Sweet 16

In my previous post I wish my eldest a sweet 16, as it's his birthday on the 4/4/07.

I remember when I turned 16. it was August 1975. On the bus on the way home from school I decided I was done with school. I tossed most of my school books out of the window, and only kept the text books which belonged to the school, and I would have to return to them else my dad would have had to pay for them. And that would not have been amusing.

3,5 months later I attended my last day at school. Then next week I went to find employment, was signed up as an apprentice Fitter and Machinist, left home and moved into the Single Quarters (accommodation provided by the mine for single males, like I was). And I never lived at home again.

There is no way I would allow GMan to do something similar today, nor would he, I believe be able to pull it off. Kids today just don't have that kind of maturity. Oh, they are way ahead of us with some things, but not this....

In today's world, leaving school now for him would be suicidal. There is no prospect of employment for a white kid (or even a black kid for that matter) if you don't have education. So, at least he does not have that option.....


Salagatle!

4 April 2007

Tomorrow, 4 April, GMan turns 16! I cannot believe that he's already so grown up. It feels like yesterday that I watched the doctor deliver him, by suzerain section.... man, it was such a special occasion, and he's a special child to have.

Happy birthday for tomorrow my boy. Keep up the good work, and keep making your mom and dad proud. May all the rewards you wish for be yours, and may you keep being the special person you are...

Salagatle!

My right to life

Human rights day
A day to celebrate
I hear you say
A day to deliberate

Human rights day
For who, and where?
Not for me and you
No, not us, not here

The right to murder
Rape and pillage?
Makes me wonder
Is that your right?

What of my right?
To free access
and movement,to life?
My Right to be me?

Salagatle!

Human Rights Day

Wednesday, 21 March 2007 -
In most of the world, another day, in South Africa "Human Rights Day". Now that a laugh. Some people say it should be renamed tragedy day, and even mourning day. In a country where women have a one in three chance of being raped, where a child is abused / molested every minute, and where the teenage HIV rate is increasing year on year.... Where over 200 teenage school girls fell pregnant last year, in Gauteng (one of nine provinces) alone, where armed robbery, blowing up of ATM's, and cash in transit heists don't even make the daily papers anymore they are so common....
Where farmers are being murdered daily, where an 80+ year old lady is raped in her hospital bed, where aged, black South Africans are denied the right to get an ID book and old age grant due to the inefficiency of the civil service...
Human rights day. What does it mean to me?
Nothing. Nada. Niks. Niente. (funny how all these words, meaning the same thing, all start with an "n").

Salagatle!

Another year of life

Another year of life,
Another chance to make it
More time to reach those dreams
More chance of seeing things

Another year of life
When birthdays come around
When New years are celebrated
Another year, your life

Another year of life
It comes around each day
But in it's own way
It's another year less.

Salagatle!

I'm back

It's been a while since my last post. We went away for a week or so, on a little vacation. Was a nice break, but I have come back to more crap than before I left.
So nothing has changed...

Will be posting more soon...

Salagatle!