I am two years older than my mother was when she lost my father. At 13 I gave no thought to what 40 felt like though no doubt I must have thought it quite old. I am sure that my mother felt younger than she was and had the same types of conversations then as I do today with my peers. The time has flown, my friends have teenage children and while a small part of me mourns my youth that flew by, I have thoroughly enjoyed the gentle transition out of my 30s. The last decade was hard in many ways, yet rewarding in so many others. If I live to 80 then I am only halfway there however my sister was halfway there at 16 so the truth is we never know. And that's why I am happy to be where I am, know who I am, in the best shape I've been in years, able to look back with no regret and fervently hope that I age as well as Joan Rivers.
Hearing that Madiba had died was no great surprise, we knew it was inevitable. At 95, he accomplished so much more than most of us, suffered hardships we will never endure and despite spending the better part of his adult years incarcerated lived a lifetime after his release from jail. For a moment I wished I was back in South Africa to be a part of the rainbow nation and I read and watch as much as I can with interest; noting comments for and against him, predictions of change in South Africa versus the fear of the mythical Uhuru and the international commentary on who shook hands with who and where the fake interpreter came from. I am proud to have actively lived his freedom, I knew a South Africa pre-end-of-apartheid and I lived the one post. I watched his release from prison and stood outside the Union Buildings at his inauguration. I was fortunate enough to have met him. He was taller than you would expect. He was quiet-spoken. He was legendary. But I also fled the South Africa he created, and that is the only part I hold against him; though blaming him is akin to blaming an apple for rotting in the sun (as quoted by a friend).
I wrote my Canadian Citizenship Test last week. I studied hard and actually enjoyed learning the history of the country I now call home, figuring out how the economy and government works and achieving a score of 100% - set high the previous week by Keith. I have always loved this country and this is the inevitable conclusion of a 20 year old dream. South Africa will always be the land of my birth; nobody will ever truly understand Africa unless you have lived it; but I am Canadian. I am proud to be legally part of a country that works, where I feel my taxes do something; where I feel free and safe and where in comparison the government and people are free of the ailments I was so frustrated by in South Africa.
But best of all, where I live, all you need to do to become the next Mayor is not smoke crack.
