I love mornings in winter, invariably the sky is clear and the low sun gives everything a golden glow, even on the way to work there’s a certain peace to a morning like this. Cars are driving by, but somehow it seems quite definitely a lot more quiet than the afternoon rush when everything seems a clamor of noise. People are tired and grumpy from a long tiring day at work, but in the morning they're fresh - or tired, but tired ‘cause they just woken up. I love watching my golden world rush by outside the window, and you get a small look into other people’s worlds as you see them pass you in their car.
Then there’s the city driving in the morning, with the vendors and the News Paper sellers, and people walking the sidewalks making their way to work. I don’t often drive through town on the way to work, I work on the outskirts but today I was dropping Mom at her work. The Newspaper seller (mom sees him everyday) had a friendly comment to share while trying to get her to buy a paper (we had one) and always a big smile. That’s’ the difference in South Africa the streets are filled with people going there way, but they notice you, and know you’re there, you don’t feel overwhelmed by the sense of just being another unknown in a large city. If you smile at someone they’ll invariably smile back.
Africans bye and large have relied on their neighbors for hundreds of years and many still do, with so many things, so each person is treated as a neighbor, “I might not know you but someday I might” resounds through their smiles. Not saying there aren’t many problems with crime and Violence, but being made to feel part of something and recognized by and large, goes a long way to recompense the negatives. I look into the faces of those that pass me by the middle class, struggling to make his payments, the man trying to start something for himself selling what wares he can, and young entrepreneur. They all hold hope, there’s no defeat there, and they know that things will be hard they’ve experienced it before – they also know that they are surrounded by like people who refuse to be beaten down by fate and circumstances and while there is still life in their bones they will make something of it. This is Africa our feet are rooted in its soil and its rain feeds our soul and cleanses our wounds and makes us strong again – this is our home, and we feel sick away from it.
Mmmmm …. I love mornings like this, they energize me and give me hope.
Then there’s the city driving in the morning, with the vendors and the News Paper sellers, and people walking the sidewalks making their way to work. I don’t often drive through town on the way to work, I work on the outskirts but today I was dropping Mom at her work. The Newspaper seller (mom sees him everyday) had a friendly comment to share while trying to get her to buy a paper (we had one) and always a big smile. That’s’ the difference in South Africa the streets are filled with people going there way, but they notice you, and know you’re there, you don’t feel overwhelmed by the sense of just being another unknown in a large city. If you smile at someone they’ll invariably smile back.
Africans bye and large have relied on their neighbors for hundreds of years and many still do, with so many things, so each person is treated as a neighbor, “I might not know you but someday I might” resounds through their smiles. Not saying there aren’t many problems with crime and Violence, but being made to feel part of something and recognized by and large, goes a long way to recompense the negatives. I look into the faces of those that pass me by the middle class, struggling to make his payments, the man trying to start something for himself selling what wares he can, and young entrepreneur. They all hold hope, there’s no defeat there, and they know that things will be hard they’ve experienced it before – they also know that they are surrounded by like people who refuse to be beaten down by fate and circumstances and while there is still life in their bones they will make something of it. This is Africa our feet are rooted in its soil and its rain feeds our soul and cleanses our wounds and makes us strong again – this is our home, and we feel sick away from it.
Mmmmm …. I love mornings like this, they energize me and give me hope.
