How do you begin to get your head around all those who have faced death from Covid-19? As i start writing this intro to a new series, 2. 06 million people around the world have lost their lives to Covid-19, that we know of. In South Africa, the official number sits at 38 288. Each death from Covid-19 represents a family and very likely a wider community of friends, colleagues and neighbours that number [...]
What are you busy reading? Or what was the last book you read? And who was the author? These questions may seem quite innocuous and innocent, much like the unnecessary 'How are you?' we throw at someone we haven't seen for years when we bump into them in a supermarket [if we really cared how they were doing, the time since our last meeting might have been a lot shorter?]. But i want to [...]
How does one go about creating Eden? Especially when the story starts something like: Once upon a time there was a wasteland, a dry and barren verge of ugliness in a small corner of Diep River. Well, the first step is to have a dream and my wife Valerie [aka tbV or The Beautiful Val, to me!] and i had been wanting to do something creative and gardeny in our community since we moved [...]
Are we a World Covided? Yesterday my blog kinda exploded a little bit [in the very best of ways]. This week had seen me share 6 different stories of people who have faced and survived Covid-19. They all had decent engagement, but nothing special. Until story number 5: Enter Nicola Date, stage left. On the first day of her story it had just over 500 views, which is a good post on my blog. [...]
i am super grateful to my friend Nicola Date for sharing her story here. The first line of it is devastating enough, but i also know there was a cost to writing this piece for Nicola - physically, emotionally - she has really gone above and beyond to produce this account while still in the throes of a disease that is not done with her. Thank you, friend. i hope this story will inspire [...]
Another glimpse into the life of someone who has had Covid-19 and is on the mend. This time an email from an old friend of mine who is a teacher who had covid and asked to remain anonymous. i find that with each new story i am learning not only about the disease and how it seems to work differently in different people, but also about some of the wider issues [What do you [...]
Today's story is about a couple who had a fairly mild experience of Covid-19 and yet still are strongly insistent that this is something you want to avoid in any way possible. The covid fatigue is real, people. The names have been changed for anonymity. A personal story of the COVID positive experience. Thomas and I tested COVID positive on 2 Dec. When I got swabbed I had no symptoms (I was tired, but [...]
Today's story is from another friend of mine on social media who asked to remain anonymous and so i am going to call her K [not her real initial!] My husband is a physio at Groote Schuur hospital. He's been working in covid wards and with covid patients for 7 or 8 months now. His department were really careful from March already with social distancing, changing clothes before going home and lots of deep [...]
Yesterday, we kicked off the Surviving Covid-19 series by hearing some of David and Jacqui's story of facing this coronavirus. Today we continue with some reflections, this time from Sue Diepeveen who i met a couple of years ago while performing with my Improv troupe, Improguise as she runs the delightful little theatre known as the Drama Factory in Somerset West. What strikes me with each new story i hear from someone who has [...]
How are we all doing at Surviving Covid-19? Time to hear some stories... i asked my friends on social media who have had covid if any of them would be up to sharing some of their story to give us a glimpse into what it means to live with the disease, and what life has been like once it has gone. i am super grateful to all those who said yes - some of [...]
