When Things Work in a Place Where They Usually Don’t

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There’s something quietly miraculous about things going right in a place where you’ve learned—not out of cynicism, but habit—to expect they won’t. The power stays on all day. A process that usually takes weeks is done in one visit. A meeting starts—and ends—on time. In many places, this is normal. Here, it feels like a small victory.

You double-check. You wait for the catch. When it never comes, you’re left with something unfamiliar: relief, mixed with disbelief. It makes you wonder—why does the ordinary feel extraordinary?

The truth is, when dysfunction becomes normal, functionality starts to feel like a bonus. We adapt. We build workarounds. We carry extra time, extra patience, extra expectations. Resilience becomes second nature—but it also becomes a quiet burden. So, when things do work, it disrupts more than inconvenience—it disrupts what we’ve come to expect.

I felt this firsthand recently. For about two and a half weeks, I struggled with an eye issue. I tried two private hospitals but left unconvinced. Then, almost casually, someone suggested I try Mengo Hospital because they were apparently the best at this optical stuff. At that point, I was just looking for relief—so I reached out to a friend there and went.

From the moment I arrived, something felt different. The security officer was polite and helpful. My friend Phillip M received me and guided me to the eye clinic building—new, clean, organized, clearly labelled, and surprisingly comfortable. Everson S from client services team walked me through registration, payment, and triage seamlessly, despite the crowd.

And the care? Even better. Each practitioner took time to explain what they were doing. They were calm, patient, and present, Lawrence K at Triage was very comforting and Dr. Brenda N was amazing, even drawing from her own experiences to ensure comfort. I spent about two hours there, but it didn’t feel frustrating—it felt worth it. I walked out in a much better state than I walked in.

Even the small things stood out. As I exited, I didn’t have change for parking. The lady attendant at the exit helped me sort it out and simply said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine soon.” That stayed with me. It wasn’t a one-off. My follow-up visits were just as smooth. I left not just treated, but genuinely cared for. Thank you, Mengo Hospital!

And maybe that’s why the experience stood out so much—because it challenged what I’ve come to expect. I went in skeptical. I left impressed.

Moments like this matter. Because every time something works the way it should, it chips away at the idea that things can’t work. And slowly, that changes what we expect—and what we accept.

—Bernz

Written by

Bernard Mukasa

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