You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make
it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It
seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water.
In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the
last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without
saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the
carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and
placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in
a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and
noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break
it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee.
The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked. "What's the point, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being
subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside
became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the
boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your
door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?
Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough
with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,
the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it
releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when
things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation
around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you
elevate to another level?
How do you handle Adversity?
ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?
(MAKES ONE WONDER WHY ROY BENNET CHOSE TO FARM COFFEE - OUR THOUGHTS
ARE WITH YOU ROY AND HEATHER)
Thoughts From Abroad
BULAWAYO AIRPORT
Re 113 and the Bulawayo Airport. I agree with you having spent many
hours
there in the course of my duties as an Officer of Customs - for the
traffic
that went through there, it was more than adequate. There were many
stories
of what the then COs used to get up to whilst there was no traffic or a
plane was late. There was a duty officer who spent the whole day there
and
then a crew would come out from the town office when an external flight
was
due and remain until all passengers had been cleared. This was quite a
prized post as it would mean getting away from the Main Office for a
week at
a time and of course there was the Overtime payment that went with the
minimum 6am to 6pm shift (sometimes with late planes it could be 10pm
before
one got away.
Re 114 and the Round Table Railway - I was very sad to hear that the RT
Railway had not been operational. My family and I spent many happy
Saturday
afternoons or Sundays or night shifts over the Christmas period working
on
the RTR. The biggest crime there was to "Drop a Plug" (this was the
result
of allowing the water level to drop too low and the lead centre of the
safety plug in the boiler immediately above the fire melted, allowing
the
steam out onto the fire, quenching it, and reducing the steam pressure
to 0.
It was then necessary to wait until the engine cooled right down before
a
new plug could be put in and the engine fired up again. That was
virtually
writing off the engine for that shift. I believe the Zambian Railways
got
over this problem by replacing the safety plug with a steel bolt, that
is
until one blew up.)
There was a sub-committee within Table 3 called naturally the "Trains
Committee" and the Chairman of the sub-committee was referred to as the
General Manager. The stories of the building of this railway were
terrific
and one member, who was successful in obtaining the most donations
towards
its building, became known as "The Biggest Bum in Table". Subsequently
a
piece of regalia known as the "Bum" (a pewter model of a naked body
form
from waist to thigh hung on a red ribbon) was awarded to a member for a
job
well done.
There was originally the main engine "King Arthur" manufactured
overseas and
he was a pleasure to drive. Later "Queen Guinevere" was manufactured
locally and initially there was something not quite right as, if the
train
was running clock wise, one had to be very careful that one had a full
head
of steam as you approached the last section before the main station.
There
was a bit of a hump here and without the full head of steam one might
end up
pushing it over this hump (much to the amusement of the passengers).
On the
"Kings Birthday" every year there would be a party where children from
certain backgrounds would be invited, given free rides, drinks and
sweets -
all part of the aims and ideals of RT.
Lady Morag the electric engine was introduced much later, I seem to
think
about the time that the track was built at the Trade Fair Grounds, and
this
was fairly popular with the Tablers as it required no firing up before
the
shift started and no cleaning out afterwards. This latter job was hard
work
and very dirty as the fire had to be put out (after making sure that
the
boiler was almost full - it was even more hard work trying to put water
into
the cold boiler) and all the tubes brushed out and all left nice and
clean
for the next shift. The Sergeant at Arms was not very kindly to anyone
who
fell down on this duty.
In addition to learning to fire up and drive the train, for safety
reasons,
one had to learn all about the operation of a steam engine and an exam
had
to be taken before one became a "Certified Driver". My Certificate is
still
displayed in my office No. 82 dated 2nd June, 1974, signed by the then
Chief
Engineer (and examiner) Colin Gordon and the General Manager Ken
Harper.
The photograph that I have with this, is from a dinner that year at the
Holiday Inn and it contains many well known Bulawayo names from that
era.
If you are interested I could scan the photo and send it to you. {do send it on in & I'll display it here!}
Unfortunately I am not in contact with any of those who were in RT at
that
time and some are deceased
Aunty Bess, now you are at peace at long last.
Thinking of all the family especially Trish, Malcolm, Wendy, Steve,
Tarryn
and Matthew, and Sandy and Bobby in the UK.
lots of love
Frances, Derek, Jackie and Stephen.
