i like to call myself 'The Eternal Optimist' This is particularly true when it comes to sport, and especially cricket. If it is still mathematically possible, i hold on hope to the very end, even if it looks really likely that we are going to lose. And then get genuinely surprised when we do. i like to think i am the same with people to a large extent. i want to believe the best of [...]
You know, the whole, 'Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes' thing? Following on from the post and conversation relating to inequality at the moment still being a race thing in South Africa, what might be a helpful activity is to take a look at how you understand the other person's argument. Are you able to jump into the comments and comment from the point of view of the person on the [...]
So, the other day i tried to take a few steps back in this ongoing Race and Reconciliation conversation we've been having over here with this post trying to see if we could all agree that the incredibly out-of-proportion extreme gap between rich and poor in our country [and the world at large] is not okay. Most people stayed away from engaging at all [maybe it's cos of the busy time of the year, but [...]
i do not know all the answers. Let's start there, shall we. This is not a post from the guy who knows all the answers, trying to make you feel bad because you don't. In fact, at the moment i'm really just working on trying to figure out the right questions. I'm not expecting you to have all the answers, and i'm not claiming that you do and that you're ignoring them or a really [...]
...by the time you read this post, you'll be gone... So in response to my post directed at my white friends in South Africa and Americaland with regards to race-related things, i got a rather strong sounding response from a guy called John. Which i thought it might be quite fun to respond to: The reason I write you off as another white “Arts-degree” imbecile: You compare the history and economics and politics and sociology [...]
One of the most moving times of the whole weekend was actually right near the beginning, when after arriving at Robben Island, and dropping our stuff off at our rooms, we met together for introductions. We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves and say why we were there. i had the task of following my incredibly gifted wife who has such a powerful way with words that she immediately won over the [...]
Being a bloggerist [as i like to call myself] can be a roller-coaster whirlwind of emotions, and often is. The tension that exists between writing what you want to, what feels like it might be importantly significant, or giving in to the little red guy on your shoulder of page view stats where you slide into writing what the people want to hear. Sometimes those things line up and it is easy. Any time [...]
So in these two most recent Pearls before Swine cartoons, we get a great glimpse of the character of the two main, um, characters, namely Rat and Pig. Rat being the cynical, mean, vindictive one, i find that i identify with him way too often, and when i notice that i do, i usually have to do some kind of changing of my ways... although sometimes i wish i was this forward: Whereas Pig on [...]
QUESTION 2: [Graeme Broster] I don't believe we can even begin to discuss issues of race, reconciliation etc before we begin to discuss and answer the issue of identity. Not sure if it's clear but give it some thought Race panel question: When, if ever, will it be OK to be "over" apartheid? If possible put a number of years to your answer. [Brett: Hot question i know but i followed it up with Graeme to [...]
QUESTION 2: [Graeme Broster] I don't believe we can even begin to discuss issues of race, reconciliation etc before we begin to discuss and answer the issue of identity. Not sure if it's clear but give it some thought Race panel question: When, if ever, will it be OK to be "over" apartheid? If possible put a number of years to your answer. [Brett: Hot question i know but i followed it up with Graeme to [...]