And I felt myself breathe. Like, actually take a deep breath. My jaw unclenched and my shoulders dropped… and I let go of my own anger. South Africans are the answer!
Gqeberha, South Africa (19 September 2022) – Good grief, it’s a lot right? Living in South Africa can feel like we’re in a deep ocean surrounded by waves and every time we manage to just get our heads above the water, something else pulls us under to take our breath away.
Stage 6 sucks.
It doesn’t matter if you have solar, or an inverter, or a gennie. The traffic around you is a mess, the cellphone signal becomes non-existent and the majority of the country is left powerless. Businesses will suffer. Mental health will take a knock and the general sentiment of the country will take a huge dive.
Deep breaths friends.
Last night I boarded a plane to Gqeberha – another week of travelling around South Africa delivering Keynotes about trying to stay positive, even in the face of uncertainty. Shooo, tough task right now.
But here’s the thing.
The plane was packed last night. To the brim. And the majority of travellers were foreign. All here on holiday. I sat next to a group of young Germans. They were on their way to the Sacramento Trail and then to Addo Elephant Park before stopping at SANCCOB – an excellent marine bird rehabilitation centre that we often write about. The work they do is INCREDIBLE!
It was like a breath of fresh air. Hearing about my country from the eyes of a tourist.
When we landed, a group of locals (who were also on the plane) were almost crying at the sight of the rain. You see, the area has been facing “Day Zero” head-on for the last couple of years. It’s a terrible situation. But it was raining (and still is). Their joy was infectious. We all felt it.
A moment to breathe.
When I got to the hotel, a group of people were sitting at a table (quite close to the reception) talking about how someone’s Aunt and Uncle are converting their farm into a “green-energy-farm”… I’m not sure if this means Wind or Solar, but right there, in the middle of this really tragic time, was a story of someone making a plan – not just for themselves, but for the better of their community. A boer maak n plan, ne?
And I felt myself breathe. Like, actually take a deep breath. My jaw unclenched and my shoulders dropped… and I let go of my own anger.
“In times of tragedy, look for the helpers, because they will always be there.”
Our government is an embarrassment. The mess they have created is horrific. The corruption, carelessness and greed have left us – literally – in the dark. The state of the nation is dire.
But the people are nothing like our government. Thankfully.
And I keep saying this but South Africans are the answer to all these problems.
We are what make the country so amazing.
Whether we create the solutions, or group together to help each other through stuff, or make a plan to help, or celebrate the small wins and eventually (hopefully) collectively vote the nonsense out. Cause that’s the plan, right? Whatever… I’m not getting into a political debate here. We know what the problem is!
But we also know that South Africans are the answer.
And the rain.
Deep breaths.
Okay. Love you. Bye.
by 