A love so beautiful

(Inspired by a painting by Andrea Braun)

His kiss feels like soft sunlight on her face
and an inferno of warmth from their embrace
streams through their fragile bodies.

Both briefly close their eyes
and wish for time to stand still
and for the sun to maintain her spell.

But both know that their love
will be defined by this moment
and holding on is also letting go…

© 2022 Selwyn Milborrow

Allow yourself to be creative

Allow yourself to be creative

It is understandable because all of us are a little bit suspicious of our own talent. And you know what? That could be the beginning or the root cause of procrastination, but that for another day.

I have come to the realisation that my experience of doubting my own talent is not unique; it is something that I share with millions of people. However, in my thirties, I realised that life is too short and how I spend it, is extremely important. It was then that I decided to just write and share my work with the world.

That decision changed my life for the better. I was offered a freelance-journalism job at one of the  country’s top Afrikaans newspapers. And here comes the shocker; I did not even have the academic qualification for the job. Yes, it was just my writing talent and a decision I made to give myself permission to be creative that opened that door.

Allow me to share with you a few facts that will be a practical guide on how to give yourself permission to be creative: nobody can concentrate or focus when there is a lot of noise around them. In that same manner, your creativity will suffocate and suffer if it is plagued with noises from the outside. What noises am I talking about? The noises could be self-doubt, negative inner-dialogue, and excessive self-criticism.

According to brain scientists, that this kind of noise activates the amygdala. The amygdala is often referred to as the fear centre of the brain. When the amygdala is sending that fear signals, it interrupts learning and decision-making, and sabotages the flow of creativity. 

Friends, I hope this piece of advice will help you as you continue your writing journey.

In closing, I would like to encourage you to give yourself permission to be creative. Hey, you have nothing to lose!

Thank you for joining.

Remember to keep your fingers on that keyboard or your pen on that page and reach for the stars!

Gedig vir my vrou op ons spesiale dag

𝐯𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐫𝐨𝐮

(𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐠!)

𝐧é𝐭 𝐣𝐲

𝗆𝖾𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗄

𝗏𝖺𝗇 𝗆𝗒 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗈ë

𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝗃𝗒 𝗂𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝗉𝗅𝖺

𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗌 𝗃𝗒 𝗏𝗋𝖺

𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗄 𝗅𝖺𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾 𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝖾 𝗀𝗅𝗈

𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝗒𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗄

𝖽𝖺𝗍 𝗀𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗇 ‘𝗇 𝗐𝖺𝖺𝗌 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖻𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝗒𝖿

𝖾𝗇 𝗇𝗈𝗎 𝗄𝖺𝗇 𝗇𝖾𝗍 𝗃𝗒 𝗏𝗈𝖾𝗅

𝖺𝗌 ‘𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗆 𝗄𝗈𝗆 𝗐𝗈𝖾𝗅

𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗅𝗒𝖿

𝗁𝗈𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝗅𝗂𝖾𝖿

𝗇é𝗍 𝗃𝗒 𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗒

𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗌𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾

𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾

𝗐𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝖺𝖺𝗋𝗎𝗂𝗍 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝖾𝗅

© 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐰𝐲𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰

𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 – 𝟮𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬

With the COVID-19 pandemic reaching a peak, we have become more impatient because we have not volunteered for this, nor have we asked for it. Alas, it is here. We, however, do not have to accept it, but just be aware of its presence by adhering to social distancing and hygiene practices. It means that we must not conceal the fears and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic.

Have you noticed the increasing number of posts by people calling for the lockdown to end? The government is accused of lies etc. Really? Welcome to the new normal; we are in uncertain times. The whole world (including third world countries) is dealing with a pandemic that nobody understands. All economies are affected, some admittedly more adverse than others.

We do have one certainty, and that is the fact that God is not bound by time. COVID-19 has a ‘shelf life’ like all the other viruses from the previous centuries. So, this too shall pass. To say the pandemic has uprooted our lives is an understatement. Before the lockdown, most of us were used to partitioning our time to strike a balance between work, studies, hobbies, etc. The world is not going back to ‘business as usual’ any time soon. So, what do we do in the meantime?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we all complained that we had no time or were out of time. Maybe now is the time to take stock. Perhaps we should not go any further until we have accomplished this. How can we achieve this? We can start by uniting in the fight against a common enemy known as COVID-19.

Let us take heart in the fact that according to 2 Chronicles 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

A Man's Got To Have a Code (Poem)

𝗔 𝗺𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲

(𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧-𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚)

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐!

𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗

𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐?

𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗

𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐?

𝙼𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚗, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍

𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔,

𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚞𝚝

𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚔𝚗𝚒𝚏𝚎!

𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐’𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔

- 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗'𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎!

𝚄𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎

𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎,

𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝚊𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝,

𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝

𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜

- 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗'𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎!

𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚘𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎,

𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎

𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎!

𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚍,

𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞!

𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜

𝚍𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗

- 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗'𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎!

© 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

Gedig vir Ma

𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗿 𝗠𝗮

𝙼𝚊, 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚓𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚍

𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚔𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚜𝚟𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚎

𝚝𝚘𝚎 𝚎𝚔 𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚔𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚙 𝚗𝚒𝚎

𝚎𝚗 𝚓𝚘𝚞 𝚘ë 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚔𝚛𝚒𝚔𝚟𝚘ë𝚕𝚜

𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜

𝙼𝚊, 𝚠𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚝 𝚓𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚖 𝚐𝚎𝚟𝚛𝚊

𝚠𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚐 𝚗𝚘𝚐 𝚍𝚛𝚊?

𝙼𝚊, 𝚎𝚔 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚓𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚊𝚔 𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍

𝚟𝚒𝚛 ‘𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐

𝚎𝚗 𝚎𝚔 𝚟𝚒𝚛 ‘𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚜𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚎 𝚟𝚊𝚕

𝙼𝚊, 𝚠𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚘𝚎𝚝 𝚎𝚔 𝙷𝚘𝚖 𝚟𝚛𝚊

𝚘𝚖 𝚓𝚘𝚞 ‘𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚊𝚛?

𝙼𝚊, 𝚖𝚊𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚐

𝚓𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚢 𝚖𝚢

𝚟𝚒𝚛 𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚐

© 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

'n Ma Se Advice (Afrikaaps Poem)

‘𝗻 𝗺𝗮 𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

𝗆𝗒 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽, 𝖾𝗄 𝗄𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝖾' 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝖻𝗅𝗒 𝗇𝗂𝖾

𝖾𝗄 𝗅𝗒𝗄 𝖺𝗅 𝗌𝗈𝖾𝗌 '𝗇 𝗆𝗂𝖾𝗃𝖺𝗆𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗄𝗄𝗂𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗒

𝗆𝗒 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽, 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗋𝖺𝖺𝗂𝗍 𝖻𝗒𝗋𝗂𝖾 𝗁𝗒𝗌

𝗄𝖺𝗇 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗏𝖾’𝗌𝗍𝖺𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝗒 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗏𝖾’𝗄𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝖾

𝗁𝗈𝖾𝗄ô 𝗅𝗈𝗌 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗂 𝗌𝗅𝖾𝗀𝗀𝗂𝖾

𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗈ё 𝗈𝖾𝗉𝗀𝖺𝖺𝗇, 𝗁𝗎𝗁

𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗄 ‘𝗇 𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗀 𝗏𝗂’ 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿, 𝗆𝖾𝗂𝗌𝗂𝖾

𝖽𝖺𝖺𝗂 𝗌𝗅𝖾𝗀 𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗄 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝗍 𝗌ê𝖽

𝖾𝗄 𝗄𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖾𝗅𝖺𝖺𝗌

𝖾𝗄 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗂𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗂𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝗅𝖺𝗀 𝗁𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝖾

𝖾𝗇𝗇𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗄 𝗆𝗒 𝗀𝖺𝗅 𝖻𝖺𝗂𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝗂𝖾 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋

𝗐𝖺𝗇 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝖺𝖺𝗂 𝖽𝗈𝗎𝖽𝖺𝖺𝗂

𝗐𝖺𝖺’ 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝖾 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖾 ê𝖿 𝗆𝗈𝖾𝗌 𝗐ê𝗄

𝗆𝖾𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖽𝖻𝗈𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗀𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗌𝗄𝗈𝖾𝗇𝖾

𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗄𝗌 𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗋𝗍, 𝗆𝗒 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽

𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗀𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗍-𝖾𝗇-𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝖾𝗍 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗄𝗋𝗒

𝗐𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝖺 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗄 𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝖺 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝖾𝗄

𝗄𝗒𝗄 𝗁𝗈𝖾 𝗅𝗒𝗄 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝖺𝗅

𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗍, 𝗆𝗒 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽

𝖺𝗅 𝗆𝗈𝖾𝗍 𝖽𝗃𝗒 ‘𝗇 𝗎𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗅𝖺𝖺𝗍 𝗄ô

𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗇 𝗏𝖺𝗇 𝗏𝗈𝗈𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝖿, 𝖻𝖺𝖻𝗒

𝗇ê𝗍𝗈𝗎 𝗌ê 𝖽𝗃𝗒 𝖽𝖺𝗂 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗎 𝗈𝗈𝗀 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗇𝖽

𝗐𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗎𝗋 𝗀𝖾𝗄𝗅𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗍

© 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

My Lockdown Journal - 14 July 2020

Most of us get frustrated when life gets in the way. Nothing wrong with that, it's just that we all want to do the simplest things in life, but are blocked by people, a lack of resources, or by situations beyond our control. Maybe you have also encountered that when you set your goals on something, it almost always get blocked on some level. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Bible tells us in so many ways that the bigger our goals are, the bigger our opposition will be. Scripture tells us to press on, and that our best is yet to come.

What I have learned was that if you dearly want something, there is still a way to get what you want; it is called purpose and passion. When I was in grade nine (1983), our career guidance teacher asked us to share what careers we wanted to pursue. Everyone was excited and shared dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher, entrepreneur, etc. When it was my turn, I shared my dream of becoming a writer, the teacher laughed, followed by the rest of the class. I was shocked that a teacher would react like that. My teacher reminded me that we were living in apartheid, South Africa. He said Coloureds don’t become writers because the doors to publishing are shut for people of colour. He said I would make a good clerk or teacher. I felt a strange burning sensation on the inside. It wasn't pain or cramps, but a passion to become a published writer. At that moment I knew that nothing and nobody was going to assassinate my dream. 

Walking home that day, I told myself that just because I’ve experienced resistance didn’t mean I had to give up. I knew I had something in me that was worth pursuing. Somehow I knew that the colour of my skin couldn’t keep me from reaching my dreams and aspirations. I think one of the best things about being a kid, is that there is no dream that’s too big. The journey thereafter wasn’t moonlight and roses; it was hard work. Today I am a published writer and freelance journalist. One of my stories about the #FeesMustFall protests was featured on CNN.

I am sure that many dreams are being realised during this lockdown period. For a writer or creative person, the free time as a result of COVID-19 is a gift on a platter. 

Shooting of Our Film - After Tears / Na Trane

𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚖 “𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜” 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚘-𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛, 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚖 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.

𝙸 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝙴𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 (𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝) 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐.

𝙰 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚘-𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛, 𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝙱𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢.

𝗠𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 – 𝟭𝟮 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬

𝖮𝗎𝗋 𝖲𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗍 "𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴" 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝖸𝗈𝗎𝖳𝗎𝖻𝖾, 𝖥𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖾𝖻𝗌𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗌, 𝖽𝗎𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗈𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝗎𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗓𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽.

𝖮𝗎𝗋 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝖾𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝖿𝗅𝗂𝖼𝗄𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝖺𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗍𝗒. 𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗅𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗇𝗑𝗂𝖾𝗍𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗇𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝖻𝖺𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗒, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝖢𝖮𝖵𝖨𝖣-𝟣𝟫.

𝖠𝗌 𝖼𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗓𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗀 𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗈𝖼𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗒, 𝗐𝖾 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝖲𝗈𝗎𝗍𝗁 𝖠𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝖾𝗆 𝖻𝗒 𝖩𝗈𝗁𝗇 𝖣𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗅𝖾𝖽, “𝖭𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽”. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖾𝗏𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒:

𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥

𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧

𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵

𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯.

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗌 𝗁𝗂𝗍 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝗎𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝖽𝗎𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖢𝖮𝖵𝖨𝖣-𝟣𝟫 𝗂𝗇 𝖲𝗈𝗎𝗍𝗁 𝖠𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺:

𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦

𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘴

𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦.

𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗀𝗎𝖾𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝗋 𝗉𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖺 𝗁𝗈𝖻𝖻𝗒. 𝖶𝖾𝗅𝗅, 𝗐𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗌𝗍𝗎𝖼𝗄 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗈𝖺𝖽𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝟤𝟦-𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖽𝖺𝗒𝗌. 𝖶𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝘁𝗼-𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗍𝗈 𝗄𝖾𝖾𝗉 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾.

𝖫𝖾𝗍 𝗎𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗋𝗎𝗌 𝗌𝗒𝗆𝗉𝗍𝗈𝗆𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾. 𝖯𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖽𝗈 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗒𝗆𝗉𝗍𝗈𝗆𝗌, 𝖾.𝗀. 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋, 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖨𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 “𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗉𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖾.” 𝖯𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗎𝗇 𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝖾𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗂𝖼, 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗍𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 “𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗐𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄” 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌.

𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗐𝖾 𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗇𝖾𝗐𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗍𝗁.

𝖧𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗀𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖯𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗉𝗉𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝟦:𝟨-𝟩:

“𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴.”

#𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬

#𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗𝟭𝟵

My Lockdown Journal - 9 July 2020

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 has risen during the lockdown period. It is a time during which managers should be sensitive and compassionate towards employees. It is not a time to show who is in control. It is also not a time to manage employees, but rather manage the work, product, or service. Why? Because we are all in the same pandemic panic. Managers must establish loyalty and trust if they want to handle the situation properly. They must prove to their supervisors and teams that they truly care about their well-being. It does not cost money to just listen to their concerns and be supportive during this difficult time.

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. Now is not the time to treat employees badly, humiliate them because of a manager's own insecurities or whatever personal issues he/she might have. This can have a severe impact on job performance in times of crisis, compromising quality, and productivity. Workplace bullying can be a gradual build-up of little incidents and misunderstandings that can wear employees down.

It might sound easy to give employees instructions or tasks, but who delivers the message does not matter more than the way it is delivered. Just the tone of a manager's voice can create unnecessary hostility and tension. Trust can be built in many ways. One way is for managers to demonstrate thought-leadership and compassion now, and positive results will follow. It is the best way to 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆-𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳.

During the lockdown, leaders are expected to take control, be a resource, and provide support by communicating with a positive attitude. Don't be downright rude and arrogant.

Negativity Bias

Humans have a tendency to think negatively, not positively. As Laura Vanderkam writes, "Negativity bias is a well-known phenomenon in psychology. Adults spend more time looking at negative images than positive ones; they pay more attention to negative information when making decisions than positive information."

One way to interrupt that negativity is to simply be mindful of its absence. When there’s no immediate threat to your happiness, pause, reflect, and think, “This is a good moment.” It’s a double win: Not only are you not unhappy, but now you’re happy about it, too. Waiting to be happy limits our brain’s potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.

Remember the French philosopher, René Descartes's words: "It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.

!Xthui-Goab Se Goggatjies (Poetry)

!Xthui-Goab se goggatjies

(Vir Saartjie Baartman en Dawid Stuurman)

reëntbooggoggatjies of rooibaadjies

maak hulle se verskyning na die reënt

om te kô kyk of dit genôg gereëntit

soe moetie hulle seer of doodmaakie

hulle is yt en yt deurie liebe Jirre gestuur

om te kô kyk of dit genôg gereëntit

wan hoe gat hy wiet of hy nôg reënt moet stuur

en of hy die waters moet lat trughou

ôs oumense het innie veld gebly

da’em ken hulle al hierie se storietjies

hulle kônsie gelees of geskryf hettie

en het ôkkie ‘n Bywel gehettie

maar het hulle se eie God gehet –

!Xthui-Goab, die maker van als

van goggatjies tot ôs tjeeners

da’em elke keer assit reënt

stuur !Xthui-Goab sy mêsiendjers

om seker te kô maak latie reënt

genôg was vir sy tjeeners

en ôk vir hulle se vee

soe moetie hulle seer of doodmaakie

hulle is yt en yt deurie liebe Jirre gestuur

om te kô kyk of dit genôg gereëntit

wan hoe gat hy wiet of hy nôg reënt moet stuur

en of hy die waters moet lat trughou

My gedig is geïnspireer deur Elias P Nel se kortverhaal “Jalontjie se strafreën” uit die bundel “Die stukke wat ons sny”, Kwela boeke, 1999.

Mister Taxi Driver (Poetry)

mister taxi driver

taxi driver, djy’s ’n gateway na hel ou pêl

hoe haatsee is ittie om te sien

djy issie gepla oo ôse lewens’ie

ôse harte kadoef-kadoef oppie beat

van djou aansteeklike rhythm

wat speed straps lielik duck en dive

skielik hoo ‘n man skreeuende tyres

en ‘n groot slag en tientalle opslag

dood toe die emergency ouens appear

taxi driver, ek sêrit soesit is

djy gaan nog ôs ammel uit wipe

wan djy’s ‘n brug tussen lewe en dood

en als net vi djou ennie taxi laanie se daily brood

© 2020 Selwyn Milborrow

NB: Image is subject to copyright

Taxi Queen (Poetry)

𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗶 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻

𝗃𝗒 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗇 𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗄𝗅𝖾𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀

𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗋 𝗇𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗑𝗂 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀

𝗃𝗒’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗈𝗂𝗍 𝗅𝖺𝖺𝗍 𝗏𝗂𝗋 ‘𝗇 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾-𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾

𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗄 𝗇á 𝗌𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝗄𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝖺𝖺𝗅

𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗃𝗒’𝗌 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾

𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝖺𝗂𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗌𝗂𝖺𝖺𝗅

𝗆𝖺𝖺𝗋 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗀𝖾𝖾𝗍

𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀-𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝗂𝗅 𝗍𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗍

𝗇𝗈𝗎’𝗌 𝗃𝗒 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗀𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝗄𝗐𝖺𝖺𝖽

𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝗁𝗎𝗅 𝗏𝖺𝗅𝗎𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗋

𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗀𝖾𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽

𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖾𝗇 𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗃𝗂𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗉 𝗃𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗈𝗋

𝗈𝗆𝖽𝖺𝗍 𝗃𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗀 𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗋𝗍

“𝗀𝗈𝗎, 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗌𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗌𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖾, 𝗃𝗎𝗆𝗉 𝗎𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗑𝗂

𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗄𝖺𝗇 𝖽𝗂𝗍 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉 𝗇𝗂𝖾

𝗃𝗒 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖾𝗇 𝗇𝗂𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗒𝗌 𝗇𝗂𝖾”

© 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝘄𝘆𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄

COVID-19 Is a Disrupter and Barrier Breaker

COVID-19 is a disrupter and a barrier breaker. It doesn’t have respect for race, cultures, beliefs, or politics. Everyone in this world had to transition from a busy life to a very slow-paced life. Have you ever watched a movie and just when you thought you knew what was going to happen next, were caught off guard? That’s what COVID-19 is like. No one understands it or can predict its behaviour. There’s no blueprint, user manual, or syllabus on how to handle this virus.

Our president and leaders of the world are treading in uncharted territory. Please, have empathy. Put yourself in their position and you’ll soon encounter the same criticism you are dishing out now.

We each have a choice in how we respond. We can be humane regardless of circumstances or judge unfairly. Rather show maturity and empathy for what others are facing, and going through. Let’s all adhere to the lockdown regulations. We are all in this together.

#COVID19

#CoronavirusPandemic

The Dream of a Schoolboy

When I was in grade nine (1983), our career guidance teacher asked us to share what careers we wanted to pursue. Everyone was excited and shared dreams of becoming a doctor, teacher, entrepreneur, etc. When it was my turn, I shared my dream of becoming a writer, the teacher laughed, followed by the rest of the class. I was shocked that a teacher would react like that. My teacher reminded me that we were living in apartheid, South Africa. He said Coloureds don’t become writers easily because the doors to publishing is shut for people of colour. He said I would make a good clerk or teacher. At that moment I knew I wanted to be a writer, and that nothing and nobody was going to assassinate my dream. 

Walking home that day, I told myself that just because I’ve experienced resistance didn’t mean I had to give up. I knew I had something in me that was worth pursuing. Somehow I knew that the colour of my skin couldn’t keep me from reaching my dreams and aspirations. I think one of the best things about being a kid, is that there is no dream that’s too big. The journey thereafter wasn’t moonlight and roses; it was hard work. Today I am a published writer and freelance journalist. One of my stories about the #FeesMustFall protests was featured on CNN.

A few years ago, I bumped into one of my classmates who laughed along with the teacher. He told me that he enjoyed my newspaper column, and made sure he bought it every Friday. He then apologised for laughing at my dream that day. I told him that I’ve turned that laughter into inspiration that same day as I walked home. He smiled and shook my hand for almost a minute. He asked me if I had anything motivational to share with his child who was experiencing challenges with his learning at school. I told him to share my story with his son.

Today, his son is an executive manager for a large national company in Durban. Please share this with someone who’s experiencing challenges, or is in need of some motivation.

Poem: the street has your name

the street has your name

breaking news - for immediate release:

8 bullets for Breonna in bed

3 minutes, unarmed & bullets in Brown’s body

8 minutes & 46 seconds, unarmed & a knee in Floyd’s neck

that’s what you get if you’re a nobody

just a black from the neck of the hoods

in the land of the brave (!) & the home of the free (?)

are you in bed, at a convenience store, at work?

hell no, the cops are waiting, waiting, they’re waiting

with bullets & chokeholds “so innocent & so perfect” (wtf!)

it’s going to be in history’s books

because when the looting starts, the shooting starts…

Arbery

       Brown

                 Crutcher

                             Garner

                                       Grant

                                               Gray

                                                     Jean

                                                           Jefferson

                                                                        Jones

                                                                                Martin

                                                                                        McDonald

                                                                                                      Rice

                                                                                                            Taylor

                                 White…

that’s what you get if you’re a nobody just a

black from the neck of the hoods

in the land of the brave (!) & the home of the free (?)

… but here the street has your name

the street will speak your name

because black lives matter…

© 2020 Selwyn Milborrow

A Virus Called Racism

The protests in the United States that reached into every corner of America, are not only about police brutality or justice; it’s about a fight to dismantle and ultimately destroy racism in all its disguises. The protests evoked memories of my childhood years during the most turbulent period of the fight against apartheid. Growing up with a fear that the colour of my skin could be used against me at any moment, was something I had no choice but to accept. In 1985 the apartheid government declared a state of emergency that gave the police unlimited powers in its crackdown on blacks or anyone resisting apartheid. This made it illegal for more than ten blacks to gather in one place at any given time. Isn’t it ironic that social distancing regulations like during the COVID-19 pandemic were already a thing back then? The sight of a yellow police van filled me with paralysing fear every time it passed me on my way to school, or to the shop. Some of my classmates disappeared under mysterious circumstances during the night. I’ve witnessed with horror how people in despair were pushed to the edge. The images of violence and inhumanity against blacks during the state of emergency in the 1980s will forever be etched in my mind. We have defeated apartheid by 1994, but what I didn’t know then, was that racism went underground.

Fifty-five years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.” That dream came true, but he didn’t live to witness it. However, he knew that racism is a virus that could be detected, but in most cases remain undetected in the hearts and minds of racists. In South Africa, we have witnessed a rainbow nation being birthed, but little did we know about the wicked power of racism to hide in plain sight. We saw it in the case against Penny Sparrow, the first person to be found guilty of crimen injuria for a racist slur on social media in post-apartheid South Africa. There are thousands of similar stories currently happening in the workplace.

In the United States, thanks to video recording technology, the power of racism to hide undetected, finally failed when a video surfaced on social media of a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, an African American man until he died. It led to protests in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, a day after Floyd was killed during the police arrest. Not even Floyd’s cry for his mother, or the words, “I can’t breathe” could stop the police officer from kneeling on him until he took his last breath. Let’s be honest, if people saw a video on Facebook or Twitter of a man digging his knee into the neck of a dog until it died, they would be utterly horrified. They would almost certainly click, comment, and call for the man’s immediate arrest. If that upsets people more than a white cop killing a black man, then they are not part of the vaccine we so desperately need, but part of the deadly racist virus. In South Africa, the oppression and killing of thousands of black people in the name of apartheid also drew the attention of the world, but sadly, we were left to fight and defeat the beast mostly on our own.

We as Blacks were born into a history of exhaustion based on the oppression that started with colonialism centuries ago. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents carried those memories with them; it’s imprinted in our DNA. We are not dealing with a lack of emotional intelligence, but with the everyday behaviours, perceptions, perspectives, and assumptions of some white people who claim an unawareness that a race problem exists. These few whites - who have never experienced racism - claim that they don’t see colour and that “all lives matter”. In order to feel good, they engage in a blatant denial of what’s going on around them. My message to them is to stop hiding behind institutionalised racism. What's happening today is so much more than just saying, “I don’t see colour”. It’s about acknowledging that there’s a problem. For them to say that all lives matter during protests against racism, not only calls for serious introspection but ultimately for an immediate dismantling of racist mindsets. It calls for the destruction of systems rigged in such a way to marginalise and oppress black people. It calls for recognition that systemic racism is alive in the workplace, at school, at university, and in the church. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, the American television host, Jon Stewart said that the biggest obstacle to change has always been the inability of white Americans to understand that it is not just about ending segregation but dismantling the barriers. He said that while black people fought for equality for decades, the white people were building equity. The disparity between a lack of equality and a rise in equity just exacerbated the situation. Stewart said that equality can only come, once the black community gain access to the equity that was taken away from them.

In response to the protests, Jon Stewart said that because the death of George Floyd happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, it allowed most Americans a moment of clarity. In a moment of quiet reflection, America suddenly stopped and smelled the racism. Former US president, Barack Obama, wrote in an essay that, “if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both.” The same goes for us as South Africans where institutional racism and something as unthinkable as service delivery protests, are choking us. First, let’s raise awareness, then vote with our conscience. It won’t bring about sudden change because as a species we have become disconnected from each other and from ourselves long ago. However, there’s an urgency to find unity in our diversity. Nelson Mandela said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” I conclude with the words of the philosopher, Socrates that sounds more like a call to action for all of us: “An unexamined life is not worth living”.

This Much I Know: About Racism (R.I.P. George Floyd)

This much I know about racism:

I was a teenager during the apartheid uprisings. I’ve witnessed my people being pushed to the edge. Now, I don’t pretend to be perfect, or say everything perfectly. However, if seeing people looting shops and burning buildings upset you more than a white cop killing a black man, then you’re not part of the solution; you're part of the problem. Protesting doesn’t damage the cause because I was part of the school boycotts in the 1980s, and we beat the monster called apartheid. Listen, institutional racism is very much alive in the workplace, sport, entertainment and politics. I do however agree with Barack Obama that “if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both.” First, let’s raise awareness, then vote with our conscience. Like Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living”.

knee to the neck – Bevan Boggenpoel

(in memory of George Floyd) 

he used his knee to his neck

holding George down

while his lacklustre colleagues

stood dutifully by

watching a black man 

pleading to be released

but they couldn't care less 

he’s now deceased

they killed a man 

as if he’s a slave 

sending him 

to an early grave 

he begged and pleaded 

“I can’t breathe”

but the racist persisted 

while he only saw their feet

when they're supposed to

serve and protect

they'd rather kill

with utter neglect

black lives matter 

that's a fact

but police brutality

is the violent act

justice for George

must be served 

a life behind bars

is what they deserve 

cities in unity

gather around

as another black man 

goes underground 

for too long 

this has been going on

no longer must black civilians

be trampled upon

by careless officers 

and just get away

thinking they can just

shoot and slay

thunder roars

as voices demand 

justice for George 

a man unarmed! 

©️ 05/06/2020 Bevan Boggenpoel

Podcast - MasterClass Writers with Selwyn Milborrow

Selwyn Milborrow is the founder of MasterClass Writers, the home of creative talks about writing and publishing. The office is based in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa. Members are from SA, US, UK & France.

It only takes one person to make a difference in the life of another

My wife, Sharon Liberty, wrote this beautiful and poignant piece about a primary school teacher that impacted her life:

"It only takes one person to make a difference in the life of another, and in my case, it was my primary school teacher. A great teacher not only inspires, but shapes the character, calibre, and future of a child.

I'm eternally grateful for Mr Schuster who helped me after I've developed a bad stutter problem in primary school. I became withdrawn and kept to myself. Because of this, Mr Schuster had me do my reading and oral presentations privately; not in front of the class. One day after several reading sessions, he gave me this piece of advice: “Stand in front of the mirror, take a deep breath and talk to yourself. Ask yourself questions, answer yourself, and also start reading out loud.”

I took his advice and did this exercise every day until high school. When I have reached standard 7, I overcame my stuttering problem! It really changed my life because I went from being shy and insecure to a more confident person.

Thank you, Mr Schuster, I'm forever grateful to you for changing my life. I'm firm in my belief that a teacher lives on through the memories of his or her learners. It not only proves that good teaching is forever, but that the teacher is immortal." - Sharon Liberty

#GetOverIt
#BrokennessToBreakthrough

My Lockdown Journal - "The New Normal"

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Sunday, May 3, 2020:

The world cannot wait for the “new normal” to come. Well, I had an epiphany: Jesus started the new normal the day he rose from the dead! This morning, my wife and I (including our two dogs) had communion while “attending” church via live streaming in our bedroom. Yes, our dogs had communion. I must admit that I could get used to this kind of lifestyle. However, a lot of people are looking forward to getting back to some form of normalcy.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So, why are we in a hurry to get back to normal? It’s something to ponder on for a while.

In Matthew 5:48 (NIV), Jesus makes a call for us to “be perfect”. I believe it means to be perfect in our imperfections. I’m reminded of the Japanese practice of Kintsugi pottery. It’s a practice in which broken pots are mended with silver or gold which results in even more beautiful ones than before it broke. Shouldn’t we look at the many opportunities the lockdown has given us? Isn’t there some gold among the rubble of life in quarantine?

What I love about this locked-in life is that my wife and I can relax in each other’s company. There is mutual trust, respect, support, love, interest and all the other characteristics of friendship that make life wonderful and blessed. So why do people long to get back to normal life as they know it?

#CommunionSunday
#COVID19

My Lockdown Journal - Our "Arab Spring"

My lockdown journal:

The coronavirus has become our 9/11 and our Arab Spring. The coronavirus has changed civilisation; it changed our imaginations. It’s a historic period because mankind will in future (now already) refer to a pre-coronavirus and a post-coronavirus period.

We’ll look at sci-fi movies and acknowledge that the unthinkable can become possible within a matter of days. Science fiction before coronavirus was just that, “fiction”!

The world is concerned with maintaining some sort of normalcy but the truth is that we’ve been swallowed up in the abyss of a pandemic that even medical scientists don’t understand. As a species, we have become disconnected from each other and from ourselves. However, while we’re trying to stay afloat, it would seem that the pandemic has brought civilisation closer together. We’re in a battle for survival. Let’s stay together!

#LockdownSouthAfrica
#LockdownJournal
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 31

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Sunday, Day 31:

Time is a universal given. It is the context within which we all must live and work. No one is given more time than another, and no one is given less. Before the lockdown, I was used to partitioning my time in order to strike a balance between work, studies and hobbies.

The lockdown has made things ridiculously easy. No more rationing; suddenly, I had enough time on my hands. I even had enough time to write this 31-day journal. It is also my last journal entry.

I’m going to compile my thirty-one days’ entries and write a book about my experiences in lockdown. Not only will it account for my time spent in isolation but also the level of my productivity during the lockdown.

To say the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted our lives is an understatement. One can barely fall asleep because our patterns are all over the place. We’re concerned about the economy, our work, our children, family, the future... Call it uncertainty and fear. The only thing that can make us sleep well is trust. Proverbs 3:24 says, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” I am sure we can’t wait for that time to come.

Let us take heart in the fact that according to 2 Chronicles 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is scary. The right thing to do is to help someone who needs our help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 30

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Saturday, Day 30:

The world is not going back to ‘business as usual’ any time soon. What the world needs now is love. The only way for love to manifest is through unity. South Africa needs it now more than ever. Our differences like culture, education, class, race etc., have become walls of separation that must be broken down. These are areas we all can agree on to respect.

Given the complicated nature of our rainbow nation, it is not surprising that there are so many assumptions and misconceptions flying around on social media. I love the concept of ‘apart we are together’ because it reminds me of the spirit of reconciliation during Nelson Mandela’s leadership era.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we all complained that we had no time or were out of time. Maybe now is the time to take stock. Perhaps we should not go any further until we have accomplished this. How can we achieve this? We can start by uniting to fight a common enemy known as ‘novel coronavirus’.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is scary. The right thing to do is to help someone who needs our help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 29

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Friday, Day 29:

Last night our president struggled to put on his mask in front of millions of television viewers. It was funny, but I looked at it in a philosophical way. We all wear masks; some are good at hiding the shame and pain while others wear their hearts on their sleeves. It’s a fact that most of us put on a mask to protect us from life’s harsh realities while others are stronger in facing the truth. As the poet E. E. Cummings wrote, “The greatest battle we face as human beings is the battle to protect our true selves from the self the world wants us to become.”

From this morning’s reactions on social media, we can all agree that South Africans love their president and his mask. President Ramaphosa has announced a strategy to classify provinces, districts and metros on a five-level risk scale. Level one carries the lowest and level five, the highest risk level. He also announced that the country would move to Level 4 as of 1 May. Cigarettes will also be permitted but bars, shebeens, theatres and cinemas will remain closed.

The impact of COVID-19 on our psyche is severe. During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is scary. The right thing to do is to help someone who needs our help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#StayAtHome
#SaferTogether
#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 28

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Thursday, Day 28:

I love songs and poetry about the moon. Unfortunately, the novel coronavirus took centre stage when a supermoon beamed beautifully at us a few weeks ago. The moon has been at the centre of controversy when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong set foot on it in 1969. Many people thought that moon landing was fake. One thing that I know for sure is that the moon is made of cheese. There are thousands of conspiracy theories about it on the internet. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a conspiracy theory is, “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.”

Over the past couple weeks, the strangeness of this lockdown life has seeped into every nook and cranny of our daily lives, exposing, among other things, the conspiracy theories. Social media has made it possible for people to say whatever they like and think. It’s a conspiracy theorist’s heaven. There are countless conspiracy theories flying around about the novel coronavirus. One popular conspiracy theory is that COVID-19 is a bioweapon created in a lab in China. I guess people begin to believe these theories, especially when professionals in the field make those claims.

COVID-19 has created a perfect storm for conspiracy theorists. I've observed on social media platforms just how much South Africans love conspiracy theories. Okay, some of it is humour, but the rest are serious claims. We all feel vulnerable because this pandemic and the effects of it on our daily lives are almost depressing. This could also be a reason why spreading conspiracy theories gives some people more of a feeling of control. It should stop because it’s a false sense of control. It causes more harm than anything during this trying time.

Claims that the government is using the lockdown restrictions to control its citizens is dangerous and laughable. The aim of these allegations is to ultimately force the government to lift the lockdown. Fighting a deadly virus like COVID-19 is not that simple. It is unrealistic to expect a normal life to return after the lockdown has been lifted even partially. Throughout the world, people are coming together to do what they can to fight the pandemic that has changed life as we know it. Let us fight this common enemy together by staying home.

The impact of COVID-19 on our psyche is severe. During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is scary. The right thing to do is to help someone who needs our help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#StayAtHome
#SaferTogether
#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 27

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Wednesday, Day 27:

The country’s poorest of the poor are experiencing extreme hardship under the extended lockdown. This is not unique to South Africa because hundreds of third world countries around the world are going through the same hardships if not worse. We are all in this together.

Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a massive, R500-billion package aimed at loosening the grip that COVID-19 has on the economy. It is unprecedented, historic and unexpected. He announced that unemployed people, not in receipt of money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund, or a grant, will get R350 per month for 6 months. Grant beneficiaries are to receive an extra R250 a month for the next 3 months. He announced several other aid packages during the live broadcast.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given couch potatoes and keyboard protestors an opportunity to hurl criticism at our president with statements like, “not enough” and “stop the lockdown”. It seems to me that they refuse to take accountability because they expect the government to do its job of protecting its citizens. To lift the lockdown restrictions now would increase the transmission of the coronavirus dramatically.

The impact of COVID-19 on our psyche is severe. During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. The number of cases reported since the beginning of the lockdown is really scary. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#StayAtHome
#SaferTogether
#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 26

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Tuesday, Day 26:

Have you noticed the increasing number of irresponsible posts by people demanding the lockdown to end? The government is accused of lies etc. Really? Welcome to the new normal; we are in uncertain times. The whole world (including third world countries) are dealing with a pandemic that nobody understands. Many things have been feeling upside-down lately. All economies are affected, some admittedly more adverse than others.

We as South Africans have weathered many storms (apartheid, being the tsunami), but we have survived. Yes, we are all in uncharted territory. The current format of the full lockdown will be eased soon to resuscitate our ailing economy. However, we cannot expect the floodgates to be opened and then suffer a resurgence of the virus.

I do have questions for those demanding an immediate lifting of the lockdown:
“Rest at home” or “Rest in peace”
“6 feet away” or “6 feet under”

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

#StayAtHome
#SaferTogether
#SocialDistancing
#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19

Lockdown Journal - Day 25

My Lockdown Journal 2020 – Monday, Day 25:

Television has always been an entertaining distraction and a way to escape the stresses of daily life. However, the world has changed since the introduction of the TV. The COVID-19 pandemic is just one example of how television has become a source of vital information.

Watching the news, one realises that the coronavirus picked the right time, and the right country to create havoc on a socio-economic level. The poorest of the poor are resorting to looting because of hunger. Food supplies from the government for the poor are allegedly intercepted by councillors, and the sold or handed out to their supporters. Several claims of food looting have been reported in several provinces. This kind of behaviour coming from community-elected councillors is inhumane and unacceptable.

It’s now up to private donors and foundations like that of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, to donate food parcels in some of Port Elizabeth’s poorest townships. Some churches are also distributing food parcels to the needy and vulnerable. The current situation has many South Africans feeling helpless and hopeless. The nation is in a grip of fear due to uncertainties brought on the lockdown.

I am fully aware that quoting Bible scriptures won’t bring food on the table, but I do believe that it’s food for one’s spirit. One of the scriptures that I think about a lot comes from 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I believe we have nothing to lose by giving God all our worries.

During the lockdown, many women, men and children are stuck at home with their abusers. There is no excuse for abuse during or after lockdown. The bravest thing you and I can do is to help someone who needs help or is asking for help. Call the Stop Gender-Based Violence Helpline on 0800 150 150.

World COVID-19 count:
2,424,419 Infections - 166,235 Deaths.

#LockdownJournal
#LockdownSouthAfrica
#COVID19