Ek bly ‘n Duinekind

Daar is vir my niks lekkerder as om kaalvoet teen een van die duine langs die Namibkus uit te klim nie. Om op ‘n warm dag my voete in die sand in te druk sodat dit nie brand nie en om te voel hoe die sand tussen my tone deur sypel. Lekker.  Dit bly ook maar die beste “foot-scrub” ooit.  Dit is dae soos die laaste paar nat dae wat ons in die Kaap gehad het, wat ek weer erg verlang na die plek waar dit sand reën.

Van Walvisbaai is daar nog altyd gesê dat mens twee keer huil… die dag wat die meubelvervoerwa voor jou nuwe tuiste staan en die stofwind waai vinniger sand in die huis in as wat daardie huisware afgelaai kan word en dit vir jou voel asof jy sand tussen jou tande het. En dan weer die dag wat die meubelwa jou goedjies laai vir die wegtrek en jy sukkel om die wortels wat jy geskiet het los te wikkel. Dit is twintig jaar later en my wortels sit nog steeds daar anderkant in die sandwêreld vas. Miskien het dit iets te doen met die hoë roesfaktor.

Ons kry ook bergwindtoestande in die Kaap. Ek kry sommer so half opgewonde gevoel as dit deurbreek, maar dit is nou maar eenmaal nie die ervaring van die Namib nie. Daar kom die Ooswind in die nag op en ruk jou vroegdag uit jou slaapnewels met ‘n geweldige gebulder om die huis se hoeke. Dan is dit warm, vrek warm. Van die vorige dag se 7°C tot 37°C in 24 uur. Die drastiese styging in temperatuur is iets waarmee mens maklik kan saamleef; dit is die sandreën wat ‘n toets vir geduld is. Dit sif oral in en skoonmaak terwyl die wind waai is ‘n onbegonne taak. Mens sien net ‘n lampaal of twee ver af in die straat. Dit is half donker en alles lyk vuil en dof. Dit voel asof dit net nooit sal ophou nie. Iewers rondom die middaguur gaan lê die wind en daar word gewens dat nag kom voordat die son mens doodbrand. Dan kom die lekkerte wat ek altyd vreeslik geniet het – die mooiste lekker warm braaivleisaande in die middel van die winter; wanneer daar menigmaal ook afgesit is see toe vir bietjie lafenis. So asof Moeder Natuur darem bietjie troos bring voor die volgende dag se aanslag.

Ek het laas in die Junie 1991 regte Oosweer meegemaak.  Jenny Myhnhardt het heirdie jaar ‘n paar foto’s beskikbaar gestel. Kyk net hoe sit die motor op die teerpad in die sand vasgeval! Ek moet darem byvoeg dat dit in die Langstrand-ontwikkeling (waar Brad Pitt en Angelina Jolie tuisgegaan het) gebeur het en dat daardie ontwikkeling tussen die duine en die see lê – die dorp self lyk nie só erg nie.

Dit is in skrille kontras met wat ek elke winter in die Kaap beleef waar ons die week weer drama met vloede gehad het. “Ons” is seker die verkeerde woord omdat ek genadiglik hoog woon en werk en nêrens deur laagliggende dele moes beweeg het nie. Die ergste wat ek ervaar het is so effense waterglipsie naby Kevin se skool toe die motor se gat so liggies gegly het (miskien het ek bietjie te vinnig deur die plassie gery; mos altyd haastig).

(reënfoto’s geleen by News24)

Ek bly ‘n Duinekind… dit vat ‘n dag se harde skoonmaak om na ‘n stofstorm alles weer skoon en blink te kry.  Dit vat ‘n hele lente om die koue en klammigheid uit my murg te kry.  Ek kyk met ‘n huppel in my hart hoe daar oral blomme en bloeisels begin verskyn – dit beteken nog ‘n wrede koue seisoen is amper verby.

Oor twee weke gaan ek die flaminke groet by Walvisbaai se strandmeer nadat ek Duin 7 gaan klim het! Ek kan nie wag vir die vliegtuig om te daal oor die see en die duine nie….

Stress management…. its simple!

Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, Raised a glass of water and asked   ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’

He continued, …’And that’s the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,

As the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won’t be able to carry on. ‘

‘As with the glass of water,

You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.’

‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you’re carrying now,  Let them down for a moment if you can.’

So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

*Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, And some days you’re the statue.

*Always keep your words soft and sweet, Just in case you have to eat them.

*Always read stuff that will make you look good If you die in the middle of it.

*Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be Recalled by their maker.

*If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

*If you lend someone R20 and never see that person again, It was probably worth it.

*It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.

*Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

*Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

*Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

*The second mouse gets the cheese.

*Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

*You may be only one person in the world, But you may also be the world to one person.

*Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

*We could learn a lot from crayons… some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Ek het hierdie stukkie wyse raad gekry. Toe ek so bietjie daaroor gaan sit en dink het, het ek agtergekom dat ek lankal dit toepas. Ek het in my jong jare myself in ‘n koma in gestres oor als wat dalk kan gebeur. Tipies soos as iemand of reis gaan, sou ek my doodbekommer tot hulle veilig anderkant aankom. Ek het tot op ‘n stadium las gehad van ‘n maagseer… en toe kry ek verstand…

Why worry, if you worry, you die, if you don’t worry, you also die… eventually…

Al wat my nou stres is hoe om minder maand aan die einde van my pay te bewerkstellig…

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked   ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, ‘The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’

He continued, …’And that’s the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,  we won’t be able to carry on.  As with the glass of water,  you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. ‘

When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you’re carrying now,  let them down for a moment if you can.’

So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

*Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

*Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

*Always read stuff that will make you look good If you die in the middle of it.

*Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

*If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

*If you lend someone R20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

*It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.

*Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

*Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

*Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

*The second mouse gets the cheese.

*Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

*You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

*Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

*We could learn a lot from crayons… some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Die tag wat ek wou vermy….

Ek het nie ‘n mooi handskrif nie. Ek hou nie van skryf nie. Ek tik al lang jare alles en doen al my berekeninge, van die eenvoudigste tot die mees ingewikkelde, in Excel; selfs finansiële berekeninge waarvoor ek eintlik my oulike sakrekenaartjie moet gebruik.

Ek is lui vir skryf en hou nie eens daarvan om boodskappies in kaartjies te skryf noe. Ek skryf (lees krap) gewoonlik net terwyl ek notas maak tydens ‘n telefoongesprek en my dagboek is ook vir my oge alleenlik. Dit is die papierweergawe wat eintlik net ‘n notaboek is, want ek gebruik natuurlik die elektroniese formaat wat sommer vir my SMS’e na my selfoon toe stuur met my agenda.

So gepraat van notas maak…. omdat ek gewoonlik met ‘n pen in die hand sit terwyl ek op die telefoon praat, doodle ek.  Ek hou altyd “scrap” papier by die foon en ek bêre die krapblaadjies om later alles wat belangrik is elektronies te stoor… en dit is omtrent krapblaadjies.  Ek sal dit eendag wys. Intussen tag ek almal om julle doodles te kom wys… julle wil mos!