Heroes fighting own battles

YUtter idiocy and cover-ups by government are thrown into the daily mix of some of the bigger problems we all face in South Africa.

esterday morning, I smacked a finger against the edge of a shelf. It was hard enough to draw blood and while it wasn’t particularly painful on a scale of bad joints to kidney stones, what happened next surprised me. The beginnings of what could have been a full-blown, rage-driven, temper tantrum starting with: “Are you (insert expletive/s of choice) kidding me!” started taking root. I managed to bottle it before I threw my coffee mug through my kitchen window but then my eyes started leaking. Like, real tears.

I’m not much one for crying, especially over a minor bump, as a somewhat clumsy person, I’m constantly covered in bruises and cuts from walking into things, so opening my finger was par for the course for me.

And then I realised what was going on. We go through so much as people living in this country ... and it is all adding up.

Load shedding, be it power or water, the economy – which no matter those of us blessed to have stable incomes try to make it last the month – feels like it is shrinking every day. We’re fighting traffic which has few functioning robots, stuttering through traffic when it should be flowing, everyone jockeying to gain just a few more metres, all the while the car is sucking petrol which we can ill-afford.

The crime which feels out of control, police stations being robbed of firearms, idiot ministers of condolences who say South Africa is a safe destination.

No, Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa is not a safe destination. Tourists face all the daily crimes residents face and sugar coating it with trite statements doesn’t improve the problem. Go and and read the UK travel advice warnings for South Africa, minister, because no one in government believes its own media, which reports on the massive implosion that is the government daily.

Utter idiocy and cover-ups by government are thrown into the daily mix of some of the bigger problems we all face in South Africa.

In March, Health-e News reported the latest mental state of the world report identified South Africa as the lowest-ranked country based on mental well-being.

“Published annually by the Mental Health Million Project, the report reached a total of 223 087 respondents from 34 countries,” Health-e News reported.

“With over 11 887 respondents, South Africa had the lowest mental well-being score of 46%.” Raise your hand if you are surprised.

Add in unemployment, which is the highest in the world, Covid now knocking at our doors again and a general feeling of helplessness, it’s no wonder many of us are barely keeping our heads above water.

Trying to keep a business open as utilities are slowly disappearing, the responsibility for keeping people employed? I don’t know how you do it, I take my hat off to you.

I take my hat off to everyone of us who make it through the day and drag ourselves out of bed to battle whatever fresh hell government has waiting for us.

And when you feel like launching your coffee mug through a window, as satisfying as the ensuing violence may be, it’s probably better just to walk away and find the thing inside you which keeps you going.

If you need to, speak to someone, write, listen to music, stand barefoot in the grass, or simply drink your coffee while taking deep breaths.

Whatever works for you, there is no cure-all. We are all heroes and we’ll keep on doing what it takes for as long as it takes.

Have a good day.