Winds of Change

It's almost silly to be discussing change when we are already over a month into the New Year. But it seems as though February is a little more adventurous than January, and with her came a few surprises that are bound to wake us up from our summer haze. In politics, sport and life, there are a few changes that I have experienced that I would like to share with you.

A weekend of registration for the upcoming municipal elections got my family talking yesterday. We weren't very surprised that the first time any of the political parties have been visible in our ward of Highlands North was when we were seeing smiling faces on street poles. Not much has changed since the 2009 general elections, except perhaps that the potholes have gotten bigger. But generally, it seems that South Africans are not as eager for change as our Egyptian and Tunisian counterparts.

Elections are meant to form part of a healthy democracy, where citizens get to consider thoughtfully the changes they want in their communities and demand it from their local governments. But that does not seem to be the case. I had voted in Grahamstown in the last elections, so that is where I have been registered. Today, I was a responsible citizen and went to register in my area. While fulfilling what I consider a very important duty to my country, the gentleman who was supposed to be checking my form was engaged in a duty of his own - deciding whether he wanted mild or peri peri for his Nando's order. Perhaps expecting change in a country where we are almost so close to a complete deterioration of ethics and justice that we no longer notice the speed limits on the highway is asking too much. Political change can only exist where apathy doesn't, but in this beautiful land it seems as though apathy is sharing the thrown with the one-eyed king.

But now that I am registered, I need to consider who I am to vote for. In our conversation last night The Sister suggested a viable candidate when she asked "Can I vote for Dial Direct or Outsurance?" A strange question, you may think, but Dial Direct and Outsurance are the only organisations that we have seen in our area who have positively contributed to the well-being of the community. Dial Direct are systematically trying to cover all the potholes on the roads, and Outsurance can always be counted on to adequately handle the traffic when the lights inevitably decide not to work on Louis Botha at 7am on a Monday morning. Perhaps the true solution is to vote for the Taxi drivers. After all, the cops fear them the same way a Grade 1 student fears a Grade 6 bully. They have the unrivalled ability to get drivers to follow their rules, and punish any indiscretion with immediate action. They seem to be a lot more successful in implementing their laws than the government are. At the very least, they believe in transparency: they openly show their corruption, unlike our politicians who (unsuccessfully) hide theirs

And in the beautiful game, things have gone from freezing cold to boiling hot: this season has been a wild rollercoaster ride for Liverpool supporters, especially this week. The should-not-have-been-surprising move of Spanish striker Fernando Torres from the Reds to the Blues was a shocker for everyone - almost, but not quite, as shocking as Wolverhampton’s victory over Man United yesterday. Reports showed that Torres had been hoping for a move from as far back as the English summer, and he proved it in his comments leading up to a highly-anticipated blue and red scuffle at Stamford Bridge. According to the transfer-record-breaking Spaniard, his move from Liverpool was long-time overdue. But, as Chelsea supporters got to experience firsthand tonight, so are the goals that everyone has been expecting of the highly-rated striker. Change doesn't come cheap, as the London team have discovered, and Torres' weak 65-minute display of almost football has many Chelsea supporters begging for their change from the 50 million pounds they spent on Monday. Torres should have paid more attention in Science. If he had, he would know that when a substance goes from extreme heat (Red) to extreme cold (Blue), the substance becomes rock hard and utterly useless. After all, that's how The Fantastic Four defeated Victor Von Doom!

A change that's going to be slightly more difficult for me to stomach is Liverpool's signing of Uruguian footballer, Luis Suarez. If you recall, the striker's excellent goal keeping is what kept the Black Stars out of the World Cup Semis back in August. However, last season's Dutch League Footballer of the Year added to his negative number of brownie points by scoring in his debut for Liverpool against Stoke on Tuesday. This is not a welcome change, but it is a much-needed one if Liverpool has its eyes set on next season's Champion's League.

Unlike Torres, Newcastle gracefully reacted to change (and a four-goal deficit) by ending a rather exciting game on a four-all draw with the Gunners, who - as always - ran out of ammunition in the last half an hour of the game at St James' Park. Even with the loss of their top player to a better team ;) Newcastle showed courage in what appeared to be a very sad situation. Nani also added change to his list of accomplishments this week when he set an impossible-to-beat record by scoring against Wolves in under 4 seconds. But not every change bears good fruit, as Man U demonstrated yesterday. United supporters were extremely silent on the inter-web this weekend, and that is a welcome change in and of itself.

A little more closer to home, I started my first Big Person’s job this week. This brought on a number of changes: fewer sleeping hours; more money in my bank account; experiencing Sandton traffic. But the best change that I have experienced is the growth of my wardrobe. If I am forced to join the capitalist machine, I may as well look pretty while doing it. Not long ago, a family friend said in jest: “If you’re not a communist at 20, you have no heart. If you’re still a communist at 30, you have no brain.” Though I still stand strongly by my socialist sentiments, it’s easy to see the comfort in joining the system. How long can change be resisted?

The Winds of Change is never a gentle breeze. There's always a major gust when life throws a curve ball. But even though we are powerless to control when the winds may blow, we are always in control of our actions. This week's challenge: decide how you are going to respond to the Winds of Change in your life. Either you're going to be the awkward lady in a chiffon skirt, trying desperately to keep her dress down as the wind cheekily keeps trying to reveal her unmentionables. Or you can be that kid wearing yellow shorts and a blue T-Shirt: holding tightly onto one end of a piece of string as the orange diamond climbs higher, higher into the clear blue sky.

"We know what we are, but not what we may be." Ophelia in Hamlet