Announcing!!!

Ladies and Gentleman, esteemed colleagues and friends, members of the press and all pet rocks... I'm privileged to announce the launch of http://millionbicycles.blogspot.com the new exciting blog containing the "Adventures of Asparagus and Litchi-pip"

Intrigued? You should be... check it out.

-->Ek is 'n moeg flam vanaand. *yawn*

police brutality - more real than I thought

Something horific happened the other day just outside my house.

With South Africa having a massive unemployment rate it is not uncommon to have people coming round to your house asking if you have any work for them. Now I live in a predominantly "white" area. Now living in a country where a) racism is a very real problem and b) public taxes are badly distributed you end up with a situation where many of the commuters who make use of the train that makes a stop very near my house have no access to toilets. Because a) racist people won't let a black person (the 99% of the demographic that makes use of the train) use their bathroom and b) there are no toilets (or even covering should it be raining) at the train stop near my house.

Unfortunately for one of my unemployed countryman searching for a job in my area (I'm talking about job where they can hopefully wash a car for R10/1.60 US$ or work in your garden for the day for R50/8.30 US$) he desperately needed to wee. What usually happens in this case is that there is a concealed "grove" near the train stop where people can quickly relief themselves... you are mostly concealed. At this point a police car drove by.

Now don't get me wrong, I agree the public urination is wrong, but when there is nowhere for you to urinate there comes a point where you look the other way.

Instead of merely repromanding the poor fellow they made him drop his pants and sprayed his penis with whatever pepper-spray/mace they currently use for crowd/fight control. They then drove off.

The result, we had a man in agony on our front lawn. We phoned the ambulance. Adventually I suggested the poor guy wash his penis with some milk... which I assumed might be a good idea. It certainly didn't make it worse.

The ambulance adventually arrived 5 hours later... a little late.

I hope the guy is OK. I am horrified that peoples racism could cause them to harm another human life in that way. Policemen that we are supposed to respect. The sad thing though is that even if the poor victim of this assault were able to indentify the policeman, nothing would happen to them.

I really hope that God allows me to help this countries unemployment rate.

-->Still Ablaze

So whats going on in my head

It recently came to my attention, that I have many unrealised dreams. Dreams which although they are God honouring, I have not really moved towards in the last 18 months.

What has replaced them (or prevented me from moving towards them) is the pursuit of a career. Don’t get me wrong, I like working. I like technology, I enjoy the mental challenge. But not enough for me to justify to myself the amount of time it consumes.

What is the point of climbing the corporate ladder (if you are even lucky enough to have that opportunity) if it leaves you lifeless and tired, drained and cynical, and an overall grump?

Now if your goal and dream is for that then great. Mine is not. I think a large portion of people have a number of dreams that they hope their careers will somehow support and enable. They convince themselves that the only thing between them and their dreams is finance. They then miserably live out a couple of decades and then fade away from society once they retire cashing in on a pension plan that turned out to be less reliable than the most recent fat dissolving cream on an infomercial.

They are left distraught and regretful of having lost the dreams that meant so much to them.

What are your dreams? What could you see yourself spending all your time doing? If it is climbing the corporate ladder then you are very fortunate unless you are in a dead end job where management doesn’t give two hoots about you. To many this may sound familiar.

In fact I have recently concluded that the corporate world is the ultimate pyramid scheme. In your company are you just a pawn, a slave, a means to an end or does it really want to build you up? Does it want to enable you to realise your dreams, or even care about your dreams? Are you a unique valuable person or just a tool to help Mr./Mrs. CEO earn a salary that is easily 20 times more than yours. Is this justifiable?

I have a few dreams. I want to help alleviate poverty. I want to show my countrymen that cultures can exists together in harmony. I want to love the downcast. I want to be a voice of hope to battered and abused children. I want to adopt abandoned kids. I want my home to be a haven, a place of shelter and peace. I want to mentor people in how to steward their finances and take their own business initiatives. I want to be a father to the fatherless (natural and spiritual). I want to be a champion for the character trait of compassion.

I must conclude then that I’ve been doing the wrong thing. I don’t think I ever want a conventional job again. I have recently started a new journey.

Mondays are now my day off… my week will be Tuesday to Saturday. I have not had a day of rest for 18 months… and it took its toll. Trying to be active in church and have a career does not allow you that time. Mondays are now a day of meditation, preparation and rest.

I also plan on making some bold steps towards my dreams… the ride could get rough but I’m going to do it… I’d rather fail trying than one day looking back with sorrow wishing I had not sold my soul to the rat race and popular culture.

Unless something mobilises me now for my dreams, I am not going to do it.

--> Sparks flying

Stop being so emotional!!!

the title of this post makes reference to PMS!!!

Do I have a problem with it. Nope. Not actually. This got myself and Katherine chatting.

Our final conclusion and theory is this... (or was it just my theory... oops)

PMS causing a girl to become emotional doesn't have to be a bad thing. If a guy is operating/treating his wife/courting partner/girlfriend in a God honoring manner at all times... then instead of causing his partner to unleash pain, torture, insults, suffering and tears... he will cause her to unleash good emotions.

Why does heightened emotions have to be negative emotions. Is it not possible (as in my case) that the best part of the month for your relationship to be during pms times... I find that I am lavished on during these times.

What are your thoughts... (i.e. Am I way off on my underlying implication that guys are more to blame for the uncontrollable negative emotions that generally plague relationships during pms? Or am I just blessed).

-->On fire!!!

To anonymous

In a recent post of mine (see post) Anonymous posted a comment.

He/She asked, "would you agree that offence is a form of hurt as well?"

No, I do not. Please understand that my post on offense does not in anyway negate a tragic event done to you by someone else.

I, and many of my friends, have had shocking things done to us throughout our life time. Among my large circle of friends we can put together a list that includes the following:
falsely accused of corporate theft
Raped
Physically assaulted by parents
Hijacked
Beaten up by a spouse
Sold into prostitution by a spouse

We all have a decision to make. Hold on to bitterness and offense and declare to the world in self-pity that it owes us something... or we forgive and release and come to terms with it.

This does not in anyway remove the fact that justice must still take place. I for instance do not have to be a bitter person to send my hijackers to jail. Should they ever be found, they will have my forgiveness... but will be prosecuted under the law.

In the end hurt is unavoidable... Offense however is avoidable.

This is how so many thousands of Christians today are able to live at peace within themselves while being tortured in Chinese prisons, having their houses burnt and families beaten in India, or having their social rights of being able to buy bread and milk taken away.

I have walked a long journey of forgiving people.

The teacher who beat me with a belt when I was 3 years old leaving me terrified and unable to speak to people out of fear until I was 19 years old. The drunken driver that reversed into my car and blamed me for it "because my lights were on and he couldn't see me" or the police who then said "it's not our problem". The massive American corporate company that destroyed my parents dreams. The kids at school that made fun of me. The parents of friends that made fun of me. The hijackers that held a gun to my head, robbed me and threatened to kill me and my girlfriend. The ex girlfriend that spread malicious lies. The guardian on a school tour who beat me up because I went to toilet and said goodnight to someone after lights out. The teacher who mocked me because I didn't do my homework because my grandfather passed away and I was at the funeral. The friends that abandoned me when I stopped drinking with them. The principal who let me almost freeze to death during winter because we were not allowed to wear jerseys without a blazer and my family couldn't afford the R120 ($20) for a 2nd hand one. The work colleague that borrowed R300 and never returned it. The friend who spat 2 years of loving support and friendship in my face because I took sides with another friend who I saw her abuse. My father who never affirmed me or told me he was proud of me and that I could achieve anything in life I wanted to.

The list could go on... but it is extremely difficult trying to remember offense when you have forgiven it. In fact it seems silly trying to bring them up.

Here's something I often say. You get 2 kinds of old people. Those that everybody loves and those that everybody can't stand being around because of their negativity and cynicism. What's the difference? Life events perhaps? No... choice is the difference. Calamity comes to everyone sooner or later.

If you (anyone reading this) are bitter about anything. Please, please, please. I beg you. Take responsibility for your happiness. Forgive. Let go. And live in peace. Sleep better. Love better.

-->Shining Brighter