Yes, we're probably f*ckd, but..

My heart breaks for you Africa (2 January 2023)

My heart breaks for you, Africa. My heart breaks as I drive on the open roads with the rain falling over the farm lands, knowing what I know. My heart breaks as I take my afternoon run viewing the sunsets, knowing what I know. My heart breaks as I witness the heartache of others around the braai, when chatting about their beloved country. My heart breaks as I listen to friends talk about concerns for their kids' future. My heart breaks when I listen to the news or when I switch on the radio. My heart breaks for you, Africa. Period.

I have many fond memories of running around Sowa Town in Botswana as a child, with sun kissed skin and blonde chlorine bleached hair. My days consisted of school, collecting tadpoles from the rivers, marbles, cricket in the street, endless hours in the pool and avoiding the cows on the road when walking to a friends house (completely safe at the age of 6) I remember an athletics day being delayed as the elephants had walked across the course the day before! How Wild?! - However this was my norm. I remember camping and not being allowed out the tent after dark due to wild animals, roaming the salt pans and swimming for hours with only a solid pink horizon as thousands of flamingos gathered in the distance. I remember having some of the best childhood holidays in Zimbabwe (The then breadbasket of Africa) , making new friends as we went. Later years, when our family moved to South Africa it was roaming around on my bicycle in between friends houses (only needing to be home before the street lights came on for dinner) and then as a teen we used to walk to and from mates houses at 2am during school holidays, completely safe. Oh, the freedom!

Today in South Africa, as an adult, I don't take an uber alone after dark, I don't drive alone after 9:30pm at night. I don't go for a run without my pepper spray, I don't cycle in the streets, I don't swim in dams (due to my personal experience with E-coli and Bilharzia) and I fear the police (Due to the high level of corruption) Our home doesn't have electricity for sometimes 9 hours a day, depending on the load shedding stage, our currency is busy tanking and all around, people are high strung. My heart breaks for you Africa.

When the looting took place last year, I remember being covered in fear for my parents living in a small town in KZN. This fear soon settled after word spread that the taxi association is blocking all entrances to the town armed, in order to keep the looters out. This was when I really knew I was South African, the fact that I felt at peace knowing that the town my parents live in is being guarded by the taxi association! Yes, we are a different breed in SA!

As an entrepreneur however, I've always said you just need to be on top of your game and listen carefully, as every time the President opens his mouth, there is another entrepreneurial opportunity and something you have got to love about South Africans, is our grit, resilience and the ability to find the humour in everything.

Those who know me, know I'm an eternal optimist (sometimes to my own detriment) so even with a breaking heart it is still my choice to not get caught up in complaining tangent or stuck in a poverty mindset or latch on to limiting beliefs. Does this mean I'm staying? I'm not sure as yet, but what I do know is as long as I'm here, I'm going to make the absolute best of everything, keep grabbing opportunities, do my best to contribute to some form of change and spread as much kindness as possible.

With spreading kindness in mind, I handed a security guard a cold coke today, to which I received the response "wow, for me? thank you so much" - I drove off as I watched in my rear view mirror how he held the coke in his hands and smiled in complete disbelief of what had just happened. Which made me realise that an act of kindness is least expected. How truly sad?

So here are my thoughts, (and no, this is not going to solve any economic or political problems) but maybe, just maybe instead of trying to solve it all, or setting up camp in a everything's f*ckd frame of mind, we each focus on adding small additional good things each day. One good thing at a time, and just let a pile of good things grow..

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I’d love to know what it stirred in you. Feel free to hit reply, share it, or just sit with it awhile.

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