#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 –

                                                                                  https://www.goodthingsguy.com/people/sa-couple-short-films/
                                                                               

Your co-hosts this month are: Susan Scott, Damyanti Biswas, Peter Nena, Shilpa Garg and Mary J. Giese.

Do pop by them and say hello – their posts are sure to be wonderfully up-lifting.

If you’d like to take part there are a few guide lines. Posts to be non-political, 500 words or less and a note as to why you particularly liked it. The purpose of #WATWB is to show humanity in action, that crosses all borders. The #WATWB badge to be used, and as always we appreciate your sharing it on social media.

Thank you for reading and have a great weekend.

43 Comments on #WATWB

  1. I’m finding this post late, but agree with the positivity within it. I agree that we have much to learn from each other and that is how it should be. Focusing on good seems to be an anathema these days so I do like #WATWB because, somehow, it seems subversive.

    • Thank you for coming by Ally Bean – and I love that you see this kind of news as subversive! Have a lovely weekend – allergies abound as we in the Southern Hemisphere hit Spring. There’s something highly subversive about them too …

  2. I agree with you, Susan, on how I appreciate a good news story. You also remind me how we are more alike than we are different.

    Perpetual Motion – A purpose in life or wait to die. Very inspirational and a beautiful story to watch ss a video. This remarkable woman makes me want to do better and be better. Thank you for sharing:)

    • That’s a lovely comment Erica, ‘makes me want to do better and be better’ – I had a similar reaction though not as succinctly put as you have. Isn’t she lovely – and I reckon that she too wants to do better and be better, and ‘use’ her life in the way she best knows how.. Thank you for coming by 🙂

  3. I love this idea of posting good news each week. It’s easy to find the tragic or disheartening news; it’s all around us. But there is also much good in the world. You just have to look a little harder for it. Thank you for making it just a little easier. Have a lovely day!

  4. It sounds idyllic and everyone seems to have enjoyed the video. I don’t know if I’m too silly to find the link but the only link I see and click takes me to a change.org petition.

    • Hi Kalpana thanks for coming by. I just tried the link myself – and will retry on my laptop, but now I’m using my iPad & you’re right, the actual article doesn’t come up automatically. I’ll look into this later on this morning – or rather, I’ll ask my son for his help and that I get THE link to the article. I’ll pop by your #WATWB post now –

  5. I love this, Susan, and I love Maggie, a woman who drives a tractor and takes care of the animals. I drive an orange tractor, although not as much as I did 5 years ago because my son is nearby plus the man who helps me maintain the land. When I was a child, there was often a lamb on my grandparent’s farm that needed bottle feeding because something had happened to the mother. That was my favorite job. Thanks for the hope and joy.

    • I thought of you Elaine and your tractor driving days! Thanks for coming by and glad there were lambs in the video to remind you of the days when you helped out with bottle feeding. Hope all well with you …

  6. What a great story, Susan, and absolutely perfect for #WATWB. Seeking out good news stories must be an uplifting past time.

  7. Thanks so much, Susan. It is good to have at least ONE happy, good news story a month! Especially from around the world in places one is not likely to visit.

  8. What a wonderful thing to do but giving of themselves to help capture and share some of the goodness of others. Great share, great couple, and that Maggie was a spitfire! 🙂

  9. Wow! Justine & Michael are doing a fantastic job of showcasing the good and humane stories. I like that these good people get to meet so many good people!! 🙂

  10. Hi Susan – what a wonderful idea … and I love hearing Maggie and seeing SA landscapes … she definitely has the right approach – we all need to find something to keep us going into our later years – no point in sitting still … I’m so pleased I’m blogging. Take care – cheers Hilary

    • Hi Hilary, thanks for coming by, glad you found Maggie’s approach to be a good one! I fully agree though it is great to sometimes be still – Am going to be checking you out shortly. Hope you’re having a good weekend. Susan

  11. What a fantastic calling — making uplifing movies! And you meet so many nice people in the process. Thanks, Susan, for sharing.

  12. I hadn’t intended to watch the whole film on Maggie, but I got so caught up. There is a woman who is truly content. (And those little lambs!) Thanks for sharing, Susan!

    • Ha ha Merril! I had to think twice and thrice about the video knowing how time is so precious for us all but I couldn’t resist! I love the verve in her voice.

  13. A South African couple traveling and showcasing the good – what could be more delightful! Our gardener is from South Africa, of Dutch stock, but he has been here many years. He is so meticulous – and courteous.

    Have a wonderful weekend, Susan!

    • Thanks for coming by Marian. Is your gardener of Dutch origin? Is he an Afrikaner? Salt of the earth people. Our Afrikaners come from the Dutch Huegenots .. I have a gardener here right now, planting. He is is a black African though has something of the Khoi about him –

  14. Wow! What an amazing film and what an inspiration Maggie is to us all! When she spoke about farming being in the blood I resonated deeply as I grew up on a farm until I was ten and the sights, sounds and smells remain despite those reminiscences being decades old now. Perhaps, it’s no surprise that nature and my deep love of farming life has re-awoken.

    Thank you so much for sharing this uplifting video Susan (it’s made my day!) and for helping to share even more love and light around our beautiful world. What a wonderful beacon of light #WATWB is! I’ll be checking out the other inspiring #WATWB stories in the days to come, can’t wait! Have a great weekend yourself! Blessings always, Deborah.

    • So pleased re the video making your day Deborah! I wish I could determine exactly where those mountains are, as they seem very familiar to me.

      As I write, I have a gardener here preparing the soil for planting of succulents and cacti, much of which a lovely woman gave me in Graaf Reinet where we overnighted on our trek down to Plett last month. GR is in the Karoo. I’ve been taking care of them in the meantime and it’s exciting to see them being planted. I also have many from a friend in Wellington, inland from Cape Town, and from my sister Debora in Cape Town from when I was waltzing around the country. Today is a glorious sunny day. Life couldn’t be lovelier! Love light & laughter to you –

    • She’s an amazing woman with so much energy! Thanks Marsha for coming by, and keep safe re: the tornado supposedly coming way to your neck of the woods.

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