Things are strange indeed –

The threads, holding it all together is strange – a thread as fine as a spider’s web and fiercely strong. The silk from the spider’s web is used in the manufacture of pilots’ parachutes. Delicate and strong. Two apparently opposite words in meaning.

It seems as if we, collectively and individually, hang suspended, in mid-air, wondering when the thread is going to break – and hoping that that very strong parachute will stay aloft and not come crashing down when tested to the limits and finally giving way and breaking. Slowly at first, each break weakening the next thread … and then the next and so on – on a trajectory towards the tipping and then the breaking point. The limit is reached, the centre cannot hold ..

the stuff of writers and poets, artists and those who see perhaps with a different eye, and the stuff of those of us who wish to see further trying to discern what’s going on.

We know what a virus means, we have viruses entering our computers and the hard drive being wiped out. We have cold and flu viruses. HIV, hepatitis B and so on. An antibiotic does not help as this is a virus and not a bacteria. But viruses can be treated medically and the patient is advised to be patient. Rest is often prescribed and to stay at home so as not to spread it.

The word is late Middle English (denoting the venom of a snake): from Latin, literally ‘slimy liquid, poison’. The earlier medical sense, superseded by the current use as a result of improved scientific understanding, was ‘a substance produced in the body as the result of disease, especially one capable of infecting others’.

Corona: mid 16th century (in corona¹ (sense 5): from Latin, ‘wreath, crown’.

So, the corona/crown virus that is capable of wiping out peoples’ hard drives.

Is it the crown that is wiped out? Does this have some sort of symbolic meaning? I suspect it does – the head being chopped off. History comes to mind as does the practice in this current day in different fundamentalist parts of the world.

Well, I’m not going to wax lyrical ad nauseam as to the symbology of it all. Although I can’t help wondering if ‘coronary’ has its etymology in ‘corona’ . Even as I write, I want to say the symbol is always in state of change or meaning, but this symbol of the chopping the head off, does seem rather fixed – I mean, once the head is off its off right? No more breathing, no more pulse, no more nothing. Just bleeding until the body is all bled out ….

Who knows if this speaks to the dismantling of patriarchy thread by thread; the dismantling of much hitherto known and familiar; the dismantling of that which no longer serves us; the dismantling of illusion; the dismantling of excessive reason and logic which, when extreme, is quite fixed, as if in stone. I can’t help but wonder …

But, can spirit or soul emerge from the stone? Especially when forced to? Even if a hammer has to be used to crack it open?

There is no huge panic as yet in South Africa – a mild form of it is evident, which is in itself a form of virus in that it spreads, along with fear. Panic and Fear, two well known – and used – psychological weapons of war. I know that our National Defence Force has flown to Wuhan to fetch the 122 South Africans who’ve been working there and their location on return is known and will be in lockdown.

Many thoughts come to mind: a concern for those who are frail and elderly, those who have compromised immune systems or underlying health concerns, the rural areas where fresh water is not always available or polluted, the poor and malnourished, the readiness of our health institutions to meet it should it become a crisis.

So much is falling apart, and of all this we are a part. I definitely live in a bubble here in Plettenberg Bay. One more prick and the bubble will burst. Hundreds of pricks have been happening here in this beleaguered country – rioting, burning of academic institutions, burning tyres on national roads, our stock exchange crashing, murders and assassinations galore, appalling road deaths most times due to overloading of taxis and buses and aggro drivers who do not know what a speed limit means, ongoing commissions of enquiry into corrupt politicians, and wondering whether the ratings agency is going to downgrade us even further …

And yet – what is the limit? And if that limit is reached and the threads break irrevocably, then what? What is our limit? Can a limit be limiting? Can we look at all that is happening in some other way and endure our discomfort in the process? Can we rethink our attitude to all that is happening and see our own role in the larger world view? Could the breaking down of the world as we know it be some sort of break through, where we use our hearts instead of our heads?

Can all that is being put on hold such as concerts, gatherings, sports events, travel and much else besides, be an opportunity to pause, be still and find the meaning in all of this – because that is what we have to do, find meaning, even if it means asking difficult questions. What does it feel like to have my freedoms taken away at least temporarily, in service to the greater good? Can I isolate myself to some extent so as not to be an agent of spreading the virus? Can I turn inwards, towards the heart, and listen to its messages –

This little spider appeared on my computer today. It crawls up onto the screen and then falls back into the crack between screen and keyboard, disappears for a moment, re-appears, is still, then starts its journey again, upwards.

There’s something about this little spider that speaks to me even if I am a bit scared of them. And the snake as mentioned above is something I hope to not come across in my house. But I do know that what can kill can also cure. And I’m hoping that this virus and all that it means in our lives, brings about transcendence in one way or the other and that we see our way through it. And that Grace and Unity helps us along. We’re aware of medical teams and staff working under extreme pressure and our gratitude goes to them too.

P!nk – What’s Up (from Live from Wembley Arena, London … It’s a great song

Thank you for reading, stay safe, follow the advice given (wash your hands frequently) and may the Force be with you.

It’s hard to believe that it’s the last Friday of this month 2020! January is whizzing by at the rate of knots, like much else that is happening in the world.

I wonder every day what this day will bring. Uppermost in mind is the safety of us all in this troubled world.

#WATWB is now in its 4th year, initially begun by Damyanti Biswas and Belinda McGrath as a way of tempering darkness and shining some light onto it to make the darkness leas fearful. To this end, bloggers from around the world post something that has inspired them, some action whose ripples are felt, which show and remind us of humanity at its best and which inspire us to do whatever we can, some random act of kindness or a planned community initiative. The stories are always amazing and uplifting so do pop round and see them, and drop a line – we’d love to see you there –

Here in South Africa we have millions of ordinary folk doing extraordinary things for others. As well as The Gift of the Givers, an extraordinary organisation here in South Africa that delivers whatever what is needed throughout the world. It is hard to select just one story. But since there are parts of our country that are facing severe drought with the lives of farmers and animals in dire straits, I’ve chosen this one. There’s been some lovely rainfall in recent days, but not enough.

The link below shows how women, men joining in too, started small, baking cookies to sell to bring in much needed relief funds for those in the drought stricken Karoo. Small became big! I love these kind of initiatives and the biscuits look delicious!

Our co hosts this month are below, and our thanks to them –

D. Biswas – https://www.damyantiwrites.com/  (Damyanti)

L. Hartz – https://authorlizbethhartz.com/blog (Lizbeth)

S. Garg – http://shilpaagarg.com/ (Shilpa)

M. Giese – https://maryjmelange.wordpress.com/ (Mary)

S. Stein – https://ssteinwriting.wordpress.com/ Sylvia)

Thank you for reading.

Please SIGN UP for WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST in the linky list that opens up in a new window:

Click HERE to be part of the Light.

Dear all – so sorry, I pressed ‘publish’ instead of ‘save draft’ and the email went out :/

The proper post will be up tomorrow.

Apologies.

#WATWB

How on earth is it the last Friday of the month again? It comes by so quickly, but it is the date on which bloggers from around the world post an item of good news that shows humanity whether individually or communally at its best, as a way of countering the negativity that we’re continuously exposed to.

Thank you to our hosts this month – do pop by and say hello and be enchanted.

Damyanti Biswas http://www.damyantiwrites.com/ Lizbeth Hartz  https://www.authorlizbethhartz.com/blog/ Shilpa Garg  http://shilpaagarg.com/

Peter Nena https://drkillpatient01.wordpress.com/ Simon Falk https://simonfalk28.wordpress.com/ –

I love highlighting stories from my part of the world. Here, there’s a very strong movement called #imstaying and I believe it’s now reached over a million stories from individuals in South Africa (and those abroad who write of their longing for our wide open skies, the friendliness and exuberance of the people – well, I could go on -)

Below, are thumbnail sketches of 4 stories with links if you want to check them out further

                                                                By Justin Foxton (SA the Good News)

Whether you like the #imstaying campaign or not, it is doing a significant job of giving a section of the population a much-needed shot in the arm. Given the vast numbers of people lending their voice to the movement (850 000 and counting), there is a huge opportunity for a phase 2 called something like #impartofthesolution.

To inspire us and hopefully get things started, here are 4 short stories from my own life of people who have been part of the solution. There is an entrepreneur, an Organisational Development specialist, a mother and a group of passionate S’affers now living abroad. All 4 have one thing in common; they have used what was in their hearts and hands to be part of the solution.

Mam Khanyi – Home of Hope (www.hopehome.org.za)

Nearly 20 years ago, an import/export entrepreneur noticed 4 girl children standing at the robots near her Johannesburg apartment. She asked a man who these children were and was horrified when he told her they were prostitutes. She invited them into her apartment for tea and after being told that they were forced to deal drugs and sell their bodies on behalf of pimps and drug lords, she stormed off to find said men and gave them a dressing down they will never forget. Those 4 girls were rescued and nearly 2 decades later Mam Khanyi has cared for over 10 000 girl children all of whom had been trafficked and sold for sex.

Dr Louise van Rhyn – Partners for Possibility (www.pfp4sa.org)

Nearly 10 years ago, an Organisational Development specialist was profoundly moved by the Dinokeng Scenarios (www.dinokengscenarios.co.za). Dr Louise van Rhyn responded to a scenario inviting us to work together to build the nation, by starting a program called Partners for Possibility. The program partners school Principals of marginalised schools, with ordinary citizens from the non-educational working world in a co-learning, facilitated 1-year leadership development program. Since then over 1000 schools and hundreds of thousands of children nationwide have been positively impacted by the power of this globally recognised program.

Eunice Khumalo – the uMlazi Baby Home (www.peaceagency.org.za)

“Auntie Eunice” has cared for abandoned and orphaned babies all her life. Just this week, she got the keys to a house in uMlazi, South of Durban. From this home, she will now run her own Baby Home and will work together with the local community to care for babies, drive down infant abandonment and provide necessary support to vulnerable girls and women who are unable to care for their babies.

Lana & David Stephenson and Barry and Katherine Corden

These passionate South Africans now living abroad are leveraging their networks and social media skills to raise the funds necessary for Auntie Eunice to open and run the uMLazi Baby Home.

For each one of these 4 stories there are tens of thousands of others; stories of ordinary South Africans using their talents, passions and contacts to be part of the solution in South Africa.

A recipe for being part of the solution:

What are you best at? What do you love doing? What is easy and satisfying for you? Add these things to what gets your blood boiling and you have a perfect recipe. At some point these people – all ordinary South Africans like you and I – used this recipe and are now in their sweet-spot, making a difference and being part of the solution.

I invite you to give this recipe a bash so that you too can say #impartofthesolution.

This column is proudly sponsored by Partners for Possibility.

Thank you Justin Fox for this, thank you all for reading and have a great weekend!

#WATWB

It’s the last Friday of the month – how quickly it comes by – and time for a shot of inspiring stories around the globe. This time round I haven’t provided the link; the story is in full. The idea is to spread good will, to show an individual or community in action and how this makes a positive impact. It is a lovely way of humanity showing its positive side among all the doom and gloom that is pretty pervasive. The names and places may seem unpronounceable; these are local South African women from up north where it is dry and dusty and riddled with poverty.

After getting married in 1996, Esther Masekoameng (60) moved from Phalaborwa to Mathibaskraal in Limpopo, but she was shocked by the level of poverty in her new hometown.

“IT WASN’T LIKE PHALABORWA. PEOPLE ARE VERY POOR HERE AND THE CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL WERE LEARNING UNDER THE TREES.”

Most of the pupils didn’t bring lunch to school and because the school was near to her house, Esther began to make soup for them and also started to sell vetkoek.

“THE CHILDREN WHO COULD AFFORD TO BUY LUNCH PAID 10 CENTS FOR A VETKOEK AND THE OTHERS, WHO WERE TOO POOR GOT FREE VEGETABLE SOUP.”

The unemployment and poverty in Mathibaskraal worsened over the years, and in 2006, Esther decided to approach the school principal to expand her garden to cater for more learners. “I knew that if I had a little help, I would be able to grow more vegetables and make more soup for those in need, so when the principal agreed, I asked some of the older ladies in the community to help and that’s how we started. We also give vegetables and seedlings to the crèche in our area.”

Esther used the funds from the sale of vetkoek (dough, fried in oil, sweetened) to buy a variety of seedlings for the We Can Women’s Cooperative, which was formally established in 2018. She also bought chilli seedlings and started to sell chillies to the grocery shop in town.

The Shoprite Group has been supporting community food gardens for a number of years. Its implementation partner, Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA), assess existing gardens to better understand their requirements and Shoprite then assists with the necessary tools, training, infrastructure and seedlings.

Shoprite is enabling the We Can Women’s Cooperative to grow its community food garden by providing proper water infrastructure.

Shoprite’s support also enabled Esther to erect a fence around the garden and for the team of nine women to receive extensive gardening training.

“WHEN WE DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER, OUR CROPS SUFFER. THIS YEAR, WE WEREN’T ABLE TO SELL CHILIES FOR TWO MONTHS BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE WATER. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A PROPER WATER SUPPLY AND WE’RE ALSO EXCITED TO LEARN NEW GARDENING SKILLS LIKE COMPANION PLANTING AND COMPOSTING TO MAKE OUR GARDEN MORE SUCCESSFUL.”

Our thanks to our co-hosts this month. Do pop by them, their posts are sure to be wonderful. Please share on social media.

Sylvia McGrath, Lizbeth Hartz, Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese, and Belinda Witzenhausen

If you’d like to be part of the WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST, please sign up in the linky list that opens up in a new window:

Click HERE to be part of the Light.

Thank you for reading and have a great November!

#WATWB

It’s the last Friday of the month and therefore the day on which bloggers around the world post a good news story. We hope that a good news story will bring a smile and help alleviate the darkness we’re confronted by that makes up much of our daily news.

With plastic in our oceans and landfills causing great concern, this story from Good Things Guy gives a clear example of the urgency of removing cigarette butts. I know that when go walking on the beach with bag in hand to pick up litter, the amount of cigarette butts in the sand is appalling.

About 6 trillion cigarettes are manufactured a year and over 90% of them contain plastic filters. That’s more than one million tonnes of plastic.

Our thanks to our co-hosts of #WATWB this month. They are: Sylvia Stein, Shilpa Garg, Eric Lahti, and Lizbeth Hartz. Do pop by their posts and say hello.

Some guidelines if you’d like to participate – the more the merrier. Posts to be short, under 500 words providing a link to your good news story and say why that particular post appealed to you. No political or religious posts. And please use the #WATWB hashtag and badge on your posts on social media. If you’d like to participate, this is the link to sign up. https://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=277138&type=basic

Thank you for reading and have a great weekend!

Unsmoking Cape Town: War on plastic turns to war on Cigarette butts!

#WATWB : short films about good people

It’s the last Friday of the month and therefore the day on which bloggers from around the world post on good news, as a way of alleviating the darkness and confusion that seems to pervade our everyday lives. I always enjoy looking for a good news story, they come my way through various media. I feel uplifted when I read about the good in people, ordinary men, women and children who in some meaningful way make the world just that little bit better. This takes many forms – people acting individually (like people picking up trash or coming to the aid of another); or on a collective level where there is a common purpose eg raising funds for a worthwhile cause, which invariably began with an individual who heard the call and responded to it ..

It’s always hard to choose one story from around South Africa, there are so many. But the one below seems like a good choice and is in line with the aim of #WATWB ie to spread good news. This couple, Justine & Michael, travel the world making short films about good people. “We hope to remind our audience of one simple truth – that we are all human – that inside our hearts and minds, we are all facing similar challenges.  We have so much to learn from each other, and our connections run so much deeper and stronger than we think.” The link I’ve provided shows a video of a woman, Maggie, of indeterminate age and her love for life and her animals. The scenery is beautiful, her roses and red hot pokers are lovely, she speaks in Afrikaans, there are English subtitles. She is the epitome of our strong South African Afrikaner women. You can see her vitality shining through. The video Perpetual Motion is at the end of the story –

#WATWB

It’s that time again, the last Friday of the month, in which bloggers around the world post a good news story, one that uplifts and recognizes the inherent goodness of humanity although at times it seems that collectively, and individually, it ain’t so.

There are so many stories of humanity in action that cross borders of colour, race and religion. The one I’ve chosen is a 3 min video. This young man took his domestic worker Nomi from Cape Town (in the Western Cape) to Addo (in the Eastern Cape) to fetch her ailing mother and bring her back to Cape Town to the hearth and home of Nomi. He set up a backabuddy platform whereby all revenue from the streaming of the song would go towards Nomi’s mother’s medical treatment, a gas heater and a wheel chair. The target was reached within 24 hours.  Enjoy it!

If you wish to take part in the #WATWB here are a few guidelines. Posts to be short, a brief description of the how and why it attracted you, and a link to the post. Posts to a be non political, non religious. It can be of an individual or group or organization that highlights the efforts made to make the better place. The #WATWB badge to be used and please share on social media as a way of bringing light into the shadows –

The cohosts this month:
Sylvia McGrath,
Susan Scott,
Shilpa Garg,
Eric Lahti,
and Belinda Witzenhausen.

Do pop by them – their stories are bound to be uplifting! Have a great weekend!

#WATWB

Bloggers around the world put up a good news story post on the last Friday of each month that shows humanity in action. This serves as an antidote to the alarming news we hear every day through various news feeds.

I could have chosen the story about the first Black South African woman, Saray Khumula, who summited Mt. Everest a few weeks ago. It is a lovely story coupled with the fact that she raised funds for a library for orphaned children in Soweto. Her message was of patience and perseverance and encouragement of black South African women to reach for the dream.

The one I’ve chosen is short and sweet and typical of many if not most South Africans who lend a hand when needed. I can just see the goodness in this young man’s heart  – Nkosikho Mbele – who paid for petrol for a woman who had left her card at home. As the story says, Monet van Deventer was at the petrol station when a young man started cleaning her windows. She was looking for her petrol card and asked him not to fill her car or clean her windows as she had left her card at home. He said ‘Ma’am, you can’t run out of petrol on the N2. I’ll throw in R100 and then you can just bring back my R100 whenever you are near again”.

This very recent story has gone viral – Monet van Deventer has set up a fund for this young man who, when she returned the money to him, asked him why he helped a trusted a stranger. He replied: ”Ma’am, I’m a believer”. 

Well, so am I – in the inherent kindness and goodness of people the world over …

If you’d like to take part in spreading the good news, please add your name to the link. Your post to be under 500 words with your link to the fuller story. Your story is to be non-political and one that shows humanity in action which restores your faith in the goodness of the people of our planet.

Our thanks to our co-hosts this month i.e. Damyanti Biswas, Simon Falk, Shilpa Garg, Mary J. Giese , and Dan Antion who welcome participants and encourage all to join in during future months. Do pop by them – their stories are sure to be inspiring as will all the stories of those participating.

Petrol attendant pays for fuel to make sure woman gets home safely… restores faith in all South Africans!

#WATWB

The good deed you do today for a brother or sister in need will come back to you some day, for humanity is a circle indeed,

American screenplay writer, Robert Alan Aurthur.

It’s that time of month again, the last Friday of each month when bloggers from around the world post a good news story, showing humanity in action. It was difficult to choose just one but the one I’ve chosen touched me to the core. It shows a gogo (grandmother) carrying on her shoulders a bag of goods to deliver to those affected by Cyclone Idai, the one that has caused so much death, devastation and displacement to those living in Mocambique and bordering countries, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The visibly elderly woman identified as Gogo (grandmother) walked from Mbare to deliver her Cyclone Idai donations in Highlands, Harare.

She couldn’t afford the taxi fare so she walked –

This saying of the header to my post came to life after an elderly woman in Zimbabwe walked over 12 kilometres to deliver aid donations to victims of Cyclone Idai. She was recognised and offered a lifetime reward. “She gave more than us all. What she did is one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen” said the billionaire Strive Masiyiwa.

A simple hello

On the last Friday of each month, bloggers from around the world post a good news story as a way of lightening the news that assails us from every angle. I am late with my post – I found this one from googthingsguy dated today.

How to participate if you wish: ***Use the badge and #WATWB hashtag and share on social media.***Keep your post to below 500 words – say how and why the good news affected you and supply the link to your story. (I have not provided the link this, this time round; I have edited it slightly). ***If you’d like to take part in sharing a post for good things happening around the world with #WATWB, you can add your links HERE. This month’s hosts for the #WATWB are:  Inderpreet Uppal,  Shilpa Garg,  Sylvia McGrath , Peter Nena, Belinda WitzenHausen. Please link to them in your WATWB posts and go say hi! And our thanks to them for hosting.

A simple hello

Sea Point, Cape Town – One evening, two weeks ago, Toni Venter stopped at her local shop on her way home to pick up a few things. On the way back to her car she noticed a homeless man, one she sees daily, sitting in his usual spot.

But this time instead of just walking by, she decided to stop and speak to him. This is how she met Thomas, and this is how both their lives changed that day.

 Thomas’ life fell apart when his entire family was murdered in an armed robbery He lost all hope and his way, and couldn’t pick up the pieces again which is how he ended up living on the streets.

“You can see the pain and sadness in his eyes, a broken man needing human kindness to uplift him again. That evening I promised Thomas that I would somehow help him.”

Toni immediately contacted her friend, Peter Greenwall, who arranged to get the homeless man a hair cut, a clean-shave and a shower. Thomas told the two that for the first time in many years, he “looked and felt human” again.

Living on the street has many detrimental effects on a person’s health and well-being. Toni and Peter knew that cleaning him up was just one aspect that Thomas needed and together they started the journey to helping him get back on his feet.

Thomas’ teeth had badly deteriorated so Peter approached the Dental Wellness Trust of whom his sister, Dr Linda Greenwall, is the founder, to ask for assistance. Dr Clifford Yudelman, who is affiliated with the Dental Wellness Trust, immediately agreed to assist in repairing the damage done to his teeth.

Thomas had also previously worked in the security sector and Toni took to her social media to try find him work in the same field. She knew that someone would know someone, who would be able to help him and within 24 hours Teresa Zive of Talon Security Services in Sea Point saw the post and offered to help.

“I contacted PSIRA and confirmed his security certification, gave him a cellphone so that he could be contacted and between Teresa and myself we coordinated an interview for Thomas at her office.”

 The interview could not have gone better and Thomas was offered a position immediately.

“Thomas starts work tomorrow! I cannot begin to thank Teresa Woods Zive and Neil Zive for helping Thomas with more than just a job. They have given him his life back and restored his dignity.

It’s amazing what taking a few minutes of your time to talk to a person can do to change their lives.

Thank you to Peter Greenwall, Dr Linda Greenwall and Dr Clifford Yudelman as well!

Without your kindness and compassion this would never have been possible.”

“It’s stories like these that remind that a simple hello can lead to a million things, and an act of kindness has the power to change someone’s entire world!”

WATWB – Kindness

It’s that time again, the last Friday of every month when bloggers around the world post a blog and spread some sunshine among the darkness that threatens to envelop our beautiful world. It’s the 18th in this series!

I nicked the below off a FB post – 

I liked this link from sagodnews.co.za. Seeing lovely photographs of humanity in action, or those of nature always bring a smile to my face. It’s good to picture a better world. You’re invited to #PictureABetterWorld – “Did you know there is a direct translation between seeing images of kindness and compassion and inducing joy, optimism and gratitude? Your photography can create change”.

“We see kindness in people every day. In people we know and those we haven’t met yet. People lending a hand, helping others, sharing a meal, a smile, or paying it forward. And self-kindness”.

Kindness – can you enter a kindness competition?

Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Shilpa Garg,Mary J. Giese and Roshan Radhakrishnan, are our co-hosts this month. Thank you! Do pop by their posts which are always inspiring. We welcome participants and encourage all to join in during future months. #WATWB is a blog hop on the last Friday of every month. Click HERE to check out the intention and rules of the blogfest and feel free to sign up at any time. You are always welcome!

Please SIGN UP for WE ARE THE WORLD BLOGFEST in the linky list that opens up in a new window: Click HERE to be part of the Light.

Posts to be be 500 words or less & non-political and non-religious. The idea is to spread goodwill and humanity in action. Tell us why you liked the link.

Thank you for reading and have a great weekend.