Wednesday, September 12, 2007
at
12:09 PM
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"A fool and his money. . ."
This one goes out to my fellow Jo'burgers and those thinking of making their way here. I assume that we all after the same thing, albeit that the detail description of it might be different. We want at least good quality of life. So, what is good quality of life? And does the description of this change with time?
See, a few years back, I came to Jozi looking for "le good life". I felt that I had done all I could in my little dorpie that I come from. (Yes, ya'll, Durban is a dorpie) I moved here coz this is where all dreams come true. And boy did Jozi deliver. After I got over the initial, "I miss my mommy syndrome", a new world opened to me. Everything that I complained was missing for me in Durbs was here. I was also told that people here are plastic. I don't know, I met some of the most genuine people here. The work front was great. I remember that, by moving here, I doubled by salary and its been up and up since then. The clubs here are so much more diverse than Durbs. You see, I'm a hip hop fan and in Durbs most joints play house, so I felt out of place most of the time. I came to Jozi and there were like a gajilion joints that catered for me. Then there was YFM. The DJ's were somewhat questionable at times, but they played the best stuff. Hip hop, soul, kwaito. I loved it. There's also a jazilion malls here making life that much easier.
My arrival here was just magical. That was years ago. Since then, I found myself. I say that coz, my when I met my wife, I found me. I also became a dad. An unexpected experience that changed so many things (for the better overall). I moved out of my penthouse suit in Sandton to a quaint house in quiet family friendly suburb. Now I'm more concerned about how much I spend in traffic, the rising interest rates, the declining stock market due to international slow down and fears about the bubble in Chindia. I use to be able to spend hours at the office and love the work. Now, the work is aight, I just want to get home before my daughter goes to sleep. They are building too many malls in Joburg and why does Loli Jackson have to advertise throughout Rivonia Road in Sandton for Teazers. By the way, I'm sure that the Billboard on William Nichol and Main of the Lollipop Lounge is revealing way too much ass. And no one says anything. What the?
I know what your punk ass is thinking. But seriously. Why do we leave our lovely coastal dorpies to come to the land of gold, to make money but then sit in traffic for 2 hours in traffic everyday? To live in neighborhoods where people don’t know who lives next door. Where we don’t allow our kids to easily go outside and play like we did when we were young. Where the only decent place for kids to hang out is the malls? Don’t get me started on that one. Its weird. We are raising out kids a certain way and we’ll be the people surprised when they turn out that way. Someone is going to look at your fat kid and say “What a snob” and you’ll be like “What?” But think about it. If you raise your kids in the suburbs, where you spend very little time with them coz these days Mommy and Daddy are chasing the money and climbing the corporate ladder. Who’s influencing your kids? Why do you get surprised when two thin parents produce an overweight child? How else is he gonna turn out when he sits in front of the pc for hours on facebook, then mtv for another couple of hours then playstation for the rest of the weekend. Then in the car its all about mixit. He won’t talk to you in the car coz he has his iPod earphones on. Do you know what’s on his iPod? I don’t think you wanna know. We thought Snoop was bad? Think again.
Despite the fact that the new generation may rebel at times against the teachings of their parents, they will ultimately fall back on what you taught them and showed them growing up. We complain that our kids are losing/have lost their cultural heritage. Lets think about what we chase during the day to give them versus the time we steal away from them and what we should be giving them in learnings, health and happiness in life you were given.
This one goes out to my fellow Jo'burgers and those thinking of making their way here. I assume that we all after the same thing, albeit that the detail description of it might be different. We want at least good quality of life. So, what is good quality of life? And does the description of this change with time?
See, a few years back, I came to Jozi looking for "le good life". I felt that I had done all I could in my little dorpie that I come from. (Yes, ya'll, Durban is a dorpie) I moved here coz this is where all dreams come true. And boy did Jozi deliver. After I got over the initial, "I miss my mommy syndrome", a new world opened to me. Everything that I complained was missing for me in Durbs was here. I was also told that people here are plastic. I don't know, I met some of the most genuine people here. The work front was great. I remember that, by moving here, I doubled by salary and its been up and up since then. The clubs here are so much more diverse than Durbs. You see, I'm a hip hop fan and in Durbs most joints play house, so I felt out of place most of the time. I came to Jozi and there were like a gajilion joints that catered for me. Then there was YFM. The DJ's were somewhat questionable at times, but they played the best stuff. Hip hop, soul, kwaito. I loved it. There's also a jazilion malls here making life that much easier.
My arrival here was just magical. That was years ago. Since then, I found myself. I say that coz, my when I met my wife, I found me. I also became a dad. An unexpected experience that changed so many things (for the better overall). I moved out of my penthouse suit in Sandton to a quaint house in quiet family friendly suburb. Now I'm more concerned about how much I spend in traffic, the rising interest rates, the declining stock market due to international slow down and fears about the bubble in Chindia. I use to be able to spend hours at the office and love the work. Now, the work is aight, I just want to get home before my daughter goes to sleep. They are building too many malls in Joburg and why does Loli Jackson have to advertise throughout Rivonia Road in Sandton for Teazers. By the way, I'm sure that the Billboard on William Nichol and Main of the Lollipop Lounge is revealing way too much ass. And no one says anything. What the?
I know what your punk ass is thinking. But seriously. Why do we leave our lovely coastal dorpies to come to the land of gold, to make money but then sit in traffic for 2 hours in traffic everyday? To live in neighborhoods where people don’t know who lives next door. Where we don’t allow our kids to easily go outside and play like we did when we were young. Where the only decent place for kids to hang out is the malls? Don’t get me started on that one. Its weird. We are raising out kids a certain way and we’ll be the people surprised when they turn out that way. Someone is going to look at your fat kid and say “What a snob” and you’ll be like “What?” But think about it. If you raise your kids in the suburbs, where you spend very little time with them coz these days Mommy and Daddy are chasing the money and climbing the corporate ladder. Who’s influencing your kids? Why do you get surprised when two thin parents produce an overweight child? How else is he gonna turn out when he sits in front of the pc for hours on facebook, then mtv for another couple of hours then playstation for the rest of the weekend. Then in the car its all about mixit. He won’t talk to you in the car coz he has his iPod earphones on. Do you know what’s on his iPod? I don’t think you wanna know. We thought Snoop was bad? Think again.
Despite the fact that the new generation may rebel at times against the teachings of their parents, they will ultimately fall back on what you taught them and showed them growing up. We complain that our kids are losing/have lost their cultural heritage. Lets think about what we chase during the day to give them versus the time we steal away from them and what we should be giving them in learnings, health and happiness in life you were given.
Posted by
Anonymous
Labels:
Kids of today
2 comments:
A fool and his money...or is that future?
Brother-man,
I hear your concerns and acknowledge the phase of life you find yourself in.
When our ancestors decided a round object would move much easier and smoother than a square object, they discovered something. Progress.
They also, however, discovered the perils that come with progress - accidents.
You see, your move from your 'dorpie' to the 'concrete jungle' had little to do with what you wanted, and more to do with what our society needs [progress].
So, you are aware of the lifestyle in the hustle-and-bustle of Jozi. You know about the Mall kids, iPods, Mixit yada yada yada.
The things we chase during the day, are not really for our kids either. They are for us.[Check out Maslow's hierarchy of needs]. I am convinced that kids will act out what they see at home [even if mom & dad are seldom at home] and they will mimic that. Our little spermazoid come with an extra bit of equipment nature leaves for us to nurture: a survival kit. This kit is nurtured by they things we say but do not do, and the things we do but do not say.
I digress. Back to my point about what our society needs. We need more fathers to be thinkers and do'ers. Dad has to be the head of the home and lead the family thru the daily turmoils. Mom has her role too [another blog, another day].
You see, your daughter will learn what to do and what not to do from you. Yes, you will stuff-up on occassion. Be a man. Own up. Apologise. Tell her how things should be. And why. There is a reason we have the family unit. It's no accident.
But here is the best part of all: your daughter chose you to be her father - and not the other way 'round. She is here to help elevate your thinking. She is here to ensure that you keep progressing in a way that will benefit the family and ultimately society. You need to rise to the challenge. You have choices to make.
In closing, I wish to quote an extract from Reinhold Niebuhr : God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
I fully understand progress and the wholw concept around society. however, bro, in each society, the are kings, squires, philosophers, peasants, workers, etc.
we all play different roles towards this progress. this is also why we have unofficial class systems in our society. The problem here is that in our country, previously, black people played the slave type roles and white bros and sisters played the much fancied roles. What I'm saying is that we are now free yet we keep lives our lives like the slaves we were. Its time we reviewed our quality of lives progressive black folk and ensure we don't continue living trapped lives under the banner of chasing progress but we personally actually aren't gaining. For the collective to succeed, individuals have to gain. I just want to be sure I don't make money yet continue to be a slave and not live the life I dream of.
I don't know if any of that made sense, but that's my response.
TMH
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