tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32069311315322626462024-03-05T22:07:25.727+02:00The Change AddictThe diplomatic ramblings of a scatterbrain on the quest for purpose.The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-69156431635306880162016-11-20T09:00:00.000+02:002016-11-20T09:00:32.845+02:00 Has the US gone ‘Coco’?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG1LMEz4rS44faAfGfNnIjZU7RGe7UIn0Nl1uRklHFe1xTqqzd3kKfEjKnQFsRMyakg-Usb99Osoa5OiPmHllKeZOpR5s9cGXZBP4hkZbM1IeQevz5w9ExKJxT4VmXXwgV9_BBczQRBbB/s1600/Rick%252C+Complex+2015-March+2016+119b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG1LMEz4rS44faAfGfNnIjZU7RGe7UIn0Nl1uRklHFe1xTqqzd3kKfEjKnQFsRMyakg-Usb99Osoa5OiPmHllKeZOpR5s9cGXZBP4hkZbM1IeQevz5w9ExKJxT4VmXXwgV9_BBczQRBbB/s320/Rick%252C+Complex+2015-March+2016+119b.jpg" width="306" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I believed in reincarnation, I
would <i>seriously </i>wonder about the past
life of our puppy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coco, who originated from two
litters born at the same time which were amalgamated into one big mass of dogs;
one of eleven, has a zest for life that is incorrigible. So aside from sleeping in between pillows in
the most bizarre and strange positions, hiding his head in the corner when he’s
scared (I assume those to be reminiscent of the pile of puppies from whence he
came), burrowing in mud immediately following his bath, chewing on his own foot
and seeking out the garden sprinkler on a regular basis... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He has a fascination for socks
and underwear that he steals from the laundry basket and hides in the cushions
of the sofa... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I know..., a <i>huge embarrassing moment</i> just waiting to
happen. Can’t wait until I have guests
in my house sitting on my sofa and <i>voila,
behold, in lieu of a napkin, we have...</i>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say he has some
seriously dodgy<span style="color: #c0504d; mso-themecolor: accent2;">,</span>
doggy proclivities. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this is not new; we all seem
to have taken a little baggage from our past.
The US election results were announced first week of November and I
cannot help but wonder if the results aren’t remnant of some unearthed, age-old
skeletons that many would prefer remain forgotten. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For two weeks ago a country that
is supposed to be the watchdog of democracy, freedom and prosperity (<i>to those of us situated in floundering
democracies</i>), demonstrated that instead of constructive vision and
integrity, racism and sexism now gets you to one of the most powerful positions
in the world; a position that is ironically supposed to uphold the <i>value of humanity</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A serious bone of contention</i>, I’d say. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scary part is: that <b>when you
fail to deal with your past, it usually destroys your future</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talk to us, we know... it’s a pursuit of objectives SA is also busy
with. Corruption, violence, racism,...
we too are working hard to pee on the hard earned progress made under the
constructive leadership of the likes of former SA President Nelson
Mandela. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just hope that for the sake of
Americans and the rest of the world, US President Elect Trump’s vision is to
truly make America great and not to be the biggest dog with the largest bone at
the expense of the United States and the rest of the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For if destructive ideology got
him into the white house, I for one, seriously have my doubts as to his
intention to be America’s knight in shining armor rather than the dog who
bares his teeth at everyone else... <i>Grrrr.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe Trump’s election to
office is a reflection of something called ‘<i>mathematical
visioning’</i> <sup>1</sup> which is a calculated reflection of what the [<i>almost</i>] majority have been thinking but
not saying aloud. But thanks to a secret
ballot, that voice has now been heard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately sometimes, it
really is a good idea to hide your dirty laundry, not air it out in public. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And hopefully in a hiding place a little more strategic than Coco’s.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For according to Trump’s account
of the American reality, <i>many Americans
may find themselves falling short of Trump’s definition of ‘American’... in his
quest to restore “law and order,” “secure borders “ and provide “protection
from terrorism.” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Barack, sorry, US President Barack Obama, you might be one of them. But then again, since you have accumulated a
large pile of bones, maybe you can stay...
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, Trump has
clearly communicated his intention to do more<i> ‘sniffing around’. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Destructive leaders like to brand
themselves as the ‘<i>solution in times of
trouble</i>’ and ‘<i>the only one who can’</i>
and who leverage fear and control as opposed to influence as the stick of
change and tell you that it’s the best thing you can do<i> ‘for your children’</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I can say is that from a
leadership perspective; <i>beware the lone
wolf.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So like Coco, who exhibits no
tact and no consideration as to the consequences of his actions, we find that
for the sake of all those involved and in a proactive effort to avoid the
potential embarrassment he can cause, he, <i>like
tyranny</i>, sometimes requires a leash. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1</span></sup><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> Hamburger,
Yair Amichai. (2000) Mathematical Leadership Vision. </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">The Journal of Psychology</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">.</span></i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;"> 134(6), 601-611. </span><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 110%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-48105830226036504572016-08-10T13:22:00.002+02:002016-08-10T13:22:39.552+02:00Those People Again... <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am looking for <i>those
people</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know; ‘<i>those ones</i>.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ones that everyone seems to know about; but nobody
actually knows. You know; those people. Surely somebody should know someone. You hear about them all the time. Always less sophisticated than the people who
talk about them. Always never like us. They are all the same. <i>Those
ones.</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe its time to be asking... does anybody have something
new to say? Does somebody actually know
what they are talking about? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I am looking for <i>those
ones</i> to find out if it is true.
Could there really be a population of people who are really all the
same? Not like ‘my own people’ to whom
the grace of individuality has been extended to explain away our own ‘bad
apples’. You know; ‘those ones’. “<i>They’re
all like that.”</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so when asking around if anyone knows anyone from ‘<i>those ones</i>.’ The answer is always the same. ‘No, we don’t actually visit those ones. We don’t communicate. We don’t get along. We don’t talk. We don’t even associate with those ones. And so if you don’t talk, communicate, get
along or associate for that matter, I think it is most reasonable to be asking
- <i>how is it that you think you know so
much about those ones that you actually do not know? </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Not sure about you</i>...,
<b><i>but
I am confused</i></b>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My diversity of life experience has destroyed any illusion
that I can claim to know anything about ‘<i>those
ones’</i>. I’ve lived in too many places;
have too many people I care about, crossed to many cultures to know that ‘<i>those ones’</i> are always very much like
me. That ‘those ones’ are me and I am ‘those.’ And any of ‘those’ are likely to be in my
direct family or circle of friends. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The luxury of ignorance is not in my corner on this
one. As soon as someone starts talking
about ‘those ones,’ I know they don’t know what they’re talking about. What becomes abundantly apparent is that they
know so little about their own humanity that they can look at other people and
convince themselves that they have nothing in common. They’re not like them. They’re better. That is a lie. It is really too bad that they’re simply
human too and are unaware. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as long as we continue to dialogue about ‘<i>us</i>’ and ‘<i>them</i>’, we lose touch with our humanity and grieve our Creator. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so while I continue to hear so much about ‘those ones’,
about <i>how they are and what they do</i>,
for the life of me, I cannot seem to figure out, <b><i>who the hell are “those people”
anyway?</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does anyone actually
know them?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- END -</span></i></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-81156813950370517982016-02-10T09:42:00.000+02:002016-02-10T09:42:15.781+02:00Listen Dumbo, Get out of my Face - A Call for an Increase in Common Sense<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">I recently sent through a
strategy document that focused on social development and received a very
polite, ‘</span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">thank you very much but we don’t
think you are qualified to advise’</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">That’s the politically correct version, of “</span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;"><i>Listen Dumbo, get out of my face</i></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">”.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">The funny thing about strategy is that it
needs to address the question at hand and I think the biggest and most common mistake
that we make is asking the </span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;"><i>wrong questions and as a result; we define
the issue incorrectly</i></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would appear that I continue
to have some of my least intelligent conversations with experts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dread a
conversation with ‘<i>experts</i>’. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I swear that something must happen after
someone is handed their PhD papers. <b><i>The
brain goes on leave or something</i></b>.
They are the quickest to power play and seldom answer my questions (<i>my assumption is that their expertise has
run out – their assumption is that I am simply <b>so</b> not on their level</i>). Whatever
the cause, it seems almost impossible to teach an ‘<i>expert</i>’ anything or get a
straight answer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My latest conversation with a so
called ‘expert’ went something like this; </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“So let me understand this, you want to increase the regulation and
policy on a trade that is already illegal”...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yes. In order to better manage
the current situation we need to focus on the policy, legal and judiciary
aspects of the trade.” <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Okay, but the trade is already illegal and statistics indicate that
this intervention strategy has had little to no effect to date. So the fact that the trade continues means
that the people who are engaged in trading have little to no regard for the law,
which would suggest that making more laws will have little to no impact... </span></i><i style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thus the definition of ‘illegal’...”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The dialogue degenerated rapidly from there</i>. Am I the only one who thinks that making more
laws to manage people who simply disregard law as a <b><i>waste of time, money and effort</i></b>? Why is it that when ‘<i>an expert</i>’ is not able to answer your questions your <i>qualifications and title</i> becomes automatically
relevant. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the biggest questions that
is seldom asked is: <i><b>Is it working? Are we getting the results that we are
looking for? What is the bottom line or
cause </b>(</i><i>politically correct for
‘why’?)<b>? </b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b> </b></i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so having this experience
regularly has highlighted another question; what makes somebody qualified? <i>Somebody
with experience... Somebody with
knowledge... Somebody with an education
in the field...? </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These so called ‘experts’ that we
hold in high esteem are often well equipped with knowledge. They hold a piece of paper which they earned
by researching a subject that is narrow in focus and makes them a specialist in
a very specific field; a ‘paper’ which somehow in today’s society places them
as an ‘expert’ in some field. <i>But somehow, possessing knowledge and the
application of knowledge seem to be different activities all together.</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a few more things I
think should be asked of someone when holding ‘experts’ in high esteem and
those are: What is their track
record? Do they hold a stake in the
outcomes that are being sought? How do
they weigh the significance of result and process? (<i>Working
hard and producing nothing, nor should getting the results at all costs be held
in high esteem</i>) What are their
intentions insofar as contributing to the matter at hand? Do they actually <b><i>care to use their expertise in a
way that contributes positively to society</i></b> and achieve the results that
have been prioritised? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When a position held or expertise
sought is to attain money and power... whatever the decisions, the outcomes
will generally not be ones that will benefit the majority. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This way of thinking is not new
and is bound to reoccur in a society that holds in high esteem; <i>money, position and power</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another conversation of note with
an ‘expert’ concluded something like this...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Please excuse my wife as she is
just not that educated you see.” A
statement followed by a condescending little pat on her arm and a flicker of
hurt on her face.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A statement said to the same wife
who <i>raised his children</i> while he
pursued his PhD. A statement to the same
women who got pregnant in high school with the same man and <i>who paid her in dues in lost opportunity and
a life time spent with a man who now looks down at her</i>. A woman who, even though he is the reason why
she never had the opportunity to pursue her own dreams, is the reason <i>he has a PhD</i> today. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“<i>Yes, there we
agree. There is a fool in the room. But it’s just not your wife</i>” I think to
myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thus, my conclusion on the matter
is quite simple. There is a big
difference between knowledge and wisdom and an educated fool is simply that: <b><i>a
fool with a bunch of papers.</i></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt;">That being said, isn’t it time we
start addressing the issues and the outcomes? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Please!?!</i></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- END - </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-32433736387169371172015-07-17T14:48:00.000+02:002015-07-17T14:48:05.636+02:00The Need to Know Who... Well sort-of!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Hey, whose going to be the leader if you’re leaving,’ one
of the girls called anxiously as her pigtails bounced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter at age seven diligently appointed
a leader and climbed into the car ready to depart from school while I stifle a
smile, my desire to laugh out loud and the urge to roll my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only did she have to make the decision,
she already had a full five year plan on who was going to be the leader of their
little primary school group of friends as they transitioned from grade one to
grade five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A plan which she diligently followed as she got older and
threw her support behind whomever was allocated ‘the leader’ for that
particular year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A plan which regularly
provided me with high levels of amusement as she faithfully talked about the
leader over the years not realising that she was orchestrating the dynamics of
the group from the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A plan that still makes me chuckle to this day and I
periodically remind her about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To her credit, she strove to be faithful and fair to all the
members of the group; an endeavour that did make me somewhat proud of the
person she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I started this blog, it was my hope that people would
follow ideas and not the person behind the scenes and thus deliberately left my
name out of the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I do
understand the hesitancy..., a great deal of hesitancy, I would like to know
why is it that we follow people we perceive to know because we simply recognise
their face from some magazine, seen them somewhere, or admire their talents, or
they hold a position of power, etc, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or why is it we are much more willing to follow people who
simply tell us what it is we would like to hear instead of the truth or what we
need to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We seem content to settle for an illusion of knowing someone
rather than an understanding of what that person stands for or represents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I worry about this concept of ‘follow...’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word has come to represent a passive
activity despite its active contribution towards some of the greatest human
rights violations and atrocities in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Its passivity allows events to happen that never would have if people
understood that following should <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">essentially be an active activity</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An activity whereby one should continually
evaluate the vision and merits of the person being followed and as a result, makes
an active decision to put their support behind that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">person because they agree with what the person stands for and what they
intend to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so the tendency to passively follow is perpetuating a
language and a culture of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
follow people because of their monetary worth, beauty, status, position, or
what we stand to gain by aligning ourselves with those who hold a degree of
power due to circumstance; ... a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">circumstance
subject to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chronic sceptic
that I am,</i> cannot imagine placing my support behind someone who has no
vision of what they intend to achieve and who leverages their ‘power over’
instead of seeing value in anyone else... simply because they hold a position
of power (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for the moment</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So rooted deeply in my cynicism, I am in search of a
leader...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one who has a vision for this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone who holds fast to the principle that
humanity has value by virtue of it being a common humanity; a leader whose
moral compass is not shifted by the relativity of the time and who stands for
something worth standing for and not the accumulation of personal wealth and
power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A leader whose absence seems to be increasingly
apparent...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An absence that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active followers</i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">general
citizens</i></b> should become increasingly concerned about... <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because
it is seldom leaders who pay for their mistakes, but rather the followers who
take the brunt of their leader’s poor decisions.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just ask those at
Marikana...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-13002727923071726162015-04-22T12:46:00.000+02:002015-04-22T12:46:40.533+02:00Those Waves of Change<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the beginning of the year, I had four garden chairs and a
table...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it has been a rough year for garden furniture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">–
my garden furniture anyways</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
see, the plastic table and two chairs were stolen about three months back, a feat
which left two wooden chairs as they were unable to be hoisted over the fence
in a hurry, as they were a little bit heavier than the plastic ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now plastic chairs are not usually high on
the list of thievable items of choice, so imagine that those were not the
initial target when the plan for theft was being hatched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, it left me with two chairs, and I was thankful
that they were the better quality items of the garden furniture. The thankfulness stems from a South African tendency to always
try and consider the worst. ‘Wow, sorry about your _________ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(fill stolen item in blank)</i>, at least no
one was hurt’ – standard encouragement, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">albeit absolute bullshit,</i></b> to stifle
the irritation of living in a high crime zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So that’s nice and all, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what about
my chairs?</i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So like a well indoctrinated local, I was thankful until a
few weeks back when the river came for a visit in the form of a flood ... So
while the wooden furniture was too heavy to hoist..., the same <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wooden furniture floats!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>And my thankfulness somewhat dissipated ...</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But while sloshing through the rubble in my goulashes, I
found one of my chairs tangled up in the vegetation of the neighbour’s yard,
covered with mud...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and there in the
back of my mind the urge to be thankful begins to show signs of life...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> B</span>ut no, it was immediately squashed and a basic life question... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at what point do we bury
the urge for gratitude and replace it with a life draining cynicism that seems
to serve the embittered so well?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The irony of life is that disaster and opportunity are often
presented as the flip sides of the same coin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Disaster is the presentation of a situation in which change is thrust
upon people, unasked for and usually unwanted – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but generally unavoidable</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question is – are we in tune enough to recognise the
presentation of opportunity in the midst of it or are we too focused on what we
had and the desire to go back to where we come from? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, embitterment only ensures that the coin
is never flipped over. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The problem with going back is that we are assuming that
there a space for the ‘back’ in the future; which by its very nature should
sound the alarm bells of impossibility in the depths of rational thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But as human beings we tend to be less then rational and
emotionally carry a desire to retreat to a time in which we felt ‘safe’ or at
least had an illusion of agency and influence in our world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironically the life journey, no matter to what point, always
begins at its present moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said;
I cannot help but wish for the time when the complex boundary walls were once
intact as we wait with consternation the outcomes of insurance claims which seem
to be taking longer than necessary...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the mean time, it should be acknowledged that it took the
river about an hour to demolish over 200m of infrastructure, a feat which will
take probably about six months to recover from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So on the flip side of the disaster coin, there is usually
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just that one needs
to have the courage to turn the coin over and consider the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus, for the moment, all I can do is simply relax with a good cup of coffee and a clean garden chair while
I contemplate what could have been, but wasn’t, in the midst of broken walls,
muck, make shift fences, razor wire and plants that are struggling to recover
from their unanticipated mud bath.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And when that has been fully considered, take some time to deliberate what opportunity it may provide to change things that we
would have been unable to change, if all was intact as it once was...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And six months from now, when all has been rebuilt better than
before, I might even be thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Until then, that niggling gratitude will have to be kept to
a bare minimum while I am forced to start each day with the walls down, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">until that too, changes</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-65681389729435161082015-01-16T12:09:00.001+02:002015-01-16T12:09:51.440+02:00New Year Ramblings<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a completely new year before I started a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new
‘how hard can it be’</i></b> project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so proud of my
restraint (my daughter just rolled her eyes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fact that it was less than ten days is irrelevant as far
as I am concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The change in date
indicates a high level of restraint on the change addict’s part and that is the
story we will be sticking to for the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But if we were to
confess our sins at the beginning of the</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">year</i>, the shiny bamboo floor got to me okay...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I learned that when one is dizzy, it’s generally not a
good idea to be up on a ladder; a condition that was probably a direct result
of some serious over exposure to fumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a result, I have a good bruise on my arm and a huge one
on my hip that sort of resembles a huge hickey gone wrong administered by an
enormous giant with protruding teeth and is a gruesome shade of plum purple
with bits of torn flesh.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that said; I still do like things that are shiny...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong><em>the potential of something (or someone) to be more than what it is (they are) now...</em></strong> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I learned something quite serious about change in the
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><em><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change
can be painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></em></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><em><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change
requires a purposeful course of action and an exertion of concentrated and
focused energy on the part of somebody... </span></em></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><em><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things
will always get worse before they get better. </span></em></div>
<em>
</em><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><em><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></em></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Change
always starts from where you are now.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, in the midst of New Year’s aspirations and good
ideas, perhaps one should hold the goals and ambitions against the criteria
listed above and consider the resolution in terms of action and energy instead
of results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Action and energy are in one’s control, results may be
subject to a whole other list of variables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That said; let’s make it a year of positive change!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wish you all God’s richest blessings in 2015!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p> </div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-35296155672193753732014-12-19T11:02:00.000+02:002014-12-19T11:02:08.310+02:00Renovations – how hard can it be? <o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So this past week, I wondered if it might be possible to
divorce myself. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have this symptom which is likely a by-product of being
diagnosed with a change addiction that regularly rears its head and it’s called
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘how hard can it be’ syndrome</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps some of you also suffer from this and usually you
find out in the middle of a ‘little’ experiment that it appears to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a ‘little harder than anticipated’ when you
are in way to deep to undo what has already been done and rethink the process.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A conclusion that was drawn when my kitchen was so dirty it
looked like the sand dunes of Namibia due to the high levels of saw dust that
had seeped into every nook and cranny and was now definitely not fit for food
preparation of any sorts and the kettle needed to be unearthed by qualified
archaeologists and sterilised before every usage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the ankle deep sawdust in the upstairs
bathroom, which was before all my bright ideas once cream in colour, now needed
industrial equipment for a full on evacuation and removal operation, not to
mention the state of the rooms actually undergoing renovations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And I wondered to
myself if this might be a good time to move</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because if it were anyone besides myself turning my house into
that sort of state, it would be definitely grounds for divorce or at minimum a
prolonged stay at a nearby hotel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alone</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Except I was the
problem in this case and one can hardly run away from oneself albeit, I am sure
many have tried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My daughter must have been in the process of Googling ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how to replace your mom</i>’ or ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ways to put your mother on Ritalin without
her knowing</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot help but
wonder if the rights of children are regularly violated due to the genetic
lotto that all children are subjected to because they are simply not in a
position to trade in their parents; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poor
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">See the story is simple, it happened when I found out that
the company would not be paying my agreed salary (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that is another blog, once I have found the amusement in that</i>), and
I concluded that the carpet in some of the rooms might be contributing toward
some of the ill health we have been experiencing the past few months and so decided
to pull it out and put in a hardwood floor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mean, how hard can
it be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well for starters it was the carpet’s intention to be a
permanent fixture in the house, installed back in the days when things were
done properly to industrial proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aside from the glue that securely ensured that a portion of the screed
underneath came with it, the underlay, due to simple touch, released a cloud of
something that resembled pictures of biological warfare they show to primary
school children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So armed with a dust
mask and gloves, I went to battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
hours in, I took to calling in reinforcements all of whom were currently and
conveniently unavailable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Which is what tends to happen when you do
not have a spouse of your own that you can persuasively convince to do your
dirty work and have to rely on a borrowed muscle power every now and then.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few hours later, nearly suffering from excess exhaustion,
the carpet was on its way out the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the door in my house is of course, as anticipated, not conveniently
located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is through the hallway, down
the stairs into the dining room, through the entrance hall and out the front
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A process which in an open plan
house, has just spread a cloud of hazardess dust through every single room in
the house; an airborne haze which took a good couple of hours to settle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And underneath the carpet, was a bright pink chemical
stain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than ten years old, it still
had the ability to colour plaster that was smeared over top of it and come to
the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is scary what you can
find in the process of undergoing renovations; a stain which in the state of my
exhaustion brought on a highly destabilised emotional state; a stain which has
been subsequently chipped out of the screed and removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then proceeded to bleach floors, swear at the smell and
the glue scraping process, purchase bamboo flooring, swear at the price, put
underlay, swear at the inability of it to lay flat, trim door frames, swear at
broken blades in power tools, cut floor boards,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>swear at the lack of tools in my house that are needed for this job,
purchase tools, swear at the project creep as a result, use my kitchen counter
as a work bench and cut it too, swear, nail in base boards and hit my fingers a
few times, swear, varnish base boards, spill varnish, swear... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am sure you get the
picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am
still not finished with the work... but am now at least hoping that the room is
dust and toxin free and our health can improve.<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so now while I am tackling the mountains of sawdust
still in the upstairs bathroom to see if the cream colour of the bathroom is
still intact after hours of the much needed excavation operation, I promise to
convince myself that next time I ask the question of how hard can it be, I will
explore the possibility that the answer to the question just might be; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘damn
difficult’</i></b>, and not allow the gleaming new bamboo floor lure me into
any future illusions about the process and potential of renovations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But once the dirt is gone... there are just no guarantees...
that the change addict will remember any lessons learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And who will wait just long enough to forget the process a
little before she begins again <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘cause
that bamboo floor looks <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sooo shiny...</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And like a crow that
is attracted to shiny things, the shine with eventually win out.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Shiny.’ ‘Damn difficult.’ ‘Shiny.’ ‘Damn
difficult.’ ‘Shiny.’ ‘Damn difficult.’ ‘Shiny’. ‘Difficult’. ‘Damn shiny.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Difficult.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>‘Damn shiny.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Damn Shiny.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Damn Shiny.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is what it means to be a true change addict.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-63830513026285796032014-12-03T10:22:00.002+02:002014-12-03T10:22:33.534+02:00On Food Trucks and Frucks
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These days, between work, study and parenting, I am
generally doing very well if I know what day of the week it is and arrive home
before 9:30pm. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while writing crosses my mind once in a while, I have
been extremely busy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">studying change</i>...
I know, fancy that, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the change addict</b>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">studying change.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been so hectic; my daughter even informed me this
week, that she would appreciate at least “one day of parenting” a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If your children are requesting parenting, you know things
are bad and your schedule is managing you, not the other way around and so I am
counting down the days until my last exam in about two weeks time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That and I have also started a new project in the food
truck industry which is adding to my schedule. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while the industry is relatively large overseas, here
locally, it has barely begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
cannot help but wonder exactly how it will adjust to the South African market,
or rather just how the South African market will adjust to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In one of my previous positions much of my marketing work
was to reposition an American social development concept for a South African
market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You see, South Africans culturally are quite big on slang.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So you see, How are you in South African is ‘how’z it?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other country’s ‘how are you’ is ‘how are
you’?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And hey my brother is “hey bru.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A washroom / restroom is referred to as a ‘loo’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s fine / cool is ‘sharp’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me a long time to figure out what
that was because the pronunciation was ‘shap’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Slang here tends to be highly economical in its usage of
phonetics and generally efficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Similarly there are eleven official languages and so if
there are concepts that don’t quite translate, they simply become adopted,
words like tsotsi (street savvy thug), lekker (tasty / great) to mention but a
few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said; it brings me a question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will be the street lingo be for food
trucks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know; food trucks are food
trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in what markets are they
food trucks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the SA market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have my concerns about the language of food truck or
mobile kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets will never
adapt to lingo like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mobile kitchen
is simply too long, food truck conjures up images of a delivery truck with food
and so generally the market will pick up on that and build an association.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we explored a few ideas with my daughter (on my one day
of parenting this week) and made a few suggestions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One that we liked and thought had some
potential was mobicat which was short for mobile catering unit, not bad - but
already a brand, or koscaddy (kos is food in Afrikaans), not bad but maybe a
little long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has a nice ring to it
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while we explored a few more
options, have actually not come to a conclusion on the matter. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said we do have some concerns. Knowing that ‘how are
you’ is ‘how’z it’ and ‘hey my brother’ is ‘hey bru’, we are concerned that the
shortened version of food truck... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not so sure I would like to tell people I work in the
frucking industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from the
standard reply to that statement which would be; ‘Sweetheart, we all work in
frucking industries’, I myself might have the urge to ask someone working in
the frucking industry whether an average day at work is spent vertically or
horizontally?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has the sort of sound to it that might suggest most working
time is spent on the back which would be a gross violation of reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mean, can’t you hear it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>‘Where did you get that?’ ‘I got the burger from the fruck on the
corner’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Well which fruck did you get it from, the one with wheels
or the one wearing jeans with the chef’s hat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not good people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not good at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cannot help but wonder why food trucks have less of a
presence in Canada when in the US it is an enormous industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the answer is simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would be ‘FRUCKS’ there too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because driving that thing through winter would be a mission
and when it gets stuck on snow filled roads believe me, it would most
definitely be a ‘Fruck’ and I am quite sure that the ‘food’ in ‘food truck’ has
been adequately replaced with another adjective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, ‘fruck’ is a word that would be easy to place into the market...
no effort at all, and the entertainment value is somewhat high level...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But as a parent, I must conclude that it’s just not a good
idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we will have created the
excuse for children, who when accessing alternative adjectives for expression
and emphasis, will tell us implicitly that:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘I did not say what you think I said Mom,’ I said
‘Fruck’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘You know, Fruck, short for F-O-O-O-O-D truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hellooo... where you been, Ma?’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Where you been?’</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-67531674762722012782014-09-15T14:06:00.000+02:002014-09-15T16:44:30.264+02:00In Desperate Times - Bring on the Ritalin...<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, given the number of projects I start on a regular
basis and the number of plans I have hidden up my sleeves at any given time, at
some level I am sort of wondering if I should have been diagnosed with ADHD as
a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I even wonder if other people consider such possibilities...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Undiagnosed adult ADHD sufferers who never
just quite knew what the issue was...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what I would like to know is whether Ritalin would enable me to continue to focus in a job that does the same thing over and over and over and over again? Because even the previous four 'overs' are enough to lead me in search of new information, yet alone the daily grind of doing the same thing day in and day out. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have also been told by a friend of mine that I don’t ‘stick
to things’ (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bastard – who are you to
judge</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have been analysing
the situation closely wondering if perhaps there might be some truth to that as
I am in search of yet other opportunities in the workplace, yet again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I know;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nobody wants to hear it.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And as such while there is some evidence that suggests that might
be the case; the jury is still outstanding on the verdict although my tendency to
go back to school (again) was met with my editor querying whether there are
support groups for <em>people like me</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘<em>Information
addicts are us</em>’ or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in an effort to collect data on the situation I proceeded
to do an online Adult ADHD test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the
test itself has a disclaimer that states ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this
is not a diagnostic tool</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, the test scales states that:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">If
you scored 34 & up... You may have symptoms of </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA;">Adult ADHD.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My score: 41.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">(http://psychcentral.com/cgi-bin/addquiz.cgi)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– Yep there it is... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as everyone close to me has probably
suspected for a very long time.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now before I delve into the implications of that diagnostic,
I do need to briefly reflect on the positioning and potential bias of some of
the questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of which refers to whether
one gets irritated while waiting in a queue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Except that the test is not South African and so it states ‘waiting in
line’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, in a country that prioritizes customer
service, this may be an indication, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">nobody </b>who ever goes to a bank on a
weekend at month end in South Africa comes out with the same blood pressure
they went in with. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, here,
instead increasing the speed of customer service, we put chairs and television
sets to entertain the queue while they wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like watching the third rerun of some dated television show / sports
programme is going to disguise the irritation that an hour and a half has
pasted while you were waiting in line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus I have concluded that those departing with ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no irritation’</i>, probably have ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no pulse.</i>’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does that then mean we have a whole country with high levels
of ADHD?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubt it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wide spread <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lousy customer service - maybe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Truth be told, I wonder how many kids diagnosed with ADHD
just process information differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From experience, information I receive needs to have a use
and a purpose and fit into information already in my brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also gets rewritten in a different format
(implications, importance, etc.) before storing, – into what I deem to be, ‘a
more useable format </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">’.
Thus, yes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there is a lot of noise and
static in my brain</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said; I
struggle to reproduce exactly what someone else has done and said, a
characteristic which has shown up in my school marks my entire life –
especially in an environment where regurgitation is considered more desirable
than critical thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I find
memorisation to be extremely difficult, but critical thinking and strategy come
much easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus, I will need to delve into my mind and see how far the
jury is in the diagnostic as there appears to be substantial evidence both for
and against...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upon an analysis of the evidence, I may be inclined to allow
myself to be diagnosed as suffering from an information compulsion,
disorganised, variety obsessed, and a change addict, etc., but would to prefer
to leave my brain free of drugs that will force it to process information like
most other people do even if it might improve my memory – and there are days I
feel like I need that - like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">when I am
looking for my keys that are in my hand..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, I am somewhat inclined to consider seriously the
diagnosis of ‘ADHD’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s
dangerous to put children into a box that will enable them to reason away
internally whatever weaknesses they may have and maybe even force them to
change the way their brain processes information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PS – one of my degrees (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes, complete... why are you asking</i>) is in psychology.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My recommendation with the luxury of hindsight would be to
consider making the environment as stable and predictable as possible for these
children who have high levels of internal chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I would urge parents to seriously
consider the implication of giving children learning medications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not saying don’t do it, but urge you to
look seriously at the matter and take into account possible alternatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was the kid who would be highly likely to be diagnosed
with ADHD in today’s society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
diagnosis that I was never given over even tested for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully
I grew up in a relatively structured and predictable environment; enough to give me some
balance to my internal chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so
despite of exhibiting many of the ADHD symptoms, I have come to the conclusion
that the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">score of 41 should be ‘shoved’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What usage would it
serve me aside from giving me a medical reason why ‘I can’t...?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a result, I am forced to live with a mind that whose
internal jury system is able to hang itself and intent on a continual quest for
new information. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mind I often wish
came with an off switch. (Ritalin perhaps?) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Note to self - <em>consider for further exploration.</em> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose it just might be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one of those perils</i> of being a change addict because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nothing
will change if we all think alike...<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-39882169604384660022014-08-15T09:10:00.000+02:002014-08-15T09:10:17.598+02:00Sprinkled with Paranoia<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been struggling a little bit with my car that past
few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while sometimes you wish
car repairs are one of those things you could post-pone doing, they sort of
have a way of ensuring they become urgent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s annoying really. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The damn
thing just stops</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So mine was on the verge of doing just that when I took it
in for repairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way I saw it was
that either I put holes in the bottom and we could propel it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flintstone style</i>, or I needed to find
some mechanical assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And after weighing
my options, the pro’s and cons, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">i.e. no
gym membership needed, less petrol costs, etc.</i>, I decided that mechanical
assistance is probably best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having taken in my car previously for a disk replacement, I
took it to the same place, not sure if they do clutch replacement or not. I drive in and roll down my window to
ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the sales people comes to my car and asks if he can
help and in response to my query replies,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, we normally do not do clutch replacement, but ‘don’t
worry, we can make a plan”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I can see
that the motivation to ‘make a plan’ is clearly a result of this man liking
what he sees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God bless those who make
hair dye, make-up, spanx and booster bras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heaven knows what I am going to do
when my blessed age of 29 gradually creeps up</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The statement ‘don’t worry’ is really an indication that
there are things you should be worrying about but are being asked to make the
deliberate choice not too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that
alone, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is usually reason enough to worry!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ‘making of a plan’ is infamous for just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as it sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People organise, and make a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the plan is, aside from the paper with
pictures of dead presidents, a paperless transaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Experience has taught me that with car repairs, it really does
not matter how business gets done, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because
someone is about to be screwed</i>. It was my hope and prayer that it wasn’t
going to be me this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not faced with an infinite amount of options (my car will not go far), I submit to
‘the plan’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few hours later, after some price negotiation, which is
now about 60% of the original quotation, they <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need cash</i></b> to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">purchase the parts</i>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Internal alarm bells sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Oh, hell no. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My car and cash?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like a rat.’</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A request, to which I asked if they could not purchase the parts
and I reimburse them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Besides, how far am I going to go if they have my car, out
of the two of us, they were sitting with the balance of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An agreement to which they originally agreed
and then reneged and I needed to come up with at least half, an amount to which
they undertook to finance the balance.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I walk back to the workshop, cash in hand revisiting the
process in my head and examining myself for errors of judgement and checking my
internal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stupidity barometer</i>...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now 4pm and the car, is now laying in
about four hundred pieces; a sight at which my stomach turned and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an obvious indication that it is much too
late to change my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not having transport, the ‘garage’ arranges for a car for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My ‘courtesy car’ is the first guy’s personal car, a 2004,
royal blue Corsa lite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a luxury car
by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, a car is a car and they are sitting
with my car, in 400 pieces, no paperwork and cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I need to have my head examined</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
least my having a car (albeit a poor trade off), is a small consolation that
they are somewhat serious about fixing my car</i>, so I tell myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I climb in and prepare to depart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The car’s gear shift where the gear
indicators had been rubbed off with time and so the first exercise was to establish
exactly where reverse was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally
the car also brought to my attention that power steering is a luxury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After some effort I manage and pull myself into traffic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am acutely aware that I am putting on the
windshield wipers instead of the signal lights when suddenly I am jerked
backwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am now driving from the
back seat instead of the front; a position from which I am no longer able to
reach the pedals thanks to the sudden collapse of the seatback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a state of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">heighten alertness</i></b> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">code for full on panic</i>), I pull
desperately on the steering wheel shifting myself forward enough to access the
foot petals and slam on the brakes before the rapidly approaching red light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart pounding, I manage to stop the car
and attempt to get the seat back to return to its upright position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A whole lot of drama for a simple half a block of progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes, I am missing my
car even more now</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And an FYI,
seatbelts are entirely useless when there is no seat back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All in all, I manage to arrive home safely with only two additional
terrifying visits to the back seat; holding on desperately to hope established
on the promise that the car would be fixed yet this evening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When it’s ready “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we
will call you</i>”, they had promised. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But by six pm, I still had no telephone call and now I am
beginning to wonder if I had not inadvertently purchased the petrol to take my
car to Mozambique for a permanent holiday on the coast – which wouldn’t be so
bad if I were in it... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>assuming of
course that ‘in it’ would imply at minimum, sitting comfortably in the driver’s
seat and not tucked in the boot (trunk).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once again, I find myself revisiting my decision making processes
for errors of judgement and decide that perhaps I need to drive back to the
garage and check whether my car is still there (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I mean – because after all I will be able to something about it if it
isn’t-haha).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I climb back into my courtesy chariot and aside from the
automated front to back seat transfer mechanism, I also do not have headlights
that actually work and it is already dark outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drive back to the garage... periodically
flashed by oncoming traffic – the polite way of saying, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“turn on your lights you moron”</i> - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with only one trip to the back seat this
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I arrive at the garage to find that the building has been
locked up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The side gate is still open
and one ‘back business’ is still busy, but not the one where my car is
located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news: my car is still
there, albeit with no front tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
does however look as though it is in a few less pieces than my last visit, but
it does not look like it has any intention of being returned to me yet this
evening; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a sight which causes some
irritation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On my way again, I call and enquire whether my car will
still be fixed yet today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will check
and phone you back, he tells me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The phone remains
silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I still have no
evidence that my car is there or had been there in the event that someone
drives it away. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘I should have taken a
picture’</i>! I think to myself more irritated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I go back, this time with a friend, angry with myself for
not thinking of taking a picture the first time around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been about 30 minutes since I left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s now closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locked up tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I estimate the time gap and assume that my
car must still be there. We travel around to the back and peak over the
boundary fence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes it has reached the
full height of madness , a security guard is walking over to check ‘what in
hell we are doing’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ignore him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The car is there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its
bonnet open and front tires still off; a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sight
which this time causes relief.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I take a picture between the barbed wire attached to the top
of the boundary fence as ‘evidence’ if needed, that my car really ‘was
there’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just in case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That night, I put myself to bed and sink into an uneasy
sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning I wake up and arrive at the garage as soon
as I am able, the complimentary Corsa keeping me in the front seat the whole
way this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And there she was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All fixed up, in one piece and
ready to go; running like new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I breathed a sigh of relief, said a prayer of thanks and
paid the balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a change, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s a
happy ending, but I am well aware that it could have been otherwise</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cannot help but wonder if more happy endings such as this
one would soon start to change our expectations and perceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may even significantly contribute towards
a reduction in paranoia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that, I suppose, is entirely up to us.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-38888826469942932082014-08-06T10:51:00.000+02:002014-08-06T10:51:47.023+02:00Garden Spooks and Change<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although I live in Africa and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it is supposed to be warm</i> – <em>well that is the international
stereotype of ‘Africa’ in any case</em>, I need to put frost guard on my garden
every year if I want to preserve my plants for the next growing season because at
night we can get some serious frost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so I pull out big white sheets of frost guard and cover
the areas of the garden that have plants which cannot tolerate the cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And every year without fail, the dog, a
little black schnauzer, reacts with a ferocious irritation at the changes to
his garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the first week he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">attacks
the covers and pulls them off</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
regularly gets himself tangled in his efforts to fight the new additions to the
garden because they cover areas of ground he is accustomed to patrolling and
he is unwilling to change his behaviour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then my frost guard gets a life of its own, while he jumps and
scratches at it in an effort to find his way back out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if it wasn’t for the 9 meters of white
frost guard trailing behind this little ghost of a dog, one would almost have
to look twice at this garden spook.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And every evening I am forced to go out and put the frost
guard back much to my own irritation.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus it would seem <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the nature of change requires chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A change in direction
requires force and energy.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A change in thinking
requires a paradigm shift. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A deliberate life
change requires energy and intent. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whatever the case, from somewhere, somehow, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">change requires different input</b><em>(s).</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes change is easier when the inputs are from external
sources and change is reactionary not deliberate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It saves ourselves from the necessity of
considering options and creating a shift for which by virtue of consequence, we
will be held accountable for and, by virtue of the numerous variables in life,
we may get the wrong outcome and regret in hindsight - <em>in which case one could
always seek to attempt to change it again.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But deliberate change requires choice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a calculated decision to destabilise our
environment and create chaos with the intention of creating new outcomes; a
plan to change one’s way of thinking and make a new behaviour choice; an
internal input of something new into an old situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet the first reaction to change seems to be fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A worry about what is not known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An attachment (sometimes illogical and
unexplainable) to what we know even if <em>what we know is not working well for
us.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I don’t seem to be willing to understand is the unwillingness of
humanity to honestly ask whether one is satisfied with the status quo at
present?</span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if the answer is ‘no’, why not change it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps the change you fear is little more than a garden spook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-52210734600519061072014-07-21T19:44:00.001+02:002014-07-21T19:44:49.366+02:00Life's Re-Start <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I have been a little lax... Is 'lax' even a real word? Okay, I've gone full on missing in cyberspace. Interestingly enough, there was no search party. No queries. Nothing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>And that's way a cyber relationship is not real people...</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that said, w</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen I started this blog, it was my intention to create dialogue. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To open a conversation, trigger some thought and say something real. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was my hope that people would start to follow ideas and not personalities. But given the number of visits to the 'blogger profile', that seems to be just a pipe dream... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>But I haven't given up hope yet...</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Life</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> experience has taught me that often social truths are mistaken for reality. Intentions mistook for outcomes and little of what we think we know, is actually the way things are. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wisdom has shown me that intentions are sometimes more important than outcomes. Social truths are things other people do not want you to question and simply accept as given, usually because they serve someone else's purpose. And that truth, when revealed to yourself can truly set you free. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So consider this: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>O<em>ur starting point in life is always where we are now...</em></strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Our past we cannot change, we can only change how we view it. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Our future depends largely on the perspective we take of our past. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Our present determines that perspective</em>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So have the courage to look a little deeper. Ask more questions. Change something. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Even if its simply a change in perspective.</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-50170783655524058052014-03-14T20:16:00.001+02:002014-03-14T20:16:33.835+02:00Mixed up in Verbosity...
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had to write a professional competence exam this week and
have never encountered such a poorly presented course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot help but wonder why human beings
have the tendency to complicate matters unnecessarily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Are we testing competence on a matter or are
we testing the ability of candidates to discern between essential information,
peripheral data and absolute bullshit.</i></b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These days <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bullshit detection </i></b>is a skill that
seems to be in high demand on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And which, incidentally, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seems
to be something that the average adult even seems to be struggling with...</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mean really, I piqued the interest of a married man this
week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem was, I simply couldn't get
past the idea that some men actually think they are so special that a woman
should be flattered when they get ‘come-on’ by them; men, married, as they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like so here’s the offer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a wife and kids but I will find an
hour or two a week to come and spend it with you to relieve myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wow!</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
<strong>that</strong> supposed to be flattering?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because
to me; it is not</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not
at all</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What makes you think you are that special?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What makes you think I would allow you to use
me like that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What makes you think that
I also cannot get a man for everyday of the week if I so wanted to?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Incidentally t</span>here is a guy I know who says the majority of
men cheat and he figures about 10% of women cheat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless the majority of men are cheating with
men...(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me thinks</i>), - he failed
mathematics... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Since he is so sure
his wife is not among them, I didn’t have the heart to correct him</i>... moron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so we work very hard to package what we want to believe.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We end up making things very complicated
unnecessarily, perhaps even to deceive ourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live in a world whereby we would like to be
so different from one another, exclusive, special and so in addition to the
usual excuses for discrimination like race, gender, language, etc., we have
added yet another; verbosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What the hell is verbosity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no, I did not
make that word up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It actually means
long-winded and wordiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially
the ability to make things more complicated than necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think it is a trend that seems to be
growing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You see these days we have MBA graduates who still do not
understand that in order to become wealthy, there needs to be more money coming
in than going out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean this is a
concept that can actually be taught to a five year old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it would seem that governments and
experts alike seem to be struggling with the same principle. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We try everyday to tell ourselves that we can make it
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But anyone who’s ever made it, had
some help along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it was parents
who paid for schools, a friend who opened a door, a scholarship, someone who
saw potential and invested...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have convinced ourselves that love uses people to get
what it wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Love bites, it bleeds’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love hurts sometimes. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And that’s the kind of bullshit I am talking about. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Love does nothing of the sort</em>. If love is real: love does two
things I am sure of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>Loves gives and love shows up when needed.</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Its time to<em><strong> stop buying so much bullshit</strong></em>... </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-75756981648504101582014-03-03T06:00:00.000+02:002014-03-03T06:00:05.026+02:00Time to Talk...
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had a bit of a rough week this week and so aside from not
blogging there is a running list of other things that just didn’t get done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I have to let people know
that my blogging is likely to fall to about once a week as my schedule at the
moment simply doesn’t allow me to give blogging the diligence it deserves). </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That being said, I attended the memorial service of a friend
who was just in his low fifties from cancer this past week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a good man, but then again I have not
yet attended the funeral of a bastard yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Either they never die or it is simply culturally unacceptable to speak
ill of the dead <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(incidentally that seems
to be a universal cultural norm</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure which, but in any case, that was
not applicable here. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I couldn’t help but look at the situation and listen to this
man’s friends, family and colleagues and wonder what would be said about me in
my absence in the event of my passing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Culturally I suppose nothing too ill-gotten
would be mentioned, but somehow I couldn’t help thinking<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, that isn’t it sad that one
lives their life and everyone else gets the last word on the matter? <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great to plan my own eulogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If nothing else, I would have the last word
which I think is somewhat appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It
was my life after all</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wouldn’t it be a dream
come true to have the last word where no one can argue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could say anything and there would be no
debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can’t argue with a dead person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I needed to laugh because I would imagine the audience
would go away wondering if they actually knew the person that they thought they
knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That, and I wonder when I would finish because I seem to
have something to say about just about everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose everyone has sides, but sometimes I wonder if my
life is more compartmentalised than the average person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have boundaries and distinctions between
private, personal, professional, home, hobbies, interests, sports, academics,
internet presence, etc., and there are only a handful of people who know me in
more than one area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That being said, I suppose it is also<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> possible that given the groups
tend not to overlap, I could have a whole eulogy planned and even in my death be
left with a lot to say and no one to say it too</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So perhaps death is a good reason to keep quiet after all...</i></b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and life is the time for your voice to be
heard and for you to say the things that should be said.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-62148687333408648992014-02-20T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-20T06:00:04.551+02:00 Icon Escapism
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friends and I went to see a soap opera actor once when he
was in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a long time ago in
high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was supposed to be very
exciting. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truth be told, it was my friends who were big
on this</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I was the tag along</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wasn’t
even sure who he was</i>; I just knew he acted on the soap opera ‘All My
Children’ which <em>I was not allowed to watch</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am not dissing his acting or
anything</i>, I just had limited access to that sort of information and wasn’t
interested in seeking it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we went
and got our picture taken and got the autograph, of which I still have
neither.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went into file thirteen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My ex’s
contribution and that is a whole other blog</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s besides the point, we went with a
group of friends when we teenagers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was fun and it was an evening out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that was sort of old school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, you can stalk people up close and
personal in cyberspace and they ‘answer’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My daughter and her friend were quite excited that her celebrity crush
answered their ‘happy birthday’ message back (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well someone did anyway</i>). </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which I told her and she was like, “Ahhh... Mom, why do you
gotta kill my joy”.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To which I replied:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Someone
has to do it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I find it interesting that in cyberspace, people read and
seem to comment based on stereotypes or even follow people that they think they
know and so actors and singers hold some of the largest following.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funny how people who are paid to pretend they
are someone they are not carry some of the most influence in society today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I somehow find that amusing, somewhat
worrisome and definitely ironic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The entertainment industry has an influence on media space
and the growing disconnect in society’s relationships as a result of increased
individualism are feeding an icon fascination much of which is hyped, staged
and fabricated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But who cares, it makes
money and creates a high level of dissatisfaction which in turn makes people spend
more money to make themselves feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a brilliant business model. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In any case, it would appear that the cyber-community seems
to have a strong desire to follow someone that they know something about and
can recognise, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">regardless of whether the
other party would recognise them back in return</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so it has been somewhat interesting to
note that the distance between ‘followers’ and ‘the followed’ feels closer than
in generations past and yet is in actuality further, given that there is no
real relationship present.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So someone we think we know, who doesn’t know us, we can
follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone whose ideas we identify
with, but we cannot recognise, we engage with, from a safe distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question is why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What makes us buy the perception that we really have a
relationship with Celebs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Is it because we know more of their business then our own</i></b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And could that be a
coping strategy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Escapism perhaps?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
.<br />
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The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-47368952085974815442014-02-17T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-17T06:00:01.338+02:00Valentines Cynicism<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, you know things are bad on the relationship front when the most exciting thing you have planned on Valentines Day is to <em><strong>change into your old clothes after arriving home from work and going to mow the lawn.</strong></em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, <em>the best I could do for Valentines flowers was to cut them out of the garden. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yep, that was it. <em> My evening on Valentines.</em> A bit sad, eh? It could be, I guess, but </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I suppose <em>it really just depends on how you look at it</em>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Yeah, I know, none of you have ever experienced that.</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you measure success by the presence of a relationship then I suppose I am terribly unsuccessful and that is terribly sad. If you measure your value by the presence of a significant other then I suppose I am not so valuable either and that would be even worse. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But to me it is neither. My current status is simply a part of life's journey which provides me with time and opportunity to focus on other things. Relationships with significant others do demand an enormous amount of time investment. In economic terms, they can sometimes be a huge opportunity cost. I think in my life to date,<em><strong> my largest opportunity cost was my marriage.</strong></em> <em>That's probably a highly politically incorrect statement but I think for many women it is probably true, even though we don't say it out loud.</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So while enjoying the evening air and the view of my garden, I have come to the conclusion that </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">there are a few things that I have decided I totally do not miss that are frequent occurrences on the relationship front. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first one I refer to as the butterfly syndrome. I have had enough relationship drama in my life time to know that often a 'significant other' is more interested in what they stand to gain by having you in their life than simply an interest in sharing their life with you and vice versa. And so there is so much effort put into the chase and catch which is soon followed up by the 'lock them up' and put them on show when other people are watching.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You know the desire to catch a butterfly and place it in a jar. <em>The jar soon becomes the place that causes them to loose their lustre because they have lost their ability to fly free</em>.</span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes I know, that has never actually happened to any of you. You all speak your minds when you are not happy with something. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The problem only arises when you begin to withdraw your voice from the circumstances and that eventually will also cost you your power.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The second is those who see you as the clay from which they can create their ideal partner or as close to it as they figure they can get. And after all the pruning, one day you look in the mirror and you wonder who the hell that is, looking back at you. <em> I know, that has never happened to any of you either. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My experiences have taught me that there are very few people who have the courage to love the person they're with and see and appreciate them for who they are. In order to do that we need to first love ourselves. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For once, I would like to share my time with someone who sees and values me not what they hope to get out of me, even when I am in my overalls and covered with paint or experimenting with power tools, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Perhaps that is the largest case of wishful thinking there is.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In this day and age, I am beginning to wonder if there are people out there who can still do that? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So that is my little contribution to Valentines Day cynicism, but since there are so few of you who identify, let's leave it there and hope next year will be better... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So here's to the flowers, teddy bears (<em>no, the damn bear needs to go</em>), chocolates and other trinkets on Valentines Day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><strong>Having someone make you feel special will never get old.</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span>The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-70447545307374499622014-02-13T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-13T06:00:01.099+02:00The Devil of Procrastination
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am back to writing
the day before publication</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is one habit, I cannot seem to shake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The devil of procrastination</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How is it that for me the relationship
between deadlines and doing is so strongly correlated?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I need to journey back to my childhood
to find the answer to that question. But I will leave that for those visits
with my paid best friend, and since I am suffering cash flow issues at the
moment, that will have to wait for another lifetime. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The problem with blogging is that we are back to ambiguous
attempts at sourcing last minute topics and so I thought to myself, perhaps I
should have a look at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">blogs that are
popular</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, put myself in
mainstream market.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So let’s see, fashion..., well..., after careful
consideration, I think I will just leave that up to the experts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wear clothes</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I know - that
is a serious disclosure of note) and I would like them to look good, but
generally would prefer to spend my time discussing things other than
clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean just how much can be
said about shoes before we reach overkill<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">?
</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apparently quite a lot since society has not yet arrived at
the level of overkill yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Some of us have lower thresholds of
tolerance</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clearly</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was probably the playing with tractors
growing up instead of dolls; r<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">uined me
for life</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alternatively we can discuss our children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah that’s good too for a while, but
eventually I think those who do it too often have become too highly invested in
the lives of their children to the neglect of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or how about a classic blog on relationships?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See, relationships are a fascinating
topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoy this topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just don’t think it is necessarily a topic
that people are very honest about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do
relationships according to our own unfulfilled needs and societies expectations
and if you have never looked at what you are looking for or where you are going;
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it is generally a recipe for disaster</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ‘can’t get out of
bed’ and eat nothing but ice cream for the whole weekend disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ice cream being the silver lining in the
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But hey, in the mean time feel free to take the
compatibility tests, learn how to seduce your man / woman (whichever
strikes your fancy, temporarily) and find out which shoes will attract the right sort of relationship
into your life, how to stop being the other woman / man,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">... blah, blah, blah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Something
like that</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah... so the change addict in mainstream is probably not
such a great idea because I am of the candid opinion that the mainstream market
needs to change its interests <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just a
little</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, wishful thinking... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So while we touched a little bit of everything in the time being
I should confess that I have a paper to write on the relationship between
poverty and governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, a little
heavy for blogging, but at least this blog allowed me to do what I do best:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A little procrastination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-23250472426986726532014-02-10T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-10T06:00:05.049+02:00Man's Best Friend is also Man's Best Replacement
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The balancing act between what can be said, what should be
said and that which should be left unsaid seems to be where the boundaries of etiquette
are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shrouded
in fog</i></b>; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discernible only by those
who have high levels of EQ (emotional intelligence).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The art of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘come ons’ </i>seem
to be positioned right about in the middle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">most savvy</i></b> are those with dual interpretation which allow for a
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duplicity
of meaning</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This way there is an avenue of retreat, should the response of the
party to which it is directed, be less than favourable. <o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Armed with a lighter
and offering to ‘light someone’s fire’ at a braai (BBQ), has a definite double
meaning and you will likely get away with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Albeit, you would be pushing your luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Saying that in the workplace, probably less than easily ‘back-peddlable’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose those who regularly push those boundaries
become exceedingly practiced in which case gives rise to yet another
phenomena; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">heightened levels of charm and lowered levels of substance</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem with charm is that it is
generally a reflection of an inner need to be seen and noticed which
contributes substantially toward <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
same charm being readily and freely available to anyone with the slightest
indication of interest</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In lay-mans terms:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> ‘a player.’</i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And since I encountered one this week, up close and personal,
the only conclusion I was forced to come to is that 29 is definitely too old
for ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that shit’</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news is that 29 is not too old to be ‘come on to’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So it
was a little flattering</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The bad news is that the quality of the selection of men, as
time passes by, seems to deteriorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The good ones get taken</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I know it’s not a politically correct
thing to say but; I have almost concluded that I should be looking for a man <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with a dead wife</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And not just any dead
wife because that too can be risk</i>y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These days, even the circumstances around the death need careful
consideration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One that died in an accident.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And not any ‘accident’ either; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you
know what I mean</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider Oscar</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Accidents</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">’ involving bullets don’t count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the long and short of it is simply this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time you reach ‘29’, the pickings are
thin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But despite that, what I do know is that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
right man is still important</i></b> and that life has taught me that it’s
better to get a dog, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">than have the wrong
man around.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I mean dogs are great.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They are always happy to see you when you
get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know when you have had a
bad day, understand that they must simply listen and not try and fix the
problem and would lay down their lives to protect you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They will happily keep you warm and are
content to simply curl up at your feet.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many a man could learn something</i></b>... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-52792570583368421302014-02-06T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-06T06:00:03.699+02:00Peppered in Doubt
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding myself in the midst a classroom this past week, I was
reminded that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the world I see</i></b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is
perhaps not the same one that most other people live in.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They say that there are characteristics that get more
entrenched with age and in this case it was highlighted in neon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have an inability to simply conform</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have a seriously hard time doing it if it doesn’t make sense to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You know those situations when you become acutely aware that
the way you view the world is not the same as what the average person sees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When everyone is going left, and there you
are on a quest to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wonder sometimes if
we all taste the same things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or whether
or not we all see colour the same?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I am convinced that different people attune to
different information in the same circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I find relevant and what someone else
finds relevant are perhaps very different things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose too that any information we receive is also passed
over an internal processing system and in my case it always comes right back to
‘why.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose God already knows what has crossed my mind so why
not be honest about it and say it out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A part of me doesn’t really think
that there is too much difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another part of me
recognises that the differences can be very real, with far reaching
consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But what seems to get me in trouble the most, is the speed at which I
see the consequences of something</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes I wonder if other people see it , if I am alone, or if I
simply just make this crap up for the fun of it and irritate myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whatever the case, this seems to be the operational point from which I
start; the root cause of my change addiction and my inability to simply keep
quiet and watch things happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My mother, bless her,
still rolls her eyes at me and says, “must you always try and change the whole
world?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Well..., yes, Mom”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mean this is my Mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely by now, she should know that there are things that just simply
need changing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone has known me my
entire life<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, she should know...</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be honest there are days when I sometimes wish I could
simply wait and see things unfold as they happen like I perceive the majority of
people seem to be doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And perhaps that
perspective is wrong</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I do know, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is
that often I see decisions that are made that people are uncomfortable with,
that are justified externally with layers of intellect but internally peppered
with enormous seeds of doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sometimes, I just think that it’s the doubt that should be given the
platform a little more often</i></b>. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-7305352710218724062014-02-03T06:00:00.000+02:002014-02-03T06:00:05.582+02:00Someday... Girls Might Just Grow-up
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The girls that get chosen for the basketball team are the
ones who look good in their uniform” I am candidly informed by my niece (14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, there are high schools fifteen years later (plus-minus) that
still exist in a time warp even worse than the one I attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now that is still tragic</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it is no longer about the sport and even
there out on the basketball court, it is about how you look, I wonder what
women will be doing in twenty years, if anything at all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When will it be about what you can do and not
what you look like?<o:p></o:p></i></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yep, the change addict is an ugly duckling, you’re thinking... so many
words, so few pictures; there must be a reason...</span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine if both genders functioned like this<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
whole world of very pretty but entirely useless people.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A booming beauty industry, but that is about
all there is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pursuit of beauty the
be all and end all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of plastic
surgery and the endless pursuit of the fountain of youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yep, that’s it, she’s one of those, ‘nice’ girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know all personality, not too much
else...<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If women were placed in a ‘separate development’ social
construct, I fear that many would be living in shacks, well because engineering
would <em>be beyond our intellect or at least our interests</em>, the roads would
collapse and never get repaired, because well... <em>we wouldn’t want to break a
nail</em>. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I understand that given biology, the survival co-dependency
between men and women ensures that this scenario will remain a case of gross speculation and little
far-fetched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But isn’t that what women have been sold?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Check ‘women’s
magazines,’ it’s not all that far off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">...Oh dear, even worse, the change addict must almost be a man... must
be... No ‘good-looking’ woman would talk like this... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cannot help but ask myself is this really the fruit of the hard
earned women’s suffrage movement and the generation of women who determinedly
burned their bras in their quest for equal rights? <em><strong>So women can now vote</strong></em>, <em>but
their value still comes from how they look not what their accomplishments are,
what they stand for or who they are.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amelia Earhart was the first woman who flew solo across the
Atlantic, but just how good did she look in her stilettos?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What saddens me most is that places our value as women
externally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is based on someone else’s
approval and the question is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Why would
you give somebody that sort of power over you?</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>This culture of ‘haters’ needs to go.</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Talk about debilitating.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">...Yep, must be a man... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>The inability to see value, talent and potential in another
human being says more about the person seeing than it does about those being seen.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It says that they are unable to see intrinsic
value in themselves and in order to make themselves a little bit bigger, they
have the need to look down on other people and make them small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><strong>That attitude also guarantees nothing will be accomplished
that is bigger than we are.</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And no, I am not a man, <em>I have a biological daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><em><strong>Science may be good... but not yet that
good!</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-11221656406847958992014-01-30T06:00:00.000+02:002014-01-30T06:00:02.184+02:00The Seeds of Worry - the desire for change<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Between the two sayings, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Don’t worry, things will get
better</i></b>” and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Stupidity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting different
results;”</i></b> <em>which one is actually true</em>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>There is something about these statements, I find inherently frustrating.</em> Aside from the blatant contradictions they seem to imply, they somehow enable the person who utters them an air of condescending wisdom and intelligence and yet place the recipient in a position of passive acceptance and a state of an implied <em>dullness of mind.</em> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>They are not at all empowering.</em> And yet they sound believable, like they should at some level be true. They simultaneously imply a pearl of wisdom that is present and yet evasive, leaving you with exactly <strong><em>nothing to go on</em></strong>. Advice that simply <em>cannot get better from the condescending throne of implied infinite knowledge and wisdom</em> and yet cannot get worse given its <em>chronic uselessness in reality and practical application.</em> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Could it be that “<em>don’t worry, things will get better</em>” is a
statement that refers to the natural passing of time, which in turn, has the
capacity to change things? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps,
its intent is to remind humanity that worry itself is neither conducive for
change nor the happy passage of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
that in and of itself, worry is essentially an activity that is non-productive.
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And yet on the other hand, the other statement suggests that
a continuous course of same actions will yield the same result which would
essentially undermine and suggests that the previous statement is perhaps a
false one. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A statement aimed at
relieving the spokesperson from any responsibility in the circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t worry things will get better,” </i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">usually </i>combined with a pacifying pat on
the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">statement of false information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
intended to build false hope and false expectations.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One that exonerates them from taking a course
of action that would directly involve them in the course of events causing the
state of worry to start with?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
intended to pardon their lack of interest and involvement in something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Whatever
that something might be.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An excuse.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A declaration of
distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A polite way of saying, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">please
just do not involve me in this thing</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alternatively consider the validity of the statement that <em><strong>“stupidity is
continuing to take the same course of action and expecting different results”;</strong> is that true</em>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In mathematics it’s a true statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Often in relationships it is also very true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are times when taking an umbrella
to work may be useful one day and unnecessary the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, the same course of action yields different
results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So p</span>erhaps this statement holds true in
circumstances where the variables are held constant but not always in cases
where we do not control all the variables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><em><strong>And life, as a rule, tends to fall in the latter category.</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And thus the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">time</b> factor becomes relevant yet
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>Time seems to be one variable we cannot control.</em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus could it be possible, that the issue here is actually neither and the
questions we are asking: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the wrong ones.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And so perhaps the
question needs to be</i>; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">for how long</b>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For how
long are we willing to tolerate the state of worry or for how long are we
willing to take the same results again and again by following the same course
of action?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isn't worry itself a
state of ‘wanting change’ and not having the courage or the course of action
within reach to pursue it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is stupidity than just
a higher level of commitment to a repetitive course of action?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so the question we need to be
asking is: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for how long?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How long before we change it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></i></b></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-36030103606083679782014-01-27T06:00:00.000+02:002014-01-27T06:00:02.159+02:00Due to a Donkey Shortage...God must be Bald <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">God must
be bald. </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I know there are things that you just
don't say, and that statement might be one of them. But let's think about
this for a moment. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Have you ever considered how many
times you get irritated in a day? Then out of the irritations, calculate
how many of them are actually caused by other people either in your life or
through daily human encounters, at the shop, on the roads...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Factor into the equation, how
many of those incidents are sparked by highly not so intelligent behaviour and
or intellect... <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And how many times do you
really feel like pulling out your hair on a weekly basis? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Multiply that by the population
and factor in the number of incidents calculated from the beginning of
time. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">See? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God must be bald</i>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">By now he has
pulled out every hair He ever had and has gotten tired of speaking
into the world every rotation for additional hair which probably by the
time the earth is halfway back to Greenwich Meridian time, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is long gone again</i>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No seriously, consider all those <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very serious issues</i></b> that ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christians are busy with</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em>(</em></span><em>I am picking on Christians assuming that
those talk to God on a more consistent basis.)</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean very serious things like whether it is okay to be associating
people of other faiths, or being seen in a pub<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>or how much grass has been consumed for the pardon of sins (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seriously there is a church that does that
too</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No wonder non-believers would prefer to keep their distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raving
bunch of lunatics we are</i>, not to mention the stress of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">having to pick the right church</i></b>
because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">according to the ‘other churches,’ most members of those ‘other
churches’ probably ‘ain’t gonna make it’ to heaven either... </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High Stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total Confusion.</span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And how about wearing hats in church...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There,</b>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now that is serious</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some churches who do not allow
women in church without a hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
created <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">male and female <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">naked</b> in the garden in the Garden of
Eden, and now</i>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hats are seriously high on His to do list in the midst of starving children,
wars and diseases.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I understand</i>,
there is a verse in the bible and maybe you’re right that scripture has nothing
to do with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modestly and character</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything to do with the hat</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
personally, seriously ‘doubt it.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But hey; ...maybe!</b></i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry, what was that you were saying?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes, I know</i>,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> I</i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will
not be getting into heaven through the front door. Thanks for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And how about... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dare
I say it</i>... <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">women in church office</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now there’s a very serious issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Churches have even split over this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I kid you not</i></b>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Women
should <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> be allowed to lead in
church<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean God is seriously worried about this issue.</b></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I mean
it’s right on the dividing line between heaven and hell and so we simply cannot
afford to get this wrong.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So let’s consider the following:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God used a donkey to warn Balaam not to go up
and curse the Israelites.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The donkey saw an angel in the path and
actually spoke</i> (Numbers 22).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if need be: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God is
willing to use a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">donkey</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the bible also says that if the disciples did not praise
him ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the stones will cry out</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Luke 19:40)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so, well God’s calling of the following women prophets and leaders; Huldah (2Kings 22:14), Anna (Luke 2:36), Deborah (Judges 4), Queen Esther
(Esther)... etc. to mention a few known examples, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could only have meant</i>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that there was a serious shortage of donkeys
in the land</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So multiple all that
intelligence by the world’s population and there you have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GOD MUST BE BALD!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<br />
</span>The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-2277516713349766562014-01-23T06:00:00.000+02:002014-01-23T06:00:01.341+02:00The Power of Voice<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It used to be that you went to the salon / saloon when things got
tough. It sort of depended on which was more socially acceptable at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chat and support was free (<em>over a beer or under your curlers</em>) and
so you would emerge a few hours’ later feeling better (<em>in theory,</em> <em>on a good day anyways</em>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A casual
'go over' of trauma with the intention of moving on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And because we developed <em>or
regressed</em> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">depending on who you ask</i>) as
a society and no longer had a collection of friends to talk to when things got
bad, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we
created an industry and called it therapy</i></b>.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A R</span>ent a Friend for an hour and a fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Also known as ‘Psychologists’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even trained them in the art of friend
like activities; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active listening, issued
them with a code of confidentiality and forbid them to take advantage of anyone
during that state of mind and sometimes, just sometimes, we were offered ‘professional’
advice.</i> ‘<em>Professional advice’</em> based on the reading of a textbook of cases
most likely never experienced first hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A now formalised rehash of trauma in the effort to move on.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That being subject of course (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the moving on) </i>to just how much the same
psychologist wanted to keep you coming back, for ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your own well-being’</i> of course. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It used to be somewhat
‘okay’ to be in therapy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little
more accepted where I came from than it is here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know a pat on the back and a ‘muttered
under the breath out of intended hearing;’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“thank
God, it’s about time that crazy chic went to therapy”.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, generally supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well,
in public anyways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here, they simply tell you, you have issues and that the issues
themselves do not set you apart from anyone else; and so <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just what makes you think you’re so damn special</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A whole
country with trauma</i> (not the only one mind you, but that is whole other
blog).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so therapy would only suggest
that you have economic means to elevate yourself as part of a more privileged class
than the average person on the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And thus I do believe, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we have evolved one step further</i></b>,
and are now in the era of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an editor.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all it sounds a little more ‘classy’.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No, I won’t make it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m off to see my editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Busy with the final rewrite.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I figure, if one needs to go through the whole process of giving
the pain you experienced a voice, you might as well go for the full Monty, do
commercial and write a book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">written rework of trauma</i></b> and trust
me, by the time the process is finished the experience will have been felt, re-felt,
cried over, rehashed, revisited, gone over, examined, analysed, rewritten,
evaluated, scrutinized, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’ll be so tired of the whole thing, you’ll
simply move on.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But despite that, there is one thing life has definitely taught me; pain is one thing that
does not bottle well. It has a way of coming out and if <em>you won’t</em> give it a voice,
<em><strong>it lays claim to the well-being of the other areas of your life;</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <em>y</em></span><em>our health, your relationships, your
finances, etc.</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so, I recommend <em><strong>giving yourself a voice</strong></em> because if
anyone is going to reap the silver lining from the ups and downs of life’s
journey, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it might as well be you</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That voice may not be in the form of a book, but allowing
your pain to speak will at least <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">free you</i></b> to live a life <em>having grown
and moved on from your hurts</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-7732628868622590152014-01-20T06:00:00.000+02:002014-01-20T06:00:02.244+02:00The Need for Sheep
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever noticed that some people suffer from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a
need for sheep</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Personally, I felt the need for sheep coming back from my
holiday, but that was simply because the grass had not been tended to for weeks
and was ridiculously long. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But that is not the sort of sheep I am actually discussing
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people seem to measure their value based upon the
number of people following them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
problem with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">needing human sheep</i> is
that in order to keep them you need to be gifted at manipulation or bullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">South Africa has an accepted ‘culture’ that tells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expectations are such that if you tell
somebody something they simply will abide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a culture that is inculcated in schools through an education system
that does not encourage dialogue and debate but one that favours memorization,
regurgitation and conformity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sadly, I have no intention of raising a
daughter that simply does what she is told</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In a strongly patriarchal society, I think it is dangerous.</i></b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That being said, it is not to say,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> that there are not days where I reconsider the wisdom of that
philosophy.</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Days like this one, where she has simply told me that she will not attend an
event that her school indicates is compulsory <em>on a Saturday</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wonder how long it’s going to take
them to figure out that in their school of conformist sheep, there is a ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">little black goat’</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">her words not mine</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose this is
when you wonder, as the mother ‘goat,’ if your teaching has been a little too
effective? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The bible also talks about sheep and a Shepherd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what we often forget as Christians is
that sheep follow a shepherd because of the relationship they have, not because
they are simply told what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone
who’s ever chased sheep before knows that they will not easily do as wanted no
matter how many sticks you hold.</span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so effective
leadership will always come back to the value of the relationship you have with
people and not the size of the stick you hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is simply unfortunate that history seems to have to reteach this
lesson on a regular basis</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I will get back to you on the matter of goats...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jury is still out...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206931131532262646.post-71757492791215704912014-01-16T06:00:00.000+02:002014-01-16T06:00:04.856+02:00The Novelty of Newness
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">New things can be exciting and stressful, but one thing for
sure, newness does not last and novelty disappears soon after it's started. Take
this blog for example, I was going to be ambitious and committed and <strong><em>write in
advance</em></strong>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s now the night before publishing time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Late. And here I am Racking my brain for
something to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it also doesn’t
seem to help that I am talking into random cyberspace, but that is another blog
all together.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a new year, but already the novelty has worn away
and we are getting about our daily business and trying to desperately remember
to write 2014 instead of 2013, which in our repeated attempts to adapt, is
already getting old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so 2014 is starting with quite a few ‘new’s’ for us; a
new office environment, a new school for my daughter, and so new people and new
goals... new expectations and new decisions that need to be made, new
schedules... etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while it can be exciting, there is a desire for a little
more of the mundane as we scramble to adapt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And by mundane I simply mean things in life that are expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><strong>All cannot be new forever</strong></em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Thankfully. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Constant newness would
be exhausting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with most things even a new car loses its lustre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly the ‘new’ experience of driving it,
after a few months, becomes standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And a
new baby loses his or her novelty even faster.</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Two
nights of no sleep and a few poopy diapers will do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so he or she remains novel to those who have not yet met
or seldom care for him / her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me,
there is nothing like losing your status in your mother’s eyes than by giving birth to
a grandchild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ohhh, look at her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is soooo
cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to Oma”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s nice to see you too Mom, I’m well,
thanks for asking”.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You call at her
retreating back after she’s taken her grandchild out of your arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Its a serious change (<em>downgrade</em>) in status. From '<em>daughter</em>' to '</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">mother <em>of my grandchild.' A serious indication that your novelty has worn off. </em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am by no means measuring their value against one
another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the new car smelt bad after
a few hours and kept you from much needed sleep, it would lose its novelty much
quicker too. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I suppose the joy of newness is that it serves as a reminder that you are still
alive and growing; still on the path to somewhere, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even if the somewhere itself is
somewhat obscure</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am grateful for the ‘new’s’ thus far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankful that anything ‘new’ keeps me away
from the ‘same old’, ‘same old.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too much ‘same old,’ ‘same old’, cannot be healthy either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So hopefully the ‘newnesses’ still awaiting us in 2014 will
indeed be those of blessing and serve as a reminder that life is a journey, not a destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I suppose that that is really what is meant by 'Happy New Year.' </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so Happy New Year to you all. </span> </span><br />
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The Change Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11210993125213775206noreply@blogger.com0