Brief Encounters

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I took my car to the dealer for an overdue service on Tuesday morning and was lifted home by Joseph a driver. A whole day without a car? No problem, much at home that needed my attention.

On the way home, I wanted to engage with him while we spent 20 minutes in traffic. I enquired of Joseph what he thought of the state of our nation given all that has happened recently. Well, it was interesting to say the least. The man in the back seat who Joseph was delivering to work after dropping me, also engaged. How they ranted at raved at our people in government. No, no longer were they going to vote for the ANC (the African National Congress of which Mr. Nelson Mandela was our first democratically elected president in 1994). They could not believe that their own people in power had done so much wrong. They felt totally betrayed. Unbelievably, they said they would NEVER vote for the ANC again.

The same Joseph fetched me this morning to return to the car dealer to fetch my car and pay – his radio was on. Xhosa or Zula I asked him (we have 11 official languages). No, Pedi, he said. The discussion on the radio he said was the issue of women who, once married, got fat. And that it was no wonder that their men ran off with other women when their wives got fat! Well, blow me down with a feather. So I gave my view – and we had a lively talk. He switched the radio off, but as he said it was good that the issue was being talked about and all sides of the story were being heard!

On Monday night, 10.30 or so, I was driving home from my Jung study group (every other Monday night). A traffic cop flashed me down. He said, good evening, where are you going? Home I said. Aren’t you afraid of driving alone at night he asked me. No, I said. Have you had a glass of wine he asked. No, I said. Oh he said, well, drive carefully. Thanks Officer I said, and for doing a good job. A 2 minute encounter.

I had much to do once I got my car back midday today. I stopped in at the pharmacy, and wished the woman pharmacist Shana Tovah for the New Year beginning 2nd October. Please God, she said, peace for all. 

I went for a walk this evening in the coolth of it. I saw Gideon who looks just like I imagine Gideon from the Bible. Grey head of hair, shaggy grey beard, a few teeth missing, the widest smile. Oh ho he said booming. I think mebbe you dead. I not see you for long time. We chatted a bit, I told him of my broken toes. And a few minutes later, I saw another gardener, in his red T-shirt, walking up the road. A Malawian. High pitched voice, the blackest skin, the whitest teeth, and always so friendly. Hello ma’am, I think you been overseas I haven’t seen you for long time. At least he didn’t think I was dead –

And the best encounter was seeing my friend Lyndy in high care this afternoon. Her son had arrived from the US. I’ve known Lyndy forever, she really is my oldest friend from my school days. Lyndy’s op was major, she’ll be in high care for a long while still and her recuperation will be long. Her hair was being washed, her head leaning back into a basin, and the nurse washing her hair so gently. I had the privilege of drying it. She’s doing well, praise be –

I took photos this morning of my amayrillis and a bottle brush tree. Already by late this afternoon the amaryllis was budding even more. I’m going away on Friday back 10 days later – I can hardly imagine how beauteous this amaryllis will be on my return!amaryllis_2

bottle-brush_2

Peace to all – and Happy New Year to my Jewish friends!

rosh-hashanah-dove

I

42 Comments on Brief Encounters

  2. I’m with the pharmacist, Susan. “Please God, peace for all.” I’m writing about a friendship that began in 1970. We went through rough spots, but worked our way back to trust and love. This is a dear friend with Buddhist and Jungian training. How hard it is for people to forgive each other. I just read an interview in The Sun about two Palestinian and Israeli men who joined hands in the cause of peace. What big big hearts. And it sounds like you’re surrounded by big hearts hungry for peace, too, and so much beauty. Thank you for sharing moments from your world. I’m glad those toes are healed. Blessed Rosh Hashanah.

    • Thanks Elaine for coming by. I remember reading about those two men walking in peace, the one Israel the other Palestinian – such a strong and hopeful stance. How special that the love and trust of the loss was regained in your instance. Thank you for saying about my toes being healed – I’m much more conscious of them now and am taking care not to bash them again.

      A Blessed Rosh Hashanah to you and to all ..

  3. I anticipate that, when the sunlight shines more brightly, your sequence of photos will show a more rapid pace of budding with larger buds during this time. Fascinating, don’t you think so?

    Joe rubin

  4. I loved the rambling, peaceful flow of this post, Susan. You’ve had such interesting encounters in your daily life.
    The fat women reminds me of a certain politician here in the U.S. UGH!
    I do wish your friend well. I imagine your “high care” might be what we call “intensive care”?
    And I liked the word “cooth.” That’s just what it is, but I’ve never heard anyone say it here. Warmth, but not coolth.

    Wishing you peace in every one of those 11 official languages. When you have a chance, perhaps you can let us know what the word is in all of them. 🙂

    • Thanks Merril for coming by! High Care is AFTER intensive care (which is the most ‘serious’, and high care is also serious) – thank you for your good wishes re my friend Lyndy.

      Coolth is a made up word – I do not think many South Africans use or are aware of it. But why not? Warmth? Coolth ..

      Well now, that is a lovely idea about the word peace in our 11 official languages, with pictures of our splendid women of those tribes. I’ll put my attention on that …

  5. Really enjoyed this glimpse into your life, Susan. Beautifully written.

    So sorry to hear about the violence in SA. So much ugliness in the world right now, or perhaps we’re just exposed to more of it.

    • Thanks Holli for coming by. The world’s a strange place right now. Thankfully there’s beauty amongst it all. Have a great weekend 🙂

  6. To me, there seems to be a mysterious force that gratifies the amaryllis to bud a trillion-tiny-instants.

    Also, I so much love Jean Raffa’s summary of these posts, “celebratory dances to the miracle of being alive, …”

    • Thank you Joseph for coming by! My husband is going to take a photo while I’m away – from today – and send it on to me so I can see this life force bursting and budding.

  7. Oh Sis, how I enjoyed this blog! Thank you. I love speaking to those I meet on the streets or in the shops. Will read up on the comments of your dear friends when I can take the opportunity to take it all in. They always have meaningful comments. xx

    • Thank you dear Sis. There’s something about speaking with strangers and finding community with them. I agree the comments are precious! Looking forward to seeing you next week. We’re leaving Plett on Wed –

  8. Such a refreshing and charming glimpse of your life in South Africa. Your chance encounters and conversations with strangers. And your amaryllis, a symbol of the vital, budding birth of new life in the midst of strife and chaos and uncertainty. I love these posts, these simple, celebratory dances to the miracle of being alive, for this is what they surely are.

    • Thanks Jeanie for coming by – there is surely beauty in the mundane. Thank you for saying about the amaryllis budding in the midst of strife and chaos. And for your whole comment Jeanie, it is very affirming, and I thank you.

  9. It is wonderful to chat with people you see on walks, and even nicer that you were missed. I am curious as to what the dynamics are in your area that a policeman would pull you over because you were driving alone. Is it because you are a white woman?

    The conversation topics that you discussed were quite interesting. I hope you changed the mindset of some of the men. Welcome back to your more normal daily life. I enjoyed learning about your day! Hugs!

    • Thank you dear Gwynn for coming by. We certainly share the joy of walking! The cop was in a safe part of town as I was heading home. It is good that he was on duty. Strange things happen – No, I don’t think because I am a white woman, I hadn’t thought of that. Just random checks. It’s good that the skelms (South African word meaning the naughty ones) know that there are cops about.

      I doubt I changed any of their mindsets! I think they maybe found it interesting to engage with a white woman .. 😉

  10. Hello,
    Isn’t it amazing how brief encounters with other people enrich our lives. It stretches our world and broadens our own point of view.
    Excellent article, Susan.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Patricia

    • Thank you dear Pat for coming by. In few words you say so much! Such value in a broadening rather than a narrowing, though as I write this maybe there is value in narrowing as eg when we clarify more and more and discard the superfluous … Maybe narrowing allows for broadening & the other way round also?
      Shalom Aleichem to you too!
      Susan

  11. These glimpses into life in South Africa are enjoyable to read and educational also. The encounters with so many different kinds of people with so many languages, religions, and countries of origin either opens your mind or (sometimes, sadly) closes it. You clearly have been opened up. I too pray for peace in my country and yours.

    • Thank you Shirley. I’m glad you find them educational as well. We know so little about other parts of our beautiful world, filled though it is with so much suffering.

      May peace reign supreme everywhere! I trust you’re having a lovely time at your retreat. May Julian of Norwich continue to be by your side.

  12. All echoes elements of the familiar! Back to Plet? Lucky you. I am trying to clarify whether I have three or thirteen years to live and what I should do? My much loved home is probably for the chop, but not yet able to face it! Happy Springtime

    • ‘All echoes elements of the familiar’ … lovely words Philippa thank you. Yes, I am lucky. Plett for a few days and then to Cape Town, from where I’ll fly back to the highveld – and see my plants. I’m missing them already :).

      It’s essentially an elemental enquiry to question where we’ll be in 3 or 13 years. For any of us of any age. But I guess when we are in our older years there are many other considerations – and it seems to become more pressing. Do you write about it?

      Thank you for Springtime wishes! Today I see the first jacaranda blooms! Not much, many of the jacarandas are looking very stark & bare. But maybe it’s a promise of things to come. So I’m sending you this message – a promise of things to come – as you go into autumn, such a beautiful time year as well …

  13. Hi Susan – how great to read your exchanges … and that we now do it. I used to talk to everyone – and would get ‘castigated’ by the Edgars management … not exactly – but it wasn’t appreciated. Humans are human.

    I used to work with East Europeans and when they visited had to take them around to factories – but they were always in twos or more … and I tried to get them to say wouldn’t they like free speech or to be able to do things on their own – I honestly don’t know if they thought that way.

    Recently I had a SA friend over and as she’d been ill and recovered sufficiently well to come over … we took taxis in Oxford on a few occasions … as it’s a non-car town for outsiders! A wonderful mix of characters … none English – so similar conversation re Brexit. Don’t ask … I voted to stay.

    Enjoy your trip to Plett and the Cape … and yes that Amaryllis will be brilliant to see … take care and all the best – Hilary

    • Thank you Hilary for coming by! You will like that link I sent you this morning, it’s about 11 mins long and she speaks of the value of speaking with strangers … If I knew how to add the link, I would, but this I do not know … Also it was a spot of synchronicity, since I put up my post last night and this was on my computer this morning which I was able to watch later this morning. It was a TED talk …

      I asked my husband this morning if he knew how to take photos on his Ipad. (I don’t think he ever has, and is only recently becoming acquainted with it, tho he’s had it for 2 years. His Nokia cell phone is an antique, with no camera facilty). I want him to take photos everyday of my amaryllis and send them onto me … I swear they are bursting out of their buds, I don’t want to miss a moment!

      All good wishes to you Hilary, and thank you for yours!

  14. These are the days when everyone hates their government. I remember traveling to the Soviet Union, asking about their government and everyone loved it. Of course, they had to say that. Well, I see shades of that in my country now, too.

    • Always the conflict between love and hate I guess .. and governments provide the ideal object on to which to project – but let’s face it, since when have govts had the peoples’ interests at heart.

  16. Some of your encounters sound like fiction though I suspect they are all true, knowing you, Susan.

    Some days I don’t drive my car at all, but I’d miss it if it weren’t there. Your description of Gideon is choice! I will not comment on politics in the USA right now except to say it is bizarre.

    • Thanks Marian for coming by. I could have told about the 2 Serbian women I met briefly on Tuesday … but that may have stretched your belief in me … 🙂

      Believe me, the political situation here is out of this world – universities are being trashed, tear gas, rubber bullets – there’s much violence in the Fees must Fall campaign. I sometimes wonder if the centre will hold.

      It was interesting to see excerpts of the Hillary – Trump debate. We’re all watching developments with keen interest.

  17. I enjoyed your encounters with various people. My conclusion: you are an exceptional conversationalist. You might trip on that if you had a glass of wine.

    • I’m glad you enjoyed my encounters Anne. And thank you for the compliment! Might I trip up if I drank a glass of wine? Interesting thought!

  18. How I envy your garden and gardening. Susie and I have just moved to a house by the sea, with a small garden after spending over 35 years living in flats in Glasgow with nothing bigger than a window box to care for. I haven’t a clue what I’m doing but I’m loving doing it.
    You’re radio chat is not so different from here in the uk unfortunately. Today’s advanced debate on Sky News was “Women who want it all should just get up earlier!” Aaaargh!!

    • It’s lovely to have no clue Brian, yet to love what you’re doing, i.e. re gardening! What a change from a flat in Glasgow! My husband’s father and grandfather were Glaswegians. Nature surrounds you –
      Advanced debate? That sounds pretty low! Euw!

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