Todays post is a guest post from Darren over at Out-Think Blog.
Just this week, JZ became president of the ANC, and not by a small margin either. And while some commentators [and bloggers] believe this has little relevance to us, I think in times to come we will look back and see the real importance of this change.
Leading up to it, this moment cast absolute fear into the hearts of many, with some people predicting great disaster, but thankfully so far so good [it seems the markets had already priced this in, with no marked effect on the JSE or on exchange rates, as some were predicting R20 to the British Pound].
It’s reminiscent of the 1994 miracle that occurred in this country. Yes, things could have been better, but they also could have been much worse. While its easy to fault the decisions of those in power at the time, I really have to ask myself whether I could have done any better given the circumstances. And besides, we can’t change history, only move forward. As my favourite book says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead…”
And as far as us wanting to be able to change the outcome of the vote, I think it was Jim Rohn who so brilliantly put it – “The sun rises in the East and set in the West. That’s just the way it is.” Mbeki is out, Zuma is in, that’s just the way it is.
There are questions about countries’ leaders everywhere [its actually inherent, isn’t it, that all leaders will be questioned and hated by somebody, since you can’t please all the people all the time]. Look at how many stories you hear about George Bush’s intellect, or Robert Mugabe’s morality. And the grass is always greener… [you know where].
Some people [some I know too] left this country ten to fifteen years ago to get away from the new government. Didn’t like the thought of what might happen. Moved to Zimbabwe. And now, again, the grass is greener somewhere else.
Well, I maintain that for our generation, our lives have been changed forever by this moment, in ways we do not yet understand, even if we think we do. But the sun still came up this morning. And it will still set tonight. And our lives will continue, shaping the only reality that we know.
And yes, I believe everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t like it at the time. What the reason for this is, it may take a long time for us to understand. But the bottom line is that those of us who remain here are here for a reason. And we have to believe that things will turn out right and that we have a part to play in it. The stage is set for some amazing young people to shine in SA, and they [we] will be presented opportunities not yet dreamed of. So if you have chosen to stay, I urge you to choose to believe too, because if you’re just going to be negative about this change [or indifferent for that matter], your actions may well be negative or indifferent too. But if they’re positive… that’s what will help shape and build our nation.
Choose to believe.
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