For 2 whole weeks I have planned this blog in my mind, on the bus, waiting for one, or even walking to one with the hands of my girls grasped firmly in my grip.
I am sure you understand with everything else traversing through my mind, you will know why I have not actually written anything.
Now that the day is upon us, I am quite surprised at how many people have not recognized the 20 year birthday, the 20 year anniversary that today is.
Earlier this week, I convinced myself that a 20 year democracy birthday was nothing big. But on Wednesday I got chatting to an ex-pat mom. She is from Nuziland, her hubby from Sweedin, she’s an ex-chef too, but now a more accomplished stay-at-home mum that I am. The thing is, there is something about being from The South that makes you more appreciative of political history, because the first time I met S 6 weeks ago, she reckoned that South Africa was an entirely more cool country than Oz and NZ because we ‘had Madiba. And then, this week, when I mentioned that we were celebrating a South African birthday- the countrys’ 20th democratic birthday, and that we were on our way to Paris to vote in the landmark 2014 election, S’s eye’s glowed with compassion. Where other friends that I have chatted to have not really been as eager to indulge me in my thoughts, S got me, and pinpointed my deep-seated emotion to the cause.
While I have to be compassionate to the cause, because we have not turned out backs on our loans and bank accounts, I continue to believe in the political differences between Zuma, Zille, Ju-Ju and the communist alliance.
So long as there are differences, and in-fighting, there is hope and with hope, well, there are unicorns that pee gold.
But more than the ZZ Tops, we have a brand new democracy.
How many people get to talk about their brand new democracy and actually LIVE it? How many knights that you know got to fight in the Tudor wars and you get to talk about it as a spiritually, educated being? AND make a difference in society with the media at your finger tips?
How amazing is it to live in a time where we CAN mould our political situation? And be able to vote on a brand new constitution? Have a group of Born Free’s who are FREE to make up their own mind, and somehow choose not to?
Never before has South African politics been so interesting, and unfortunately so quick to be discarded.
While I am sitting here writing this, Anton is trying to encourage the girls to pack travel bags. Tomorrow we drive to Paris. On Wednesday we will be able to cast a vote for the first time for “South Africans living abroad” to be able to vote. I have insisted we do this; it will cost us little bit of holiday money, but for the sake of every bit of effort that has gone into our Rainbow Nation in the last 20 years, I will make sure we do it. Because I will not turn my back on that amazing piece of land lying across the Med, the massive African continent with its religion, its dirty turmoil, the grassy snow tops of the Berg and the Outeniqua, the fine-grained white sands from Paternoster to Mkuze, the southwester wind, the Highveld thunder, the Good Morning, goie more, Sanbonani, Molo and Dumelas that would greet me at my work entrance door.
Happy 20th Birthday, South Africa. May God keep you, and hold you in his palm, each and every day.
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 