We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies.
Customize Consent Preferences
Privacy Policy Last Updated On 09-Aug-2023 Effective Date 01-Aug-2023
This Privacy Policy describes the policies of Shem Opolot, email: info@shemopolot.com, phone: 0772100100 on the collection, use and disclosure of your information that we collect when you use our website ( https://shemopolot.com ). (the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to the same, please do not access or use the Service. We may modify this Privacy Policy at any time without any prior notice to you and will post the revised Privacy Policy on the Service. The revised Policy will be effective 180 days from when the revised Policy is posted in the Service and your continued access or use of the Service after such time will constitute your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We therefore recommend that you periodically review this page.
Information We Collect: We will collect and process the following personal information about you:
Name Email Mobile
How We Use Your Information: We will use the information that we collect about you for the following purposes:
Testimonials Customer feedback collection Processing payment Support Manage customer order Manage user account If we want to use your information for any other purpose, we will ask you for consent and will use your information only on receiving your consent and then, only for the purpose(s) for which grant consent unless we are required to do otherwise by law.
Retention Of Your Information: We will retain your personal information with us for 90 days to 2 years after user accounts remain idle or for as long as we need it to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected as detailed in this Privacy Policy. We may need to retain certain information for longer periods such as record-keeping / reporting in accordance with applicable law or for other legitimate reasons like enforcement of legal rights, fraud prevention, etc. Residual anonymous information and aggregate information, neither of which identifies you (directly or indirectly), may be stored indefinitely.
Your Rights: Depending on the law that applies, you may have a right to access and rectify or erase your personal data or receive a copy of your personal data, restrict or object to the active processing of your data, ask us to share (port) your personal information to another entity, withdraw any consent you provided to us to process your data, a right to lodge a complaint with a statutory authority and such other rights as may be relevant under applicable laws. To exercise these rights, you can write to us at info@shemopolot.com. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law. You may opt-out of direct marketing communications or the profiling we carry out for marketing purposes by writing to us at info@shemopolot.com. Do note that if you do not allow us to collect or process the required personal information or withdraw the consent to process the same for the required purposes, you may not be able to access or use the services for which your information was sought.
Cookies Etc. To learn more about how we use these and your choices in relation to these tracking technologies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
Security: The security of your information is important to us and we will use reasonable security measures to prevent the loss, misuse or unauthorized alteration of your information under our control. However, given the inherent risks, we cannot guarantee absolute security and consequently, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us and you do so at your own risk.
Grievance / Data Protection Officer: If you have any queries or concerns about the processing of your information that is available with us, you may email our Grievance Officer at Shem Opolot, 256 Kampala, Uganda, email: info@shemopolot.com. We will address your concerns in accordance with applicable law.
Always Active
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
No cookies to display.
Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
No cookies to display.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
No cookies to display.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
No cookies to display.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.
I ask this knowing the bulk of my audience lives in East Africa, and the answer is likely—YES! But I ask anyway because of the seriousness of this issue.
Do you believe in the supernatural?
Most people fear the phrase “We need to talk”. The uncertainty it chucks in the thick air, the anxiety it induces that presses against your temples and flutters your tummy. Eh! Just thinking about it makes me feel sorry for the recipient. Please just lead with the issue at hand or complete the sentence with “We need to talk about [insert a closed-ended phrase].” Unless your goal is to in fact give the recipient a terminal illness. In which case, send it and then don’t reply to any of their subsequent messages seeking clarification.
But guess what phrase makes me cower under a thousand blankets like I’m sandwiched in a dirt trench under an overcast sky in a British war drama:
“I had a dream”
Only when it comes from my wife, though.
No, my wife isn’t the reincarnation of Martin Luther King and I don’t know how I’d feel about that if she was. My wife is a prophet and there’s plenty of evidence for this.
Before her friend told her she was pregnant, my wife had a dream about it. Before a pivotal purchase of a prime piece of land, my wife dreamt about it—location and all. Before her friend confided in her about their struggles—you guessed it—yep, my wife had several dreams about said friend before reaching out, and lo and behold—the proverbial shit was in fact, hitting the fan.
If this wasn’t scary, it’d be glorious. Lucrative even, I dare say.
But why does it concern me?
I thought my own resolve and self-discipline would fuel my fidelity in marriage. What if I lingered in a hug too long? What if I doom-scrolled through the silhouette challenge on TikTok that one time (If you know you know)? Can you imagine losing an argument because of a dream?
“I dreamt it was you who left the toilet seat up soooo…”
I didn’t know I’d have to worry about wars happening in the spiritual realm and my wife’s apparent apprenticeship with the mythical Sandman.
But why am I telling you this?
The other day my wife sent me a message first thing in the morning. It wasn’t the customary good morning text lovebirds exchange, because let’s face it, we’ve been married for four years now—long enough to take each other for granted.
No, her message was terse and terrifying:
“I had a bad dream”
Just like that, my morning was sent into disarray like a cat fumbling through saucepans full of hot water. But it gets worse—in two back-to-back dings:
Message 1: “You cheated on me with a man”
Message 2: “Then I gave you back your ring and packed”
In any other case, proceeding from any other mouth, I’d laugh-cry this off. But these words came from my wife, who’s one accurate dream away from abandoning her day job and setting up a palm reading shed in the City Square.
So this gave me pause.
And the context didn’t help either.
I was preparing to head out of the house. A process that takes longer in the sub-zero weather of North Bergen, New Jersey as I’m forced to lotion my entire body to fight against looking like the lead in Casper, the Friendly Ghost. If you don’t know what that is, I’m going to need to see some ID.
The text interrupted me as I wore lip balm to kiss the cold winds (against my will) and my wife. To kiss someone in the winter without lip balm on is to not wish them well. Plus, the flame isn’t entirely burnt out, okay!
As I used my index finger to paint the precise dimensions of my lips while checking my work in the mirror, my eyes darted to re-read the text message.
I froze like a teenager caught watching a blue movie, thinking:
“Is this how it begins?”
That simple irrational moment of self-consciousness summoned all the homophobia I buried after my first year of college. After I’d seen more of the world.
So, what would you do in my situation? Seriously, I’m stumped. What would you do?
While I wait for you, here’s a picture of my son. You can’t tell, but it was freezing out there and his nose was probably running at this point, but cute moments must be captured.
Is this the equivalent of “I can’t be racist because I have a black friend?” Well, it’s all I’ve got for now.
May every day of your week be gay .
PS: If you enjoy reading my stuff, I have more stuff:
The weekly newsletter that’ll make you smarter and sounds like it comes from your bestie
PPS: If you have a story to tell and you don’t mind sharing it with me, send me an email (oshemmy@gmail.com), and let’s make some jam with your strawberries. Yes, that’s intentionally suggestive.
.
