Lessons From Lockdown

Lessons From Lockdown
Sunday, March 29th, 2020

Dear Fellow South Africans 

I want to share the lessons that I have learned from lockdown. I hope that they will help you through this difficult time. Probably not, but here they are.

I’m rediscovering things from a less frantic age, so much more in synch with nature’s rhythms. There is nothing like the taste and aroma of home-warmed fast food. KFC sizzling in the microwave oven, Sizwe’s salted skop gently warming on a hotplate - ah, the nostalgia. Of course, i will be testing my fledgling culinary skills and the Durban spices kindly supplied by my sister, who forgot to include a manual. At present, i am warily circling the speckled beans and will pounce, like Sugar Ray Leonard, when the time is right.
The art of conversation has been another archeological find. I feel no embarrassment at talking to myself -  I live alone. There have been many friendly, sometimes fiery debates; some won, some lost. I occasionally use the voices of our former president and Mr Mantashe to spice things up. There has been time for the almost lost habit of reflection. Having spent time in contemplation of my navel and the meaning of life, I am close to the answer to the mystery. Of why my navel is positioned where it is, I mean.

I have been able to catch up on news. Someone was at Dr Ace for allegedly playing a significant role in ATM (the party, not Capitec), while a senior member of the ANC. I see nothing wrong in that. Particularly for a philosopher like Dr Ace. He probably takes in the grand, broad sweep of life and therefore cannot be bogged down in the narrow lane of loyalty to one party. Spread your bets, I say. I kept an open mind during the elections, closed my eyes and ticked. I wound up voting for the IEC officials.

Shopping was interesting. Baked beans were about R4 when I last shopped and are now advertised at the low price of R50 or something. I probably have that wrong. It was the shock to my system. The only item that I could buy in good conscience was the R4 Shoprite bread. I bought twenty loaves. I know that man does not live by bread alone. I am scouring the shops for something - anything - else in the R4 neighbourhood.
I hope these profound insights and incandescent lightbulb moments benefit you in some way. Beats the heck out of me how they possibly could but oh well…

Yours in the struggle to make a life in lockdown

Richard