People, left to themselves, are happy and content

Interesting insight that I gained one day driving slowly in peak hour traffic on the N1. There was a team of men working on the side of the road. They were probably erecting street lights in about 2014, and one big, hulking man was skipping merrily along.    

   

I realised that most people, left to themselves, are happy and content.    

   

It is very easy to persuade one that he is unfortunate because he lacks something that another has - it will always be the case that someone has more of something than we have. Or that he is entitled to something. Or that he has rights that others should ensure. We need to recognise that we, in turn, have more of some things than others have, or are better in some ways than others. I remember my mother pointing out that the goat herder on the mountains can almost certainly speak more languages than I can.

   

It is not easy to persuade one, though, that he must meet the needs of others, or ensure those same rights for others, or share what he has with others.    

   

This entitlement is one of the biggest maladies that we face in the world, and South Africa is an excellent example of the malady. Donald Trump elected US president, Jacob Zuma giving State of the Nation address in South Africa, BREXIT in Britain, and so forth. 2016 and 2017 are proving to be remarkable years.

Coincidentally, I wrote this on Friday morning 11 Feb 2017, and on that evening I heard an interesting quote on a business radio programme. 'Comparison is the thief of joy'.

Students throwing tantrums about the weaknesses of their seniors rather than working to change the world themselves

South African institutions of higher learning, the students attending them, and others have been seriously impacted over the past few weeks by students demanding that fees must fall. Somehow they feel that it is not reasonable that fees increase although inflation erodes the value of the currency, and government have been reducing their financial support for universities. I guess they are as yet ignorant of the realities of life, and that life simply does become more expensive and that they have the choice of being proactive and preparing for tough times, or just moaning that there are tough times.

I am concerned that the students who are effectively throwing tantrums (an immature thing to do) should rather be working really hard to get themselves well qualified and able to go out and lead South Africa in the way that they are frustrated that the older generation are failing to do.

When they are the older generation they will probably realise that things in 2015 were not as bad as they were led to believe. I have no doubt that the a very big problem is a small group of trouble-makers who are telling the masses that the masses are unhappy. Certainly they are not as happy as they would be in the perfect world, but the world is not perfect – and that comment is not limited to the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, or even South Africa. They will in due course notice that the entire world has problems and is not perfect. I suggest that they should get over it, and become people who will help to make a better world by building on, rather than causing more problems by destroying, the tremendous good that there is.

Anyone who destroys is undermining the very thing that they say they are trying to achieve. Burning or damaging buses or property is, in my view, not defensible. Showing disrespect towards others is not acceptable. We have seen a lot of this in these riots and demonstrations. Of course, now that they have caused damage, some of the money that could go to supporting students has to go into repairing the damage. 

We need a nation of builders and agents of change, not tantrum-throwers who just complain because others are not building the nation and being agents of change, that everyone else is not perfect. Let them work to become more perfect themselves and make the difference that they want to see. Let them be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

My birthday memories - 57 years old

Yesterday was the start of my 58th year on this beautiful planet, and more specifically in the Fair Cape.

Well, I awoke and got about my day. My family wished me well, and I was reminded of the special birthday present that Cindy (with a little help from Richard) has given me - she cleaned out the vegetable garden and planted some seeds so that I and we can enjoy a harvest at home. That does indeed give me good joy - the working in the cleaned garden, and the anticipation of the harvest.

After several hours at work one of my colleagues came in and wished me well. I had been with another colleague most of the day and he said 'Oh, is it your birthday? Well, you know me, I forget my own birthday!" So one person remembered my special day as I approach retirement - now 8 years to go!

Then home to what was to have been a special family supper, except that Sally has been really ill with a tummy bug and so Shelly invited Andrew P, Cindy, Richard and me for some Chinese spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken and beef chop suey. I enjoyed that! Andrew H was also ill with the tummy bug and did not join us, so it was Shelly, Joshua and Hannah hosting us.

Then off to home teaching - a visit scheduled for two weeks ago, then postponed to last week, and then while on our way there postponed again until this week - so I home taught on my birthday.

Home to my family, and giving some caring attention to Sally, then off to bed about 22:20.

I had received a few birthday wishes, some from my two university alumni offices, Internet service provider, retailers, and so forth, but some from friends. Well, one SMS sent by a friend was sent 08:28 on 23 Feb. I have no reception in my office, so I did not receive the SMS.

This morning I was woken by my phone beeping.....

It beeps every five minutes after a reminder - or after receiving message. So I woke and think to myself that I must have missed my 04:50 reminder that wakes me to start my morning and do my exercises. So up I get, drink some water, wash my face, say my prayers, go to the toilet, and go and do my exercises. All the while I am feeling rather tired, and slightly nauseous as I was exercising, and I hoped it was not because I was brewing the tummy bug.

After doing my ecercises I am confused as to why Richard is not up and getting ready for his day. I run the water for my shaving, and go to the kitchen to get my breakfast. I look at the kitchen clock - it says 01:55 and I think it must not be working properly, except that it is ticking away as it ought to! I check other clocks, and they confirm that it is indeed nearly 02:00 in the morning. No wonder I am tired, and Richard is not up! Sensible him!

So, thanks for the birthday wishes, all of you! Even Gerald who sent it timeously and cannot be blamed for the foibles of modern technology that deliverd his message 18 hours later and got me up at well before the crack of dawn three time zones before mine!

I decided to not shave then, and went back to bed with an alarm set to wake me at 05:20 - after all, I had already done my exercises! Understandably, I am tired now, and looking forward to getting to bed after a long day, mostly in a meeting of the National Vegetation Map Committee.

May the remaining days of the years before retirement go well too! Maybe even better than this unusual start to my day.

My greetings to each of you - and may you have wonderful birthdays, remembered by loved ones, and hopefully not frustrated by the happenings caused by gremlins crawling around in the entrails of computers or alsewhere!

Really, I am serious when I say I have a wonderful life. Beautiful roses have thorns, but they are still a joy to smell and to behold.