beat him in class.”

Then he pitifully looks at you for a while, expecting a direct response. Like you are suddenly supposed to get depressed.