WHAT MADE US FEEL GOOD THIS WEEK?


Sunday, July 28, 2013

The DREAMS DO COME TRUE Tour - Part 19, Reasoma High ( Grade 10s), Protea North

   In football( or soccer) they call it lack of match fitness. 
This is when a player exhibits rustiness when playing in a competitive match, after not having played in such a game in a long time. The player will seem out of touch during the game. When in possession he may not anticipate his fellow players' moves into empty spaces. If he is a striker, he may shoot way over the bar when attempting to score.
   The solution to this malaise is that the player must get more game time. He must play more competitive matches.
   During this DDCT Talk to the Reasoma High Grade 10 students I felt like a player who lacked match fitness. Even though I have done quite a few of these motivational talks already, I was nervous in places. I did not flow the way I wanted to during this talk. This Grade 10 group was not even that big as to appear intimidating. It was only one class ( out of a possible three).
   In trying to find the reason for my unsteadiness in this instance, I surmised that it must be due to the fact that I had not done a DDCT Talk in a longish time. The last time I gave this talk was about two and half months ago( at the same school incidentally, to the Grade 12 students). Like a player who lacks match fitness, I had become rusty from not having spoken in front of a live audience in a long time.
   I needed to get more game time, I concluded. I must grab the opportunities to give DDCT Talks whenever and wherever they present themselves.

                                                      SOME THANK YOUs

Ntate Mathetsa( the HOD) - for arranging this talk. 
This Grade 10 students group - for hearing me out.

                                            =========================


THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                 ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL
GOOD THIS WEEK?
                      






  

         
           

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Doing Our Bit for Mandela Day

   One has to be careful in choosing the activities to do on Mandela Day. That is if you plan to make 'every day a Mandela Day' as it was asked of us this year. 
   I say 'be careful' because I wasn't. And the result was that by the end of the day on Thursday( 18th July) I was physically worn out. What we did at the Soweto Association of Persons with Disabilities( SAPD) was hard labour, ladies and gentlemen. It was back-breaking stuff. Activities included preparing a cement mix (ludaka) and then building a storage room wall thereafter, paving one area of the yard, laying lawn grass in another area, sowing vegetable seeds etc, etc. All of these were physically demanding. As I was taking part in these activities I kept wondering if it was this hard for utata Mandela to fight for our freedom during those 67 years. 
   But hey, I am not complaining. One could not have passed up an opportunity to pay back utata Mandela - even in a small way - for what he has done for us batho ba Mzansi.
   Much love to ausi Shoni and ausi Johanna - both of the SAPD - for hosting us. Thanks to Thema for suggesting the SAPD as a place to do my Mandela Day bit. Many thanks, as well, to RandWater staff - bo-ausi Mmamorena( a fellow poet), ausi Cleo, ntate Nyathi et al - who formed the core of the group that chose to help out at the SAPD on Mandela Day.

                              ======================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL
GOOD THIS WEEK?
                                                     

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Contribution by All to Help Save a Young Life

   A youngster( early 20s) and street neighbour, whom we shall call 'M', got badly hurt yesterday. Hurt as in someone hitting him with a machete on the head. 
   And the way fellow street neighbours, his friends and my own family rallied together to save his life was truly heartwarming. 
   Youngsters being youngsters, M had gotten into an argument( or fight) with another youngster over a girl at a drinking spot. But the fight did not end there. This other youngster, with his two friends, thereafter decided to follow M home, which is located in our street. At the entrance to his home's yard - after more arguing - is where the machete was then used on him. After this hacking job the three fled the scene.
   The immediate task for those of us nearby was to stop the profuse bleeding from the gaping head wound. My mother - who is a trained nurse - started trying to stem the flow of blood by dressing the wound and wrapping old t-shits around M's head. Meanwhile, M's friends, my sister and me were frantically phoning an ambulance. We did this phoning fully aware - from past experience - that ambulances to take long to arrive. But we had to try.
   Indeed two hours later the ambulance had still not arrived. The makeshift bandages on M's head were proving inadequate in stopping the bleeding. We then started flagging down passing motorists to ask them to help us get M to the nearest hospital - the Chris Hani Baragwanath. And to be honest, most of them were not interested. Those few who agreed, immediately changed their minds on seeing the bloodied approaching M. I remember one of those who stopped saying his car belonged to 'amadlozi'( ancestors) and will be tainted if someone else's blood touches it.
  Our biggest worry now became M possibly losing his life from too much bleeding. There was blood all over - on the lawn, on the pavement and on the clothing of some of us. 
   The day was eventually saved by the arrival of M's uncle. He had had to drive all the way from Kempton Park, which is on the other side of Johannesburg, to come help get his nephew to hospital. And fortunately they made it to Bara on time. But having driven like maniacs to get there, we were later told.
   This M incident shook all of us up. It also served to remind us, once again, about the dangers of alcohol abuse by both young and old. A young life could have been easily lost just like that.
   "Nice one." to M's friends - bo-Thibang, Tshepo, Zeff et al. You guys really came through for your friend. And a 'big up' too, if I may, to my own family members - my mother( Duduzile) and my sister( Teboho) - for chipping in. 

                               =======================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                =======================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL
GOOD THIS WEEK?