- The Friday Fix
- Posts
- #81: How can you help?
#81: How can you help?
Shem Opolot
July 19, 2024
Hi! Welcome to The Friday Fix! You’re reading this because you probably stumbled upon this post somewhere on the internet instead of where it should be—in your inbox. But no worries; we can fix that.
Who am I? I’m Shem Opolot, a health professional turned content creator, passionate about helping people be their best selves in life and work.
Why should you subscribe?
I have over ten years of work experience in healthcare, program management, and data analytics on two continents. So, I know a little about helping you work smarter
I comb through tonnes of self-improvement content so you don’t have to, and I distill the content into bite-sized wisdom for you
I’ll occasionally make you laugh
If this sounds good, click the subscribe button below, add your email, read my welcome email (check your spam folder or Promotion tabs), and follow ALL the instructions. This is important so you don’t miss future posts.
Hi! I'm Shem Opolot, and this is The Friday Fix, my weekly newsletter. If you've received it, you’re either subscribed or someone forwarded it to you. If you fit into the latter (yes, I’m the kind of person who uses words like “latter”) camp and want to subscribe, then click on the shiny button below:
You can also skim the past posts here.
Otherwise, grab a seat 🪑.
Happy Friday 🎉 Zoé (my daughter if you’re new here) took her first steps! This is great news, of course. But also, if Zion (my son) had any reservations about including his crawling baby sister in his dangerous schemes, she’s fair game now.
Also, what kind of test taker are you? If you don’t know the answer, do you fill the blank with anything just in case, or leave it blank? Me as me, I must write something.
LIFE.
How can you help?
Source: Winnie the Pooh
We lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment and prepared for Zion’s arrival like a mother prepares for her only daughter's wedding.
We made lists, bought things we didn’t need, and told everyone about him. I made my siblings record videos greeting Zion before he arrived. I also recorded myself speaking to him regularly while showing him he was in mummy’s belly.
Evelyn was very pregnant. She wore a green t-shirt, just long enough to cover her belly button and black sweatpants. She sat on a chair with an open suitcase spread before her like a desperate person at the airport trying to make weight. While we recorded and talked to future Zion, Evelyn pointed at the items in the suitcase, gave me instructions, and I dispatched them accordingly.
Evelyn was exhausted. We took walks daily because they told us it’d force Zion out, but someone should’ve told Zion that. We also walked because people in our family hate fat. We hate poverty and fat, in that order.
To get around, Evelyn placed one hand on her back while the other swang away as a counterbalance to support her waddle. Her skin glowed, though. Brightly. Like a thousand village lanterns shined under her skin.
We lay in bed one night. Evelyn sprawled across 3/4 of the bed as I clung to the rest. No compromise equates to childbirth, so you suck it up.
At around 6 am, she woke up in a tizzy. This wasn’t unusual. She patted her groin for moisture. This was unusual.
“I, I think… my water broke?” She said inquisitively while looking at me.
I said, “Bitch, I know you’re not asking m…”
No, I said nothing but sat up and fussed around aimlessly to look useful.
Zion was coming.
My wife’s propensity to plan for every eventuality kicked in. In the hospital room, as we waited for the contractions to create wider dilations, I found slippers for me in the suitcase. This woman packed for herself, the baby, and me.
Marry well.
Labor was brutal and lasted over twelve hours. We wanted to give birth “naturally,” but again, someone should’ve told Zion.
The nurse hooked Evelyn up to machines that monitored everything. There were wires everywhere, like a DJ booth. One of the machines was prophetic, announcing impending contractions with spikes that looked like wayward scribbles on a page. When I saw the spikes, I stood closer and revealed more pounds of my flesh for Evelyn to squeeze.
Evelyn cried. Sweated. Rested. And cried again.
Childbirth is violent, and dangerous, and beautiful, and scary. And noisy. Screams, ruffling bed sheets, cuss words, clicks of pain drips fast pressed, machine beeps, placations. There was no space for me to ask, “How can I help?”
“How can you help?”
The answer? Simple—stand there and hold that hand.
Your support doesn’t have to be fussy, flaming, or flashy. Sometimes, you just have to be there.
THINGS.
A quote by The Phoenix Project.
You can never leave footprints that last if you’re always walking on tiptoe.
A tweet.
She inspired me AND reminded me I still don’t know how to swim 🤦🏾♂️.
I’m only learning how to swim now at age 31 and a half. I started social running at 31 (ewe Mthuthuzeli, slow runners matter), I got braces at age 29/30. I first moved to Joburg at 30. My first trip out of SA was at 31.
No-one can ever convince me that I’m late in this life! 🌸
— Musanathi Writes 🇿🇦 (@Musanathi2)
6:57 PM • Jul 12, 2024
A picture.
The people in Kampala may be tired of this jacket, but it has a new lease on life in D.C. 🚀
WORK.
United against nonsensical jargon and verbosity.
I believe academia’s obsession with word counts produced verbosity.
But as my policy professor said—and I agree—”Everything you need to say can be said in 1000 words or less.”
Here’s how:
1. Avoid using “hidden verbs.” For example, instead of “set up an establishment,” say “establish” or, better yet, “build.”
Verbose option | Better alternative |
|---|---|
reached a decision | decided |
came to a conclusion | concluded |
performed an analysis | analyzed |
presented a report | reported |
provided assistance | helped |
utilize | use |
leverage | use |
disseminate | send |
Using big words doesn’t make you sound smarter. If anything, it can distance you from your target audience.
Next week, we tackle corporate jargon. <Deep sigh>
FUN.
The Friday Fix Playlist
Shem’s picks
✅ How granite goes from a quarry to your kitchen countertop.
✅ How 3-D printing will transform architecture.
✅ How to forgive yourself.
✅ Why you should stretch more.
✅ It’s not you: why movies are so dark these days
Have a great weekend,
— Shem
Reply