Volksrust students had a fun braai day to celebrate, playing soccer and rugby despite the cold weather. They also enjoyed water balloon activities. Meanwhile, a motivational speaker encouraged matric students to stay focused on their exams and not give up, stressing the importance of doing well to achieve their dreams. He advised them not to lose hope or be distracted and to make their community proud with good results.

1. Volksrust Recorder - Column / Rubrieke8 Recorder 20 Oktober 2017
Change
YourStory
With Jacques de Villiers
Passengers
SERVICES
AND REPAIRS
Piet Botha
H/V Vrede- en
Volkstraat no. 10
Skakel vir afspraak
Tel : 017 735 1786
082 873 9511
Volkies hou waterkaskenades
Vrydag, 13 Oktober, was 'n heerlike pretdag
vir leerders van Hoërskool Volksrust. In true
South African style learners celebrated with
a Braai day. Ten spyte van die tipiese
Volksrustkoue, het leerders met groot
entoesiasme aan die waterkaskenades
deelgeneem. Learners also played soccer and
touch rugby. 'n Spontane veldsokkie vind
“What’s lackluster about Passengers isn’t
just that the movie is short on surprise, but
that it’s like a castaway love story set in the
world’s largest, emptiest shopping mall in
space.” When I read this critique, I almost
didn’t watch the movie. But, I’m so glad I
decided to watch it. The movie is about the
starship Avalon transporting 5000
passengers (in induced hibernation) from
earth through space to their new home,
Homestead ll. It’ll be 120 years before they
arrive at Homestead ll. Avalon malfunctions
after flying into an asteroid field and one of
the passengers, Jim Preston (a mechanical
engineer) is woken up 30 years into the
journey; 90 years too soon after his
hibernation pod fails. He discovers that
he’s totally alone. He’s devastated,
depressed and suicidal. On the upside, his
every whim is catered for - he has luxury,
food, entertainment and the most
spectacular view of the cosmos. This
dilemma raised a number of uncomfortable
issues for me. Imagine discovering that you
are devastatingly alone. How would you
feel? I’d probably be gutted and would
probably, like Jim, consider taking my life.
Of course, being a hopeful creature, I would
try and find another living soul ... anybody
to connect to. After a year Jim awakens the
beautiful Aurora from her hibernation pod.
His loneliness is so much so that he is
prepared to condemn Aurora to death by
waking her just so that he could have
company. Eventually, they fall in love. Of
course, she later finds out that he woke her
on purpose and that her hibernation capsule
didn’t malfunction as he led her to believe.
She’s shattered, disillusioned and
depressed. She hates Jim for ‘murdering’her.
Long story, short. The ship starts
malfunctioning and it’s up to Jim andAurora
to save it and the 5000 passengers along
with it. They do it. Yay. Jim figures out a
way to put Aurora back in hibernation so
that she can make the rest of the journey
and get to Homestead ll. She chooses to
stay and spend what’s left of her life with
Jim. What I took from this story: No
amount of wealth, luxury and freedom can
make you happy if there’s nobody to share
it with. I think that our deepest need is for
connection. It’s what makes us tick.
Without connection, we die. That’s
probably why solitary confinement in
prison is a harsher punishment than death.
We all have destinations we want to go to.
We all have dreams. We all have plans. But
as the Scottish poet, Robert Burns said,
“The best laid plans of men and mice oft
go awry.” The thing is that we don’t have
any idea as to why our journeys take
‘wrong turns’. Often, what appears to be a
disaster is actually a blessing. If Jim and
Aurora were in blissful hibernation, the
ship would have exploded, killing all 5000
passengers and them along with it. So, they
were right where they were supposed to
be. When I think back on my life, every
‘good’ and ‘bad’ event has shaped me into
the human I am today and will become. I’m
exactly where I’m meant to be. And, the
exciting thing is that I don’t know what
plans there are still for me before I give this
journey up (with grace hopefully). Life is
what happens to you and me while we’re
making other plans. Jim and Aurora
accepted their situation and made a
beautiful life. We tend to look for happiness
elsewhere when it’s actually right in front
of us. I think life is as simple as choosing
to be happy in every situation. “We either
make ourselves miserable or we make
ourselves happy. The amount of work is
the same,” Carlos Castaneda. The random
choices we make (and people we meet) do
have a significant impact on our lives. We’re
where we are because of this randomness
and not because of any design or skill on
our parts. In Jim’s case, he made a decision
to pursue a career in mechanical
engineering. Maybe his parents forced him
to? If he’d made another choice ... say,
being an artist, things would have turned
out differently for him and the 5000 other
passengers. The same is true for you and
me - the so-called choices we make, or are
forced to make, sets us up for things to
come. We get lost along the way to our
destinations.And, that’s ok. The side roads
and detours are where life happens and
where our purpose is forged. We don’t
know who we’ll impact along the journey
or who’ll impact us. Get lost, but don’t lose
the lesson or lose who you are. “You can’t
get hung up on where you’d rather be that
you forget to make the most of where you
are,”Aurora.
~ Jacques de Villiers ~
plaas op die atletiekveld en 'n
toutrekkompetisie sorg vir baie vermaak. Die
mansonderwysers wys hulle staal as hulle
met die toutrek die senior seuns lelik ore
aansit! Dankie aan die UK 2018 wat hierdie
dag georganiseer het.
~Erika van der Westhuizen~
Mr John Oscar Kubeka
Motivational Speaker.
For bookings call: 072 0796 796.
Facebook: JOK Inspirational (Pty) Ltd.
Fax:086 544 7844
Email: jokubeka@yahoo.com
JOK Inspirational
All the best, Excell in
your matric exams
As you are about to enter into your exams
preparing in different groups, please don’t
forget why you are doing matric. Don’t give
up and be brave. Don’t loose hope and
remember why you owe yourself a big favour
just to excel in life. It does not matter if you
have failed during the terms but this one is
different it carries the license to your
destination. Don’t blame yourself lift your
chin up and go fight a good fight to become
the person you aspire to become. The
poverty in you shall come to pass the day
you get 7 distinctions and all the funders
will be running to you to give you money to
study. Believe in yourself and make sure
you do your best in the exams. Pray every
day. Yes, evil spirits also want to attack you
through fear and other sicknesses, but never
mind you are protected by the lamb of the
Lord. Your efforts and commitment will
reveal itself after your exams. Don’t mind
critics, be bold and climb every mountain
because you are the light of the world.
Everything is possible no matter what. I want
to tell you that you are going to make it .
Come January next year we will see you with
a happy smile and rejoicing for the job well
done. Don’t panic, even though sometimes
fear may come during your exams you have
great support from peers, teachers, parents
and the community therefore make us
proud. The results you are going to achieve
will make you the great legend and the talk
of the town and your family will shower you
with presents for the first time if they haven’t
before. Your matric is everything in your
life. Don’t be distracted by silly things,
stay focused at all times. If it happens don’t
despair and also don’t commit suicide, you
still have another chance. I’m proud of
you. Go out there and make yourself a hero
of all jungles. For every day motivation
like the page JOK Inspirational Pty Ltd. All
the best.