Wedding cake-in-the middle-of-the road

In life, when someone has hurt you really badly, one of the best ways to get over the situation is to get mad, or cry it out. An author once mentioned that it is a good thing to cry, it cleans the soul. Given the circumstances that I had to write a blog about a wedding cake in the middle of the road, I attended parties, weddings and still found nothing related to the cake having to end up in the middle of the road.

While I was at the wedding, I looked around me, and something had come up. There was a link to this story. I stood there in the middle of the crowd among strangers and as I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the one person I had hope I will never see in my life time. At the same time, I kept asking myself questions so I can put an angle to my story. What is a party without a cake? And what is a wedding without the cake. And weirdly, we are brought together by this cake.

I started to get crazy ideas as I saw him mingle around me, or maybe if I could grab the cake on the table, and hit him with it on his face. Oh perhaps drag him off to the streets and get even. But that would be very inappropriate. I took my jacked and left the wedding for a party instead to find a better inspiration for the wedding cake-in-the-middle-of-the road.

The same Mistake, three years later

“Dear God, it is me again, with the copy of the problem I had exactly three years ago.” After recovering from that tragic event I had sworn that it will never happen again. Well what they always say may be true “Never say never”, because it may accidentally happen to you. This time it accidentally happened and I realised it just in time. I therefore accepted the situation and sat on my table to find a suitable way to eliminate this mistake before there is much damage to it. “Crisis management”

I knew it was happening again before I could even confirm it. And I accepted that in life, we may repeat the same mistake several times. It may be in different contexts, but it will leave you to the same conclusion. It doesn’t help to blame yourself and confronting people about it, trying to shift the blame. Well it has happened, life goes on.

No matter how bad the other person may have screwed you. No matter how many knives you may have on your back. Sometimes all it takes to deal with the issue is to keep quiet and deal with the issue at hand. “Jesus Christ, please help me get through this one. Amen” 

It is a poor idea to lie to yourself.

Weeks after my relationship had ended, and after a series of sleepless nights I decided to take a walk into town alone. I call them Power Walks. Yes, that walk you take to clear up your mind. “oh hell, it is just loneliness” my friend always criticises me.

As I took what I call my power walk, I saw them. There they were, looking as happy as ever. My ex and the new fling walking towards my direction. They were giggling and looking as happy as ever. There was no way out, I was trapped. As they registered me, I quickly grabbed my wallet and threw myself into the nearest street vendor.

“What?” I said this because he stared at me with that look, as if he knew my life story and understood what I was running away from. As I took out the money in my wallet, that frightening feeling came to me as I saw them walk closer to me. “What do you want?” the street vendor asked me. I stood there puzzled, “umm, a packet of cigarettes, the red box” Really now? I bought a packet of cigarettes that I did not even need because of adrenalin or was it to lie to myself so I can impress my ex and the new fling? I was unreal and the thought of it was not impressive at all.

As I grabbed for my order, there it was.    Pity from the face of the Somalian street vendor it was the final straw. That was it, from then I decided I will not be defined by what other people do to me or say. I am single happy and fabulous!

When they got to me, I burnt my cigarette and looked at them. “Hi” they said it as if they were rehearsing it from the second they saw me. “Hi, I hate you” my response was farfetched and wildly unexpected. I must say, it took them by storm. I just didn’t have the time to negotiate my happiness or listen to them tell me how happy they were, so I walked away as their jaws touched the ground. Before I forget, did I mention that I looked fabulous?

Power of Forgiveness

“How do you expect me to forgive him after all that he did to me?” and others may say “Forgiveness is a very difficult thing to do” we keep claiming and holding on to the thoughts of how bad the other people may have treated us. Well let me tell you something about the power of forgiveness. When you forgive, there is some form of positive emotion and spirit that surrounds you. No matter how bad the person may have hurt you, do not wait for him/her to ask for forgiveness for this will hold you back from living and enjoying your life.

As people we do mistakes and we expect to be forgiven. When you hold on to the grudge, you give your concentration to the person who may have offended you or hurt you and by so doing you allow that person to have some form of power against you. For example, when you are in a room, full of joy and laughter, the minute that person walks in. your mood will change. Do you anyhow relate to this scenario?

Well I did. As time went on I learned the power of forgiveness. I asked myself one question, as I go to church, believe in the word of god and call myself a Christian, pray to God to forgive me for my sins on the other hand I fail to forgive other people, what does that make me?

Anger is powerful emotion that can make you do and say horrible things. But forgiveness is the Greatest force that can take you places. A person that forgives is a person who is full of love. A person with love is a person whom is filled with laughter, joy and happiness. And when you are happy you are positive and positive people prosper in life.

I am where I am today because I have the power to forgive, I am positive, and I have faith in my God who inspired me through his scripture to forgive who trespass against me. And that faith has action.

Now smile, just put up your hand and greet that person whom you hated so much. Go on and shock him.  You will feel something, and that my friend is just a breeze of the new world you just opened. This is a world of a brighter future, and a world of a happy life.

The Sound of one hand clapping

Thursday, September 16, 2010 I had longed for this day for a very long time. I will always remember that day, no matter what may happen. I held the former President Thabo Mbeki’s hand after his public lecture.

It was communicated to us as PR students to attend the lecture. I had a chance to ask the great icon anything that I felt the public needs to know. But if I wanted to be noticed and get my message across I had to look the part, I then got out my greatest outfit and grabbed my exam pad to draft the perfect and most appropriate question.

The day had come and I arrived an hour before, which earned me the best seat in front. I had my tape recorder and felt as if I were a journalist already. I scribbled on my notepad as he charismatically spoke and when the time of questions came the entire list of question that I have drafted were asked by the battling cloud of journalist.

You must assume that I was disappointed, yes I was. But the unexpected happened about an hour after the address.  I saw him walk out of the hall way with his guards. “Honourable former president” I yelled. I will never tell you as to where this adrenalin came from but I moved towards his direction and asked him my question. He laughed and answered me politely. The security guard started to clap her hands; it was a bizarre moment as I stood there embarrassed of what I just did, as the rest of the cloud joined , I started to smile and slowly moving away to a hiding place.

My goal was achieved. I mark that day in my diary. The day a sound of one hand clapping saved me from total embarrassment. The next day I bought almost every newspaper to see if I had made the cover story and there it was on the Tshwane sun. But there was nothing that outlined my scene… hew!, what a relief.

The Cluetrain manifesto, theses 15 (My Interpretation)

Theses 15

In just a few more years, the current homogenized "voice" of business—the sound of mission statements and brochures—will seem as contrived and artificial as the language of the 18th century French court.

There is something special that the manifesto calls the “voice” this “voice” connects the business with its people, referring to all the stakeholders who have or may have an impact on the organisation.

A business has a voice. You can obviously tell through the organisations website, what kind of organisation it may be. Even if the last graphic has not finished downloading, you can tell if the organisation is telling the truth, or basically lying, or they are just talking to you to pick your pocket.

Business is not going to sound as real as it does in the near future.

Communication is a powerful tool, and like any other powerful tool, it has been passed into the service of business-as-usual. Corporations need to engage in new market conversation and conversations occur in human “voices”

With the opportunities that the internet provides the businesses, organisations will say anything the customer wants to hear in order to become the Number One Provider.

Organisations feel the urge to control communication. They create organisational charts to define who gets to do the talking. They issue policy statements and control all communication sent out to stakeholders. The PR will talk to the press and the investor relations will talk to the financial folks.

In the future, this will lead the standardised voice of business to seem artificial and contrived.

Not all those who wonder are lost

Dear Ex-lover

I was wondering when the time will come, for us to rep up this thing, so I can get along with my life without feeling guilty. Yes! I was wondering when you will break up with me, because I just could not do it. I was not lost in that relationship, I was just sitting in that dark room, awaiting the end.  

Now that we have got that out of the way, I feel as if I just left prison. As I stand on Table Mountain, drinking cold water, I can feel the breeze run though my skin as the water slides down in to body. The stress is gone. “Scream” my instincts whispered to me “go on and say it” it kept pushing and pushing “I am free, say it” it pushed harder.

I looked at Robben Island and thought of the moments when I felt like I was traped on that island. From that moment and on I knew how Nelson Mandela felt in February11, 1990, because that is exactly how I felt. “Free at last” we share the same sentiment.

I must admit, it was a fun and interesting ride, but filled with depression, oppression as well as discrimination.  I felt as if I existed in the times of struggle against apartheid.

Now that I can go and be anywhere my heart tells me, without reporting to the great general. I am simply going to have a glass of water, let the breeze cleans my soul from all the darkness you brought and enjoy the beauty of nature

Yours, in the past

Regretful Ex-lover

The suitcase guy

The best advice I ever received was, “speak your mind.”

I would like to refer to myself as a suitcase person.  I believe that life is more fun when you move around.  So I made a vow to myself that I will study in three different Universities in my lifetime and around South Africa. So my journey began in 2007. One of the good days in the future, I would love to be the Editor in chief of a well-established magazine or Group CEO for communications at a well-established Media House. 

On my way to the second destination, I experienced shitty services from this bus company named “GRAYHOUND”, but I did not let it bring me down. I am a person that always looks at the positive and try my best to always smile. You may find me as arrogant or anything but my question still stands. Why do I have to keep quiet? This is how I am and there is nothing that I or you can do about it. “Please keep your voice down it annoys me” this guy on the bus said to me. My response to him was simple and clear. “It’s not my fault that you can’t afford to buy yourself ear plugs“

I am very opinionated and speak my mind at the exact time when I feel to do so. I believe that my voice can take me wherever I want and I can make as much business deals as I can. I aim to be seen as a hardworking, enthusiastic and an intellect that stands up for what’s right. “I believe that the public has the right to know, and it will start here with me.

So, why should I abstain from speaking my mind at the time that suits me? Why should I keep quiet?



Great Company, BAD Service

I had the greatest smile in the world when I was told that I qualified to buy that netbook I had always wanted on a contract. I believed that 8.ta, with its great advertising and marketing strategies will bring some difference, but I had a big surprise waiting for me on the other side. Let me simplify my 8.ta horror to you. 

February 10, "It" finally arrived and I was no longer in the mood, but I collected it because i desperately needed it.

I had arranged for the company to electronically take the money from my account and they decided to somehow not take the money and block my internet. This is my punishment of March.

March 18, I could no longer stand the situation that I had no access to internet so i visited the Telkom store to enquire. Guess what. I was told that "we can’t help you, we have nothing to do with the 8.ta, and we just sell their stuff. OW!!! So a number was given to me so i can call. 081 180, I dial... the number you have dialled do not exist... 

I still do not have access to my internet and I so regret that I bought something from 8.ta

.  

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot Pole?



When I realised that I had nobody to give me the balance, it came to me that I needed to find a way to step down from this 100 foot pole. I had some sort of feeling, a feeling that made the blood in my veins move faster than usual. I knew that something in me had changed and I could not put my fingure to it. I then figured out that I had to move from my comfort zone and face reality.

Reality had hit me when I least expected it to. It hit me at an unexpected moment when I needed someone to lean on for a longer period of time. “I’m leaving you in two days and you my friend will be left hanging".  Something in me said wake up and smell the coffee. You should learn to stand on your own I thought to myself. I must admit, it wasn't easy.

The ocean of emotions rose confidence in me. I told myself from that moment that I am done playing by somebody else’s rules to the game. I had to find my own mojo and depend to no one anymore. It is about time I trusted my instincts. it is about time I started over.

I looked down and said to myself, I will not let gravity bring me down. I am through with accepting limitations because someone said they are so. i am starting all over again and I will not be victim of circumItance. 

From today and on, nothing will bring me down. They say "some things will never change", but you will never know until you try. Something in me said; step down because someday in the near future, no one will be there to help you balance.

So I am stepping down from this 100-foot pole. I don’t know how but I know I will find a way to land comfortably.