My year in South Africa

I have never wanted a normal life! O.K yeah so define normal these days blah, blah, blah…you know the typical 2.4 kids, a house in a “nice” part of town, a steady unfulfilling job, husband and half an hour of unsatisfactory groping on a Saturday night after a few beers down the local kinda normal!

Even when I was a little girl I remember telling anyone who’d listen that I’d never get married (yeah OK I strayed a bit on that one for a while) and I’d never have children. I’ve also known for a long time now that I still have NO clue what the hell to do with my life, even at the ripe old age of 35 (although mentality I’m about 12…. and that’s on a good day!). I remember Billy Connelly once saying that the most interesting people are those that don’t know what they want out of life, well hey, that must have skipped by me, as really, quite honestly, most of the time I’m about as exciting and interesting to be around as a plate of cold pap…and lets face it, trying to be interesting takes effort and I think a level of comfort with the people that your surrounded by. Often in my case my “superficial friendships” are usually short. I have no one to blame but myself for this, I just could never stay in one place for more than 5 seconds! Although I’ve never questioned my life style, I always accepted it, even embraced it…when I felt I’d stuffed up, said something I shouldn’t and thought that somebody might not like me, I packed up and left, continuing on my journey to find my idea of utopia, I suppose the place where you can be yourself with no questions asked. I’ve lost count of the towns, cities and jungles I’ve hidden in, the new people I’ve met on the way who so effect my life without them even realizing. And yeah, it’s been working very nicely like that for the last 16 years…. so hey why change right?

I do know that along with this very un-normal life I wanted, I dreamed to make a difference in some way, although what way that is, I still have NOOO idea…. yeah, OK I kinda do. I always wanted to be the next Jane Goodall or Dian Fosse, these women inspired me to be strong and take no shit…from anyone. Great in theory, sadly in reality I am the biggest push over in existence! So this goal, one of many I have had and still do have in my life, comes down to three major obstacles…. Stupidity, laziness and love. Actually I should just write men for the third…in big bold letters…in fact bugger it, lets paint it on the side of Table Mountain in bright RED and be done!

I suppose on occasion I get momentary sparks of inspiration, although I fear most people would simply call this thinking… and that really covers the first two. Just to big myself up, yeah O.K, so I’ve got a degree and no I didn’t pay for it on the Internet! I worked hard for it…of course in the real world it kinda means jack shit. See since being in South Africa, in particular the lowveld, I’ve learnt a BIG life lesson…. experience is nothing…. knowledge is everything and an English woman knows NOTHING in comparison to the people who grew up or work here. I figure if I do nothing but study 8 hours a day for the rest of my natural life I may get to know a quarter of what they know…if I’m lucky! And in reality, let’s face it, I’m FAR too lazy to do that…pass me the DSTV remote!