Learning about trust - naive or blind

I've had my first taste of how my naive trust can get me into trouble. Or, perhaps it was my blind stupidity. Sigh.

My flatmate, Jordan, and I escaped as per usual to the beach on Sunday. Again, we visited a previously unexplored beach... Mamma Beach, and to our delight, it was empty, pristine, sunny and absolutely lovely. Jordan, our esteemed driver Patrick and I set up "camp" at one end of the beach and were sure there was no one around... so sure, in fact, I left my beach bucket, radio, towel and "man-bag" under the shade of a palm tree as I gleefully splashed around in the ocean.

Soaked and rejuvenated, I returned to our encampment to discover my bag was missing. Oh dear... I had my glasses, notebook, camera, money, phone, etc. stored neatly inside and was immediately struck by the shock of being a victim of my own stupidity. Not to mention the potential hassles involved in replacing those things.

After a search of the hill and brush behind the beach, I found my bag - minus the money, camera and phone. "eh bo" as they say here... Yes, what a disappointment to discover I'd been robbed. But, they'd left the bag, my glasses (thank goodness), my small notebook (a version of a personal diary) and my trusted pens.

I reported the "crime" to the local security post, about a twenty minute walk into the nearby village, to a half-dressed "police officer" who immediately took out his handcuffs and notebook to document the incident. He dutifully wrote out the details of the crime and then said, "you should have left your belongings here at my post." Yeah but... I wanted my camera with me and I was expecting a call... so... No excuses, however. It was my own fault, in other words. Yes, he was correct.

Upon reflection I realize I'd let my guard slip. I'd become a tad over-confident and let my Canadian naivety trump my adopted Sierra Leoneon cautiousness. And really, when I think of it, despite the difficulty of replacing the phone and camera, and the loss of money, it was a rather mild reminder to be careful - at all times. What if it had been my computer? What if it had been my "shooting camera"? What if it had been a paycheque or rent money? I'd be devastated...

As it is, however, I've been reminded to be vigilant, cautious and careful of where and what I leave around. You never know... a difficult lesson has been learned - the hard way.

This will not dissuade me, however, from my almost weekly visits to the beach. It will not shake my resolve to explore and learn as much as I can about Sierra Leone. It will not derail my attempts to get to know people. But, I'll be careful... or more careful from now on.

Learning valuable lessons...
Stephen