It must have been that fellow from Red River who made me become a
gibbering Third World Idiot !!
He had the effrontery to say ...and I quote ..."Just because you come
from Africa don't mean y'all have to act like Apes " !!
Ever since then I have been doing my best, "my level best" as they
say in Ape Land, to act like I was born in the First World and not
the Third !!
I suppose he was quite justified in being a tad annoyed with us as we
had virtually written off his entire snowmobile fleet, but I feel he
might have been a little more politically correct!
We were "first timers in the First World " and took to snow mobiling
with great zeal and zest. It was rather unfortunate that "She who
must Run" was 16 then, and a very new driver and decided she needed
to impale Snowmobile Number 4 onto a tree !!
And it was not "She who Must Sing's" fault that she accidentally
grabbed onto the throttle and sent herself and HeeHoo head first into
a ditch....
and of course Favourite Uncle Dave aka "He who is totally Kamikaze"
thought he could ramp the snow drift and took the scenic route via a
ravine !!
It was an expensive First World Foray and it has made me nervous ever
since then about showing up my true Third World colours..
And so I have avoided driving anywhere but in Zimbabwe, where our
greatest dangers are the donkey carts and the errant emergency taxi
drivers with the chickens on the roof !!
However, needs must, and when HeeHoo said sternly "you will learn to
drive" - like a duck to water I took to driving in the USA.
You know that old saying "A woman is like a tea-bag, you never know
how strong she is until she gets into hot water "
He who is Kamikaze very bravely gave me some driving lessons and off
we went to Waco where "She Who Must Sing" is now gainfully employed !!
Now you might wonder what all the fuss is about, but I must hasten to
add that we are from the Colonies and we, unlike the Americans, drive
on the correct side of the road !!
And in addition, the closest thing we have to a national Highway back
home is four lanes of traffic !!
But I have it all squared away now. "Be aggressive" shrieks She who
Must Sing as I brake sharply when I see an eighteen wheeler, "don't
slow down for anything" !!!
Instead of approaching a Freeway with due caution, you have to floor
the accelerator, and on advice from She Who Must Sing, "if you get
nervous turn up the radio "
Now there have been many moments of sheer terror, my heart has
literally been in my mouth on several occasions, I have had three
very debilitating experiences, when all of life has flashed before
me, when I have prayed that I am not driving on the wrong side of the
road.
But there are escape routes that I have found most comforting when
all bravery deserts me.
When in doubt get off at the nearest exit and cry quietly in a lay-
by. Always keep tissues, cell phone, water bottle and wits about you
at all times.
Never ever take up eye contact with a fellow driving an eighteen
wheeler, (not that it is likely - he is a hundred foot higher than
you are in that itty bitty car ).... after all if you can take on a
Zimbabwean taxi driver, who has been sitting in a fuel queue for four
days and not earning an income, you can take on the world, girl,
trust me !!
But if you are ever in Waco and you see a crazy woman driving around
and around a parking lot, talking loudly if somewhat hysterically to
herself, it's me, trying to gather enough courage to head for the
freeway.
MATHESON - DUNCAN MERCER
My dearly beloved husband Duncan and my most trusted friend for 45
years.
How greatly I will miss and love you always. Fly high and rest in
perfect peace
Patricia Rowan Matheson.
MATHESON - DUNCAN MERCER
A kind and gentle friend. Heartfelt sympathy and love to Pat.
Terry and Foster Betts
MATHESON - DUNCAN MERCER
Funeral Service - Church of Ascension, Hillside
Wednesday 22nd February 11:00 AM.
Friends kindly accept this intimation.
TERBLANCHE FAMILY
We would like to thank you for your messages of condolence and thank
the many friends who attended our dear son Bryden's funeral.
It comforts us to know that so many people care about us in our time
of grief.
Rey, Shirley, Penny, Isla and families.
BENSON, Lillian. Died 15th February 2006. In a better place now.
To the Terblanche family,
So sorry to hear about your loss.
Please accept our deepest condolences.
Elizabeth & Stephen Diarmid
Please add in your next Condolences
Mike Kenny - dearly loved husband of Mary, father of Shanon, Jeanne,
Catherine, Terence & Siobhan, Grandfather of Christopher, Anthony,
Pipa, Byron, Caitlin, Beth, Kiara and Lucy. Two Bob, you went the
best way, peacefully & painlessly. We will miss you. Rest now
Mike Kenny - our deepest sympathy to Mary and Family. Bryan, Dee &
Samantha Follwell
CONDOLENCE
O'SHAUGHNESSY Jackie
Passed away recently in England. Will be sadly missed by all her
friends
worldwide.
"He who takes a chance,
who walks the line between the known & the unknown,
who is unafraid of failure, will succeed."
- Gordan Parks -
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the
dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was
vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act
their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. -- T. E. Lawrence from
Good News of the Day:
Dean Kamen, the engineer who invented the Segway, is puzzling over a
new equation these days. An estimated 1.1 billion people in the world
don't have access to clean drinking water, and an estimated 1.6
billion don't have electricity. To solve the problem, he's invented
two devices, each about the size of a washing machine that can
provide much-needed power and clean water in rural villages.
http://charityfocus.org/php-bin/qad.php?n=2197
Be The Change:
Share your dream for the world.
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