Reflection

 ‘Hardened hearts are forged in the shattering of sureness and the corrosion of faith. 

Guileless scales which once covered your eyes in  rose colored hues will shed as you journey through this desolate land toward a new awakening’

-Lynwen Roman ©️

I am a fisherman

Yesterday I bumped into an old man on my way out from work. I noticed an old faded tattoo on his right arm as he gestured shakily from  what seemed to be substance withdrawal. His face lit up with a smile just as our eyes met & he mouthed words I strained to hear. 
"I'm a fisherman" is what he said. "I'm so hungry, I have nothing" he told me has he rubbed his tummy.  So I grabbed a packet of mini cheddar's from my lunch bag & held it out to him. He reached for it reluctantly but his eyes shone as if they had seen pure gold. 
"Never waste a cent...never waste a cent hey?" he chorused as I walked off. That's what any old grandpa would say, I thought.  I know he's  coming from a place of regret but the thing that got me is this; as far gone as this man may be, he still bears fatherly instincts. The kind of instincts that say "Don't make the mistakes I have." "Learn from me." Do better with your life. "

I gave to him & he gave back to me what he could.

Homeless people;they're just people. People living in a parallel world. Some of them runaways, some addicts, some trafficked to "the promised land"...just people like you & me.

My Smiling Moon

The cold morning air stung the rosy skin at the tip of my nose as I stood waiting to catch a train. My eyes glanced about at people, gloves covering cold hands, big brown eyes shadowed by a beanie pulled over the eyebrows and ears, the smoky roof tops and misty air... Then a lunar glow drew my attention to a friend of years gone by. That old Cheshire cat's smile was right where I left it... a glossy half moon tucked neatly into the black sky. His only accompaniment-two brightly sparkling stars.

Some nights and early mornings before sunrise my eyes meet the sky to be greeted by his signature smile, surrounded by an array of twinkling gems. And I can still hear that old Cheshire Cat sing:

"Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gymble in the wabe
All mimsy were the borogroves
and the mome wraths outgrabe"

(Lewis Carol, The looking Glass and what Alice found there)

The Quaint Alley

I left the office with Cheryl for lunch
in Kalk Bay. Much to my delight, she introduced me to a rustic little French coffee shop called Cest Lavi and a tiny antique shop hidden away down a narrow but quaint alley. A lush bottle green creeper bush spreads along the citrus coloured wall accompanying you as you walk. There's something about those old buildings and the cobble stone roads that I love. I can't help wondering what exactly it is that defines personal taste (for life, decor & cuisine) ?
I picked up a garden wind chime made out of somewhat of a stoneware-ish material... It's hand painted baby blue with dusty pink flowers and earthy brown rims and was given a pine ornament shelf for free.

You just gotta love Kalk Bay

Defining Normality

To me, the social concept of normality is nothing but a beguiled truth.When you take a step back, you'll notice that some of the things we have been taught to perceive as passable are nothing but collective, agreeable ideas that have been set in ages past and built on the foundations of proclaimed civilization.
During my years at film school, we were lectured on various theories and conventions; frameworks of mass /audience manipulation. One such theory remains prevalent and unmasked in the realms of day to day reality to my trained eye- The Hypodermic Needle Theory- This theory explains how the mass media can influence a very large group of people directly by ‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response.

I believe societal conventions operate in the same way. The platform of influence may change from decade to century to millennium but the venomous syringe remains the prime weapon of mass destruction.
Has a lulled state of complacency become the worlds day to day mental existence? How much longer will we continue to facilitate the crippling of our freedom to form independent value systems and thoughts? During my brief 23 years on this earth I have learned that the only way to truly LIVE is to remain true to my inner convictions. I have unlearned the fear of questioning. At the end of the day, one can only live out that which resonates inner truth.

Galatians 2:20 (The Message)

It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me.

Cordless Residents

In an environment where private space is a rarity and an afforded luxury to a select few, I decided that the best and only way I could make a private phone call was to grab hold of the office cordless and seek out a vacant room. I picked it up, checked the battery life and made my way to the board room. After several attempts at getting a dialing tone I realised that the screen was blank and the reception icon was flashing. I was having a really bad day and this was an important call. I had to get this thing working. I tried holding the phone up in the air and positioning it in different spots in the room like an old bunny eared TV aerial. I then looked back at a blank screen in the hope that my navigating attempts were not fruitless. I watched, puzzled as a jet black house ant leisurely made its way across the inside of the phone screen. By now I was 10 min into Operation-Private-Phone-Call and not a happy agent :(
So I did what I suppose any privacy deprived, bad hair slash mood day victim would do- I banged the receiver on the desk and just as I did so several ants carrying pearly white crumbs came scrambling out. Hmmm...Technical department, we have a problem! I was determined to (a) get this baby working & (b) make this all important phone call. So I called up the
Tech Manager (Adrian ). He did a few line checks, then a phone check. No response. We marched down to his office taking the battery stand with us. He suggested we have a look at what's happening on the inside. As Mr. Tech savvy endeavored to crack open the receiver, I put on my DIY hat, today of all days, and proceeded to unscrew the battery stand mechanism. This felt like an episode of popular mechanics. The day was beginning to look a tad bit cheerier- I was channeling my negative energies into fixing a problem. There were three tight screws on this baby and I was winning fast! With two screws down and one to go I was basking in the wake of DIY endorphins. Suddenly I heard a crack coming from the receiver. Adrian had beat me to it and then came the encounter ; a family of ants and their larva, nestled behind the keypad and intertwined between chip boards. YUCK! It looked like a scene out of Indiana Jones and the temple of doom. Still anxious to get this baby working and make that call, I twisted with all my might at the remaining screw Crack! "Aaah finally..." I thought, basking in the light of the achievement. The bolts were loosened but the covering needed a few tugs to come apart. What followed was a grossly hair raising experience of note. Turns out the ants weren't the only residents inside this joint. I watched in paralyzed horror as 15 to 20 cockroaches sprawled and scurried in every direction- Cordless Residents. Talk about a bugged phone. To echo Malema; Those bloody agents! They're everywhere! ;)