The New Error

My country, South Africa, is a funny one. Truly funny, our comedians have a ball, especially with our politics. If the world didn't know that we're a funny bunch before, it's now a laughable phenomenon that we'd have a "fake interpreter" signing in gibberish at the internationally broadcast memorial for Nelson Mandela, a man so highly esteemed the world over that everyone was watching!

Hmmm, so here we are on the other side of the New South Africa but without our beloved Madiba :( It's sad to think of his passing... we knew the time would eventually come but who knows what this means for us or if we're prepared for it? Some people are speaking of a 'new era' or in a South African accent "a new error". The latter being substantially more thought-provoking  and carrying with it an expert level of charming South African comedy - I'm personally rather taken with it!


In Mandela's hayday he fought against the Apartheid [government], not only for the freedom of his own race group but for the freedom and equality of all the people of our country. His enemy was tangible and measurable. We knew when the Apartheid fell and we've experienced incredible transformation in the last 20 years.

From the '94 Elections Mandela continued to lead us into the vision he held in his heart for a rainbow nation, a place where all the children would feel at home in Africa. He spearheaded reconciliation, humbling himself in all manners of relationships and in so doing, became a blessing to people all over the world, many whom never even had the opportunity to meet him.

To me it's shocking how little people are able to join the dots in understanding Mandela's life and how it applies to us now. I really think we'll be living in a "New Error" if we don't take reconciliation seriously; if we forget the values for which Mandela stood for and try to live by our new/superior motivations rather than the higher ideals for which he was motivated by.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, a man of Africa, loved stories and found joy in reading good books his whole life. This was a joy which he hoped to share with children, to inspire the next generation as he himself was inspired.

Nelson said, "All of us are experts in listening to stories. All of us have the potential to be experts in telling stories and in reading stories."

Nelson Mandela had a great deal of patience with people as he listened to their stories and took the time to formulate and share his own. Through story-telling I believe he was able to bring understanding between people groups, to share traditions, beliefs and provide education for people's hearts, perhaps a more important education than the one which school's provide.

I think we currently still live in a time when people are afraid to share their stories, where we judge one another before we listen or understand one another. We live in a time when everyone would seek to be your president and tell you how to live your life. We compare our lives by what we see on Facebook instead of what we hear coming from the hearts of the people around us.

Our modern enemy isn't out there, an independent force impeding our freedom. Our modern enemy is far less tangible - a struggle within ourselves. Will we strive to fulfil the true desires of our hearts, or will we use our freedom for pursuing short-term pleasures which only serve to prop us up momentarily in the eyes of our peers?

What will the children learn from us? Do they know love? Do they know forgiveness and reconciliation? Do they know compassion for those who are worse off? And even for those who are only marginally worse off?

There is so much we can discuss when it comes to remembering and living out the legacy of Nelson Mandela but perhaps in our own lives we need simply to focus on listening to the the stories of others, sharing our own stories and reading (and learning from) the stories of those who have gone before us. And perhaps through this avenue which our dear Madiba showed us we can continue to grow love between us, as well as learn to find freedom and peace within ourselves, just as he did.

Let's be sure to steer clear of the "New Error" of separating Mandela from his ideals and honouring him only a historical figure, but rather to always keep in mind the ideals which he would have us use our freedoms for and who knows what great things this generation will be able to accomplish?

Happy Reconciliation Day, South Africa! May you grow evermore colourful, may you continue to build bridges across socio-economic boundaries and may you continue to share your stories, funny and whole-heartedly African, with the rest of the world!

one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/h/hate_quotes.html#EdlD1E3U8FLBQgUD.99

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/h/hate_quotes.html#EdlD1E3U8FLBQgUD.99

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/h/hate_quotes.html#EdlD1E3U8FLBQgUD.99

No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/h/hate_quotes.html#EdlD1E3U8FLBQgUD.99

Who am I?

I'm not a goddess
I'm not a saint
I'm not a princess
I'm not a queen
I'm not an answer to every man's prayers (or dreams, if you prefer a bit of rhyme)
I'm not a marriage-wrecker, I'm a marriage supporter.

Dear Men, Happy Women's Day to You too...

Dear Men

Happy Women's Day to You too! Yes, each of you :)

We've come a long way in history with gender equality and it's something to be celebrated! My dream for this Women's Day would be for men to know that they are not somehow a side show on this day but to know that this is a 'battle' for all humanity. If we are not all treated with dignity then what have we gained?

I'd be a feminist if that meant that we showed consideration to all and gave anyone a voice who might otherwise be silenced; ff it meant loving all and serving all. However I honestly feel that the person or movement which represents what I would hope for, is found in Jesus.

As a follower of Christ, rather than a feminist I believe in the dignity of all people no matter which gender, and it would be my joy for you (men) to really truly know that we (women) are not opponents in any way or form. We are neither superior, nor inferior.

As Charles Wesley put it in verse:
Not from his head was woman took,
As made her husband to o'erlook;
Not from his feet, as one designed
The footstool of the stronger kind;
But fashioned for himself a bride;
An equal, taken from his side

We're in this game of life together. We're here on this planet side-by-side. If I could change one thing about how we interact between the sexes, it would be to quit pointing out the extremities of behaviour which characterize the genders and rather focus on our commonalities.

We have so much in common! Think again of that rib of Adams from which Eve was formed. What could be more close to his heart? A corny thought perhaps? Or comforting?

I have a very strong desire that all men would know that women are not some strange, never-to-be-understood creatures and there is much richness to be found in relating across the genders, as hard as it can seem at times. I hope you will be encouraged by these thoughts :)

Here are some further quotes which I find encouraging and inspiring in times of miscommunication and misunderstanding, and I hope you will appreciate them too:


"You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back" - Barbara De Angelis

"A conversation is a slippery creature. A conversation is a risk. A real conversation changes the people who have it. It's about exchanging ideas, considering other opinions, shifting positions. That's why conversations are so difficult: You risk changing yourself, admitting you were wrong, coming to appreciate the other person's perspective."
Jennifer Braunschweiger


"Difficult people are usually hurting people" - A saying of sorts, not sure of the origin.

"I always prefer to believe the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble" Rudyard Kipling

Love and appreciate you men!

Fondest regards,
Cath

Genetic what what

It seems to me there is a huge amount of discourse using the idea of what you're genetically predisposed to and it seems to me that this generation of people have really just become used to such commentary. To me the mention of genetics seems to give people scientific credibility.

I mean if you say something is genetic, who can argue with that right?

Well honestly I feel that everything is naturally genetic. If it can reproduce then it does so through the scientific mechanism of genetic information so I've really come to think that those who use the word 'genetic' as part of their rhetoric and reasoning are pulling loosely to find something to give their reasons cred (unless you are actually a scientist and you have been doing your own research, in which case I'll put a sock in my mouth and give you the mic, but since this is my blog I'll carry on because my point is a bit more about the psychological consequence of speaking of genetic influence so frequently than about science).

The mere fact that you are human is genetic.

I am genetically human. My ancestors were humans and my descendents will be humans. That's really how genetics works as far as I know. Dunno where people think they can use genetics to explain much other than the instance of being human. If something is humanly possible then it is 100% genetic. Yes, I believe I am human and it's genetic.

And all things human are within the realm of genetic possibility.

To me it feels as if people would like to apply their imaginations to that and come up with all sorts of exceptions and show the huge, massive differences in genetics between different types of people. Like between oneself and one's neighbour. Soooo different. Your neighbours are probably aliens really. Which by that stage of discussion you've gone very far from science and are in the realm of science fiction.

My intent is then to ask, to what degree do we attach ideas and theories and opinions to something we believe is concrete and unchangeable like genetics and then suppose that the idea and theories and opinions are now true and real and likewise unchangeable?

What To Do When You Can't Eat Anything

Wow, it's been over a year since I was significantly 'healed' or 'cured' of a 7 year battle with irritable bowel syndrome and I feel amazingly blessed to be able to eat 'normally' again without 'side-effects' from eating!

At my worst I have experienced inflammation and spasms (both extremely painful and uncomfortable), anxiety, panic attacks and tummy jolts when I got a fright. I would find that either I could eat or I couldn't, in other words it was all or nothing (not a specific food).

Many people these days are either diagnosing or being diagnosed with food allergies but I found that I could not avoid my symptoms by cutting out any particular foods, apart from caffeine (which gave me anxiety without fail) and sulphates in wine or dried fruit (which gave me pain and gas the next day without fail). I could literally tell you within seconds of drinking coffee whether it had caffeine in it because I was so sensitive, so I gave it up completely.

These days I am a far cry from that and any tendency I get towards those symptoms I put a swift end to, by applying what I've learnt about keeping my system working properly, but it was a process getting here.

Many people are diagnosed with being gluten-intolerant so I tried doing that to see if it helped but it's not easy. You have to learn to cook new foods for variety and it's also quite difficult socially.

For 7 years I struggled with IBS and didn't get far without a flare up. The main things I learnt to help me to cope:

1) Take a daily fibre supplement to effectively eliminate build up in the digestive tract.
2) Use a probiotic daily on an empty stomach and then wait an least half an hour before eating (this allows them to multiply) and also make sure that the capsule has at least 5 billion units, preferably a variety of different strains also.

And eventually, I was able to conquer IBS with BEMER therapy. In 2 weeks, I was healed and the whole ordeal was history :)