To those who see today's grandmothers and notice only grey hair and gentle smiles, let us reintroduce ourselves.
O.R. TAMBO AIRPORT - BEWARE
We were the wild souls of the '60s and '70s. We wore mini skirts so short they made headlines, boots that climbed past our knees, bell bottoms pants and platform shoes. We burnt our bras, banned the bomb, wore flowers in our hair, went to Woodstock and raced for the moon. We didn't just witness change-we sparked it. We had Flower Power, Lava Lamps, Peace Brother, Tie & Dye tee shirts,
Our music was rebellion set to rhythm. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Sonny and Cher, The Everley Brothers, Chubby Checker and CCR -they weren't background noise. They were our voice. We sang loudly, played records until they wore out, and let the music move us-heart and soul.
We rocked and rolled, twisted the night away, danced the limbo, the monkey, the locomotion, the monster mash and the mashed potato.
We raced through cities on roaring motorcycles and mopeds, zipped around in Mini Coopers and VW Beetles with windows down and freedom as our only destination. We sipped Babycham, Cinzano and Lemonade, gin and tonics in smoky bars, danced barefoot in fields soaked with rain and rock 'n' roll.
We went to the movies and watched Tarzan, Tom and Jerry, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, A Hards Day's Night, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Sound of Music and Dr Zhivago.
We didn't have Wi-Fi, filters, or phones glued to our hands. Our memories weren't uploaded-they were lived. With flowers in our hair or beehive hairstyles, sandals on our feet, and hearts blazing, we built a world that pushed back, stood tall, and refused to be silenced.
So when you see us now, remember-we were fierce long before hashtags. We didn't just dream of change. We became it.
Rock on, young ones. We already did.
WATCH DOG
Beware of the very light fingered baggage handlers at O.R Tambo International Airport. I would not normally make a fuss but I personally have had my hand luggage broken into three times now and family members have had hand luggage and checked-in luggage with locks removed and rifled. My advice - don't lock your case as it could be irreparably damaged, just don't pack anything valuable. They don't seem to bother with clothing, they are looking for cash, mobile phones, sun glasses and the like, although I did find someone else track suit trousers in my luggage once!!
Make sure you keep your valuables on your person in a small bag that will fit into the tiny overhead bins.
My daughter, the intrepid, investigative journalist, has delved into the thievery and was dismayed to find to what extent the problem had reached, she has made up a very clever song about it too which she probably would have flighted by now, if she had not found out how desperate the situation is for those at the top.
We might all have to resort to good old cling wrap, something we have never done, and as dedicated travellers, we have never had any problems anywhere in the world apart from O.R Tambo!!