A hero to look up to

IT WAS quite funny, but simultaneously a little frustrating this morning as I was getting ready for work. My little prince from the SPCA decided he wasn’t ready to go outside and start his day.

He made a beeline for my bed as soon as I entered the bedroom. And, boy oh boy, did I do the wrong thing by opening the curtains. He found his spot on the bed just where the sun was coming in and he was determined he wasn’t going to budge. I tried picking him up and putting him on the ground – and then we had the stand-off.

Neither of us were budging.

Normally he follows me out the house. But this morning he wasn’t having any of it. As I made my way to the door, he just made a U-turn and jumped right back onto the bed.

The first time was quite sweet – even at a push the second time. But, by the third time, we both meant business and I wasn’t going to back down. He might have won the first two rounds, but I was determined that I was going to win the final round.

Needless to say, it was with a very sad heart that I was forced to carry him out like a little baby and leave him to play with his friends.

However, once outside, the little monster went about his business as if nothing had happened.

He ran off with the other dogs to chase birds or something.

A lot of things have been happening that are very similar to this incident.

Let’s take a look at the Helen Zille incident. It’s sweet and funny now. She has apologised and promised only to tweet about her granddaughter. Aww … cute. However, she first of all refused to back down. Just like my little prince, she shouldn’t have done what she did in the first place.

Then there is Mr “Me, Myself and I” Hlaudi Motsoeneng. He is still in the “stand-off ” position. I’m really trying to find the sweet and cute in this. Maybe it’s there, but then again … I don’t know.

I’m really struggling here. Please help me out somebody … anybody?

He has claimed something like this, “I, Hlaudi, have performed miracles and I, Hlaudi, will continue to perform miracles …” Maybe a miracle will happen and it will turn into a sweet and cute thing.

I’m not going to even go into the elephant in the room that is staring us in the eye.

Youth Day is coming up on Friday and I’m scared for them. If this is what they have to look up to shape their future … it doesn’t seem that there’s much of a future for which to hope.

That famous picture taken by Sam Nzima of the dying Hector Pieterson in 1976 should be etched in the mind of all those who are remaining stubborn and refusing to budge at the expense of others.

This is not what the real struggle heroes wanted when many of them gave their lives so that EVERYBODY could have a better life. Yes EVERYBODY, not just a select few.

Our youth need heroes to look up to.

And, the way things are looking right now, no wonder a lot of them are “wayward”. They need to be given the chance to live their lives to their full potential and take those coming after them into a brighter future.

It’s time to stop being stubborn at the expense of others.

Maybe I’m getting old, but sweet and cute looks good to me right now ...