Last night I attended an enchanting book talk with Piers Cruickshanks, author of Confluence: Beyond the River with Siseko Ntondini. It’s a story of how Piers and Siseko, who against all odds, won a gold medal at the Dusi Canoe Marathon. (Finishing 7th). But it’s really a story of the challenges of being human and triumphs of the human spirit when two cultures confluence. Piers shares a vignette where he was irritated that Siseko pitched up late for practice. For Piers it was easy to get to the dam. For Siseko – not so much – because of the transport challenges that he and countless thousands face every day. I can’t speak for Piers, but if it were me I would’ve been humbled and maybe slightly embarrassed at my ‘white privilege’ … him, then a 39 year old English teacher with a young family and the ‘perfect life’ and 18 year old Siseko clawing his way up from the streets of Soweto. Rachel I had a similar incident around 10 years ago. Rachel, my domestic assistant of 15 years was late again. I reprimanded her for being tardy. Her words to me made an indelible impression, “I get up every morning at 4 am and have to catch two taxis to get to you. I’m sorry, sometimes the taxis run late.” In those days I was paying her R150 per day including transport. I realised that she was spending half her wages on transport. So that meant that she had R75 left over for food, toiletries and paraffin for her and her children. I don’t know about you … even in those days I could drop R150 in a heartbeat on something frivolous and not even think about it. We don’t know what is happening with the human working for us, sitting next to us on the bus, at our work or in our schools. We don’t know what drama is playing out in their lives. Are they hungry? Are they sick? Have they lost a loved one? Are they going through marital strife? Are they depressed? Are they destitute? I try and walk in the other’s shoes. I try and feel what the other is feeling. Sometimes I get it right … mostly I get it wrong. Choice All I know is that I’m where I am by the grace of the Creator. I could’ve been born to different parents, in a different country and under different circumstances. My life would have been totally different – it could have been better or worse (whatever that means). So, I’m here now, in this moment. I can only control how I feel and how I react to my situation now. Other than that, I have little control of the outcome of this human experience. I choose gratitude. I choose awe. I choose to withhold judgment. I choose curiosity. I choose to see every human as the same. And, I know that every human hides a secret pain and untold hope. This humbles me because I hold the heart of everyone I come into contact with in my hand. It’s in my power to break that heart or grow that heart. It’s in your power too.

1. Volksrust Recorder - Column / Rubrieke8 Recorder 06 Oktober 2017
Change
YourStory
With Jacques de Villiers
Confluence
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Piet Botha
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Tel : 017 735 1786
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For bookings call: 072 0796 796.
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Power of great
thought
Believe in the power of your thinking and
not your own understanding. Don’t
hesitate to think big. Make sure you train
your mind to dream big. Dont let your mind
influence your self-esteem rather allow it to
activate your inner strength. When you are
making decisions ask God to nurture your
thinking to be inline with your own
expectations. Limitations flush away great
strength and positive thinking. Measure
your thoughts and set goals. Be grateful
for everything you think about and
encourage yourself to win. Know that life
will challenge your effectiveness of your
thoughts. Remember thoughts produce
action and action proves the ability of a great
thinker.
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Ek wil hiermee ‘n lansie breek vir die kliënte
van ABSA Bank op Standerton. Ek is al 85
jaar oud en loop met ‘n kierie. Ek wou die
Saterdag gaan geld trek by die OTM ABSA,
maar daar was ‘n tou van 30 to 40 mense voor
Baie Dankie Absa Bank,
Standerton
my, Ek het skaars in die tou ingeval toe ‘n
dame tien persone voor my haar plek in die
tou my aangebied het (sy het gesê sy kon
nie langer wag nie. Groot was my verbasing
toe ek haar plek kon inneem. Al die ander
mense voor my het my versoek om heel voor
te gaan staan.Anders as op VolksrustABSA
tak, toe ek daar moes gaan geld trek het en in
net so ‘n lang tou gestaan het. Daar was net
een teller op sy pos en ek moes vir byna ‘n
uur in die tou staan voordat ek gehelp is.
~ CS ~
CMR
Dis wat ons doen...
Vukuzakhe Womens Club met van die
pragtige handwerk artikels wat hulle maak.
Ons neem afskeid van Me Anita Booyse
wat as vrywilliger aan hulle hulp verleen
het met die maak van handwerk artikels.
Ons verwelkom vir Queenie Meaker wat
haar plek in neem. Baie welkom by ons.
~ CMR Groete ~
Last night I attended an enchanting book
talk with Piers Cruickshanks, author of
Confluence: Beyond the River with Siseko
Ntondini. It’s a story of how Piers and
Siseko, who against all odds, won a gold
medal at the Dusi Canoe Marathon. But it’s
really a story of the challenges of being
human and triumphs of the human spirit
when two cultures confluence. Piers shares
a vignette where he was irritated that Siseko
pitched up late for practice. For Piers it was
easy to get to the dam. For Siseko, not so
much because of the transport challenges
that he and countless thousands face every
day. I can’t speak for Piers, but if it were me
I would’ve been humbled and maybe
slightly embarrassed at my ‘white privilege’
... him, a 39 year old English teacher with a
young family and the ‘perfect life’ and 18
year old Siseko clawing his way up from the
streets of Soweto. I had a similar incident
around 10 years ago. Rachel, my domestic
assistant of 15 years was late again. I
reprimanded her for being tardy. Her words
to me made an indelible impression, “I get
up every morning at 4 am and have to catch
two taxis to get to you. I’m sorry, sometimes
the taxis run late.” In those days I was
paying her R150 per day including transport.
I realised that she was spending half her
wages on transport. So that meant that she
had R75 left over for food and paraffin for
her and her children. I don’t know about
you ... even in those days I could drop R150
in a heartbeat on something frivolous and
not even think about it. We don’t know
what is happening with the human working
for us, sitting next to us on the bus, at our
work or in our schools. We don’t know what
drama is playing out in their lives.Are they
hungry? Are they sick? Have they lost a
loved one?Are they going through marital
strife? Are they depressed? Are they
destitute? I try and walk in the other’s
shoes. I try and feel what the other is
feeling. Sometimes I get it right ... mostly I
get it wrong. All I know is that I’m where I
am by the grace of the Creator. I could’ve
been born to different parents, in a different
country and under different circumstances.
My life would have been totally different -
it could have been better or worse
(whatever that means). So, I’m here now,
in this moment. I can only control how I
feel and how I react to my situation now.
Other than that I have little control of the
outcome of this human experience. I
choose gratitude. I choose awe. I choose
to withhold judgment. I choose curiosity. I
choose to see every human as the same.
And, I know that every human hides a
secret pain and untold hope. This humbles
me because I hold the heart of everyone I
come into contact with in my hand. It’s in
my power to break that heart or grow that
heart. It’s in your power too. a Seasoned
paddler who had won multiple gold medals
in the Dusi, with Siseko Ntondini, a paddler
who had come up through the ranks of the
Soweto Canoe Club, and whose dream was
to win a gold medal in the Dusi.
~ Jacques de Villiers ~