Through the looking glass







Through the looking glass


Was my 46th birthday on Friday and standing there in front of the bathroom mirror that same morning as a strong, handsome and full of p—s and vinegar 18 year old, I was a little taken aback when I saw this old man staring back at me, losing his hair, full of wrinkles and looking like my dad. The 18 year old asked the question “so what have you done with your life and what are you still going to do with the years that you have left”. It’s a question that I have had to think about as I have always seen myself as being “forever young” or as “the man” Bob Seger sings in one of his classic songs.

I was 18 didn’t have a care
Worked for peanuts, not a dime to spare
But I was leaning solid everywhere
Like a rock

My hands were steady
My eyes were clear and bright
My walk had purpose
My steps were quick and light
And I held firm to what I felt was right
Like a rock

Like a rock I was strong as I could be
Like a rock nothing ever got to me
Like a rock I was something to see
Like a rock

I stood arrow straight, unencumbered of all the hustlers and their schemes
And I stood proud I stood tall, high above it all
I still believed in my dreams

Twenty years now were did they go
Twenty years, I don’t know
I sit and I wonder sometimes
Were they’ve gone

And sometimes late at night
While I’m bathed in the firelight
The moon comes calling a ghostly white
And I recall
I recall

Like a rock standing arrow straight
Like a rock charging from the gate
Like a rock carrying the weight
Like a rock
As we get older the dreams we wanted to achieve seem to slip by, because before we know it, the time we thought we had lots of suddenly becomes as the say in the classics “Few”. Achieve in the dictionary is defined as follows “to perform successfully, accomplish, to gain, win”

So what have I achieved in my 46 years on this earth and better yet what would my bucket list be for the years to come. I think its human nature to say, “Well I have not achieved much” and this was my initial answer. “I am also a glass is half empty type of person, so that was probably always going to be my response”. Sitting back and thinking about the question certain periods of my life flashed by and while I may not have had a life like Donald Trump, Bill gates or Oprah Winfrey it has not been that bad, in fact I would probably describe it as “worse than some better than many” I would have to say straight of that my biggest achievement was meeting and marrying Tania and through that we were then able to have a beautiful daughter. “I think Tania got the short end of the stick” to be honest with you, but hopefully I still retain some of that boyish charm that she fell in love with soooooooooooooooooo many years ago.

To be honest I think that to sit and write what all my perceived achievements have been would be boring, but I do believe that from having known Tania for 28 years and having been married for nearly 23 of those all that I have achieved has been because we have done it together or we have encouraged or nudged each other along and perhaps that’s what life is really about, finding your life partners and getting through the journey of life together be it good or bad.

“So what’s on my bucket list”, “well the one activity that I would really like to do, would have to be a parachute jump, either by myself or preferably attached to someone else ‘I think they call it a tandem jump”, as I think it may be better not to die alone after jumping out of a perfectly airworthy plane should the parachute decide not to open. The rest of the list is as follows” (in no particular order)

1) Watching my daughter getting married to the man of her dreams
2) Riding route 66 on a Harley with Tania
3) Writing a book that people will actually buy
4) Travelling at the speed of sound
5) Beating Mark at squash
6) Making a difference in a total strangers life
7) Taking a year off and ride the bike all over this great country (again with Tania)
8) Riding from Cape Town to Europe (just watched the Long way down)
9) Growing old with Tania
10) Being the coolest granddad to my grandchildren
11) Watching a major sports event final live with my brother in law Ryan

Tunnel vision this week delivered vegetable/herb packs to a few of the restaurants to see what we will be able to do for them in the future regards herbs and vegetables, Tania, Kathleen and Liza did a sterling job and hopefully we now have some prospective buyers. From nothing the Tunnel has started to look like something and soon we should have the plastic installed. A lot of this is thanks to the hard work of Ryan and Lefu. I must say I am looking forward to the day that everything is running well and we can start with skills development with the locals and show others how to grow vegetables and make organic compost.

Party at Highlander on Friday night was great with good friends and we had a really Lekker time, always nice to spend time with people that mean a lot to you. The day was also great with phone calls from family and friends and a couple of surprise e-mails from people that I did not even know knew when my birthday was.

Heard that a number of people in the village had read my Blog “May old acquaintance” and one person in particular had really gone ape over the story, “Glad you enjoyed it that really made my birthday”, “you will be happy to know that I am busy writing a fairy tale and will hopefully post soon” The village was also like the Wild West on Friday with the Sheriff being busy with him allegedly taking possessions away from a restaurant and a bottle store.

We sort of came up with the beginning of a song and would like to share it with you

To the tune of ‘I shot the Sheriff”

“I saw the Sheriff but he didn’t have a drink you see”
“I saw the Sheriff and all he left me was a bottle of brandy”

Anyway have a great week and don’t forget to write down your bucket list.

1 comment:

  1. what the heck is a "bucket list".... I have heard of 'to do" lists, but far as I know a bucket holds water not lists!?

    ReplyDelete

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