Because it was the fifth day of great weather I dipped my guard by naively believing that winter had seen its arse. Spring comes early to this part of the country; it has been here even earlier than this, so my thinking was reasonable.
Three days later and I'm already in bed, on top of an electric blanket, next to a heater. Two cats are tucked up close.
Winter's back in full force: it's icy outside and snow began falling in Dullstroom, a mere forty or so kilometers away (if you take the scenic backroad), last night this time. It last snowed there 11 years ago, and in case you you're not batting an eyelid, just a reminder that this is Africa.
These pics were taken by my friend Colin Mann. He lives in Dullstroom with his family, all of whom were out until late last night building snowmen and having snowball fights. His daughter's school was closed today, they've never seen snow before.
I'm also in bed because I feel burnt out and need to recharge my batteries.
I'm working under a lot of pressure at the moment; the newspaper is growing, I have many other ideas for a wide range of projects, and I'm exploring the concepts of 'location independence' and 'digital nomadism' (more about this another time).
I'm also failing to get to my writing, journalism and photography passions. Because learning about business, and publishing has, necessarily, consumed my last two years. Rightly so, because journalism remains a mere ideal if it does not make business sense. I know that my writing too remains an ideal if it cannot support me. Sustainable idealism is, I believe, what transforms the world into a better place. It's also real. Sustainable idealism is neither of the valley nor of the mountain top; rather it's the midline of the graph, but with the best of lessons ingrained from the troughs and peaks. From heaven and he'll. As I said, it's real. I'm in a place of my life where real works - materialism, superficiality and pretentiousness sounds my alarm and sends me in an opposite direction.
Everyday I attend a funeral, for my ego.
I ask forgiveness for any pride or arrogance that might surface in me.
I pray for humility. I seek streamlined simplicity. I choose to live differently.
I choose to love. Anyone who is living that choice knows that it's not an easy choice; but that while it's the only choice, it's a choice nevertheless.
I seek to live in the world, but not to be of it.
I need no more than to have been vaguely remembered for having a beautiful mind.
2 comments:
What beautiful pictures! I was born in South Africa and although I never saw snow there, I always loved the Winter. I really liked looking through your blog. I originally wanted to be a journalist (still might..) because I love the way Journalists write and are able to describe things so beautifully.
Nicely picture in your Blogs site thanks ,,,,, Earning
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