Once you've set the goal

 Once you set the goal

Today is the 173^th day since a state of disaster was declared in South Africa. Wow, hasn’t our world changed since then? We’ve learnt so much about the virus. In particular the treatment protocols have really advanced in leaps and bounds. We’ve been through ventilators, Chloroquine and so much more. Remember the mayhem in New York, Italy, the UK and the growing cases in our country? Thank goodness we are seeing the graphs pointing in the right direction now. Long may that last! We even hear murmurs of a well-developed, tested and effective vaccination on the horizon.

Another glorious reality is that there are less than 60 days until the American election is done. We could even have a result by then. Don’t hold your breath if the Orange Sentient feels the need to challenges though. Praise be to anyone that cares. Only 60 odd days of divisive USA rhetoric, the string of Trumpian pathological lying and general electioneering. OMG….. I am tired of that. I just hope the violence doesn’t pick up in the days leading to the election and for America’s and the world’s sake, I hope sanity prevails…. whatever that means. We all need principle-centered leadership from that quarter going forward. I do believe that the American policies-let’s rather call them approaches- regarding China have hastened America’s decline as the leading economy.  But maybe that’s a good thing? Once you’ve lost the top dog position, ego is often set aside and we get on with optimising our new reality. Often happens like that with bullies.

Also looking at China (without judging their general philosophy) where group rights trump individual rights in contrast with Western philosophy where individual rights trump group rights, I do think there are quite worrying human rights practices which require strong assertion and collaboration form the western world. Let’s not ignore some very serious human rights abuses in many democracies around the world whatever system is at play. Okay, so a lot has happened heh!

Moving to the real point of this scribble. I have certainly had a lot of time to “just think” and mostly it’s been quite lekker. Off course some days are better than others but in general every day after treatment gets better. I am back in hospital and feel compelled to launch into a monologue about the wonders of the people at Constantiaberg Hospital but I won’t go that route again, suffice to say that the attention I am getting is even better. I think that’s because we’ve now gotten to know each other a bit.

So last Monday I had some blood tests and met with my Doc. We sat down and he gave some feedback and then laid out my new treatment plan. While I have absolute confidence in my Doc and his team, I knew we had to change the plan and was looking forward to knowing what the plan was. So now we have a plan and that felt great. However, a few hours later, I started to feel flat. Some introspection required me to ask “Why?”

I woke the next day feeling peachy and the penny dropped. I now understood my “flatness” the day before. The pleasure of having a plan was overshadowed by the realization of having to travel the journey and I know the journey will have its ups and downs. It reminded me so much of those big goals we set in life. Remember the plan to go to varsity, to diet, to start a business, entering a bike ride etc? Registering is always a lekker and uplifting feeling. I recall wonderful long standing (note a careful avoidance f the expression “Old friends”) friends of mine who decided to take a sabbatical and travel in a well-equipped 4 X 4 through Africa in fulfilment of one of their dreams. They set the goal and were very excited. Then came the stress. What if this, what if that? What’ll I do when I return and so on? Any way all went swimmingly. Once the goal is set, especially if it’s a biggy, the next thin is the realization of the pain or effort of the journey and knowing it could be arduous and possibly intimidating.  That’s the realization of the pain or effort of the journey and knowing it could be arduous and possibly intimidating. Your next phase is often a bit gnarly. I so recall this feeling when entering a relatively tough MTB ride. That feeling of “oh shite I have to pick the training up to say 15 hours a week”. The only thing to do is start, remembering that it takes more energy to break the inertia that to keep the momentum going.

And that’s my story!