So here I sit on the last day of 2019, with a holiday task
list half a km long but I can’t help but ‘pen’ these musings. Greetings wherever
you are I hope these words find you in top spirits.
A few days ago there was a video doing the rounds on the
internet. It was of a guy who learnt Xhosa, one of the 11 official South African
languages in part to deliver a speech at his friends wedding in his native
Eastern Cape (one of the 9 provinces of South Africa). When I saw the video, I had
the biggest smile on my face. Firstly because he felt the need to and secondly
because he actually did it. I must say there was a little bit of jealousy that
creeped in too because not only did I grow up in a town called Mthatha, the
heart of Xhosaland, but I’ve since tried to learn Xhosa twice, the most
recently being last year when I rallied up a group of my work colleagues, of
all walks of life to try and learn
Why do I write this, so last week a friend of mine posted this
video on the book of faces, with the caption “We need to stop getting
excited about white people living in SA speaking an African language, this should
be status quo. If anything we need to start making it uncomfortable for white
people in SA won don’t speak any African language and live here because that
makes no sense”
Interesting take I thought, there were a few comments both
for and against his stance. I weighed in with my 2 cents too because I’m not
white, I’ve lived here for almost 36 years, I speak Afrikaans pretty well
because we were taught it at school, I too get applauded by some when I communicate
in Afrikaans, granted it doesn’t go viral. I posted my thoughts to which I received
this as part of a comment from another mate who I forgot got knighted as the
authority on being black: ‘But perhaps I should leave it, because I don’t
expect you are the black person who would see that’
I left it at that because I soon realised that everyone has
their stuff and this is her stuff not mine. I have my own stuff, but this wasn’t
it. Regarding the people not speaking an African language, well that too is up
to the individual. A few months ago I was in Miami, USA, not Cuba, Mexico,
Colombia…I walk into a department store with my mate because he left his socks
at home. We approach this lady and she cant speak English, just Spanish, she
works in a big retail outlet in America. My point is this, I applaud every and
anyone who doesn’t speak a language and takes the time to learn to speak it. I
think this should be encouraged and not dismissed as grandstanding or not
worthy of acknowledgement, sheet if the internet wants to make it viral, like
the KFC proposal let it!
I’m not too big on new years and resolutions etc. just like
the today holds 24 hrs of possibilities, so too will tomorrow the 01/01/20. But
what I would like to take a wee moment to say this, we live in a world of
social media where it can be used to divide or unite. How cool would it be if
we spoke our truths in a way that aims to unite. Not everything is linear,
there are possibly many things that make something either an absolute truth or
our own interpretation of what is true, and what may be true for me does not
necessarily make what is true for you false. Granted many who read this might not
agree with what I write and that is ok help me learn, help me understand where
you are coming from.
This thing is pretty easy me thinks, there is a sign in a window
that I walk past often and its message is pretty simple, it just reads, “Don’t
be a dick” Pretty simple message right?! Be safe out there, be light!
