It is 5:30 on a most glorious Sunday morning. Two turtledoves are basking in the rays of the November sun. It is quiet in this privileged neighbourhood where I live here in the friendly city. Only the chirr-chirr, tweet-tweet, who-who-whoo-who and ha-ha –ha, of the different bird species break the silence. It is peaceful this morning as the sun is colouring the sky with its yellow glow.
As I sit here I ponder on some of the articles that have I read in issue number 256 of Country Life. Here I am seemingly far removed from the realities our country is facing at this tumultuous time; a country in transition.
In a country with so much history, South Africa is trying to adjust to a life where everyone is living in harmony with their neighbours irrespective of who they may be. During this period of transition it is good to stand still and look at place names like Hantam, Augrabies, Namaqualand and so forth.
Just maybe when we eventually decide to change the name of South Africa to something more colourful, we should consider names like Tsitsikamma, the beginning of the water. It has special meaning in the light of the drought gripping parts of our land. Maybe Namaqualand, land of many people, would be a good one too.
Or what about The Republic of Rustica? The story about the Rasta community of Calvinia is indeed heart warming to say the least. A nation in transition can learn from them. The difference that this small community is making is telling. It is heart-warming to read of the happiness and hope that they are colouring the greater community of Calvinia with.
Or maybe Knysna? The awe-inspiring story of Knysna speaks of the resilience of its residents. It is a story of hope for our beloved nation. We here in Port Elizabeth also experienced devastating fires about the same time so we understand the fears and the pain that they have suffered. We understood it so much that people were driving from PE and surrounds with food, blankets and clothing to assist the community of Knysna in their time of need.
So you see our country may be standing at a crossroads but these stories show that the people at the southern tip of Africa is an amazing bunch of people; people who stand together in times of storms and drought, fire and rain. Nothing will be too hard to overcome for so great a nation.
AuthorEYES 