The beauty and pain about and in life is Uncertainty. Many people have said that they'd never wish to return to their twenties because although it's a time for experimentation and freedom, it was also the time in their lives where they struggled with finding their identity or creating or placing themselves into a niche. Your twenties (I'm guessing) is where you start to have the first real interaction with the cold, and sometimes cruel world. Yes, there are pluses too such as living in your own apartment, having a job and a car and getting to call your own shots, but at the same time, it's the first real taste you have of what it means to be leaving behind the comfort and security of sheltered routine. Sometimes even a university degree does to a certain extent place boundaries and limitations on your decisions, because you may have deadlines and tests to study for. However once you enter the world of the formal/ semi-formal workplace, you're thrown into a pool of people 20-30 years your senior, and quickly need to reach out for that buoy. On the other hand, being a 20-something-year-old is also a golden phase which is the epitome of the word "fleeting". You are the rookie, the underdog, but you carry with you the swagger of a 1920's film star and the s(ass) of a Guess Jeans model. At times, it feels like not even Life can stand in your way, and that everything in that moment culminates and sways to play out your classic Hollywood movie scene. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it backfires and is therefore aptly described as how Maggie Smith coined it ; "Sheer, dumb luck!". But, as much as that may be true, that cheeky (and often rickety) boost is possibly a foot in the door...to our dreams. I am by no stretch of the imagination trying to suggest that I have the twenties figured out, in fact, I think the most quintessential thing about our twenties is the fact that we think we have it all figured out (Yes, I see the irony here...). What I do however think and have realized is the fact that this is the stage in our lives which we should embrace and fully explore. Towards the end of this surreal phase, we have narrowed down the search and paths to be taken--as life will inevitably force us to do, and so it is of utmost importance to ensure that what we are left with is a range of choices and characteristics which will enable us to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be, and to fully utilize all of the knowledge and skills to propel us into our unimaginable success. I have started watching a series called Suits (Season 1), of which follows a New York attorney and his associate who is a secretly-illegitimate Harvard-graduate. This associate, Mike, is in his mid-twenties, and after wishing for a life in which he would go to bed every night exhausted from giving his all every day- mentally, physically, in the work-place and in other areas of his life, Harvey Specter takes a gamble on him, hires his protégé and the story unfolds. We watch as both Mike and Harvey face every-day battles with clients, colleagues, the law and how they are both challenged in their respective ranks. The most inspiring part of Suits is the fact that whenever Mike thinks that he has reached the end of a task, or that the case is at a dead end, his mentor pushes him even further and even more so, tests the limits of his potential to step up to the plate. Sleep is unheard of as Mike and his fellow junior associates must work round the clock and combine knowledge with creative thinking to work alongside the justice system. I, myself am no law guru, but what must be noted is that the principle drawn from Suits can be applied to any young adult with a fist-full of potential. The most important thing we can do at this stage in our lives is not to waste a single day. Learn more, read more, ask questions, sign yourself up for things, volunteer, go out of your way to absolutely master something. Have a plan; as simple and as basic as it may be, a few pointers are better than being a wanderer.
2 Comments
Hello, good morning to all my readers! What a colourful few weeks it has been. I apologize for the lack of postage over this time period, but we have reached Harvest season here in between the vines, and le tourisme is Flourishing! Yes, it is true, well, according to the radio that is, yesterday the Cape region reached a record shattering 42.3 degrees Celsius and was at some point (more or less 3pm) dubbed the hottest place on Earth. And I must add, I will not object to that statement, since my colleagues and I were in full service during the zenith, pouring wines, taking orders and liaising with our guests. Waves of warm African air, the majesty of the valleys, although the heat was insatiable, these landscapes made their presence impossible to disregard. As mentioned above, we've been a bit more busy at le bureau, what with the influx of German, French and other international guests to come and sample what we have on offer at the 'vineyards in the sky', it has meant that there has been a lot more to learn; information from the job itself, knowledge imparted on me by co-workers, and also, lessons learnt in life-- both professionally and personally. Once again, one of the vital points that can never be over-stressed is communication. Communication between and in a multitude of different forms. From an Anthropological perspective, this'll be something thesis-worthy, or even PhD (no doubt!). Working together with people from different backgrounds, cultures, countries, and coming together to form a united team is challenging, but very rewarding; as the saying goes-- high risks or stakes results in high reward! I'm learning to speak a new language, piece by piece, and in so doing, understanding my fellow teammates better each day. And because I'm taking the time to get to know each individual better, each day becomes easier to work more efficiently on the whole. Where coming to work seemed somewhat daunting in the beginning (which is probably natural), being a Johannesburger trying to fit into the new environment here in the western Cape, it is now exciting and so enriching; there's not a moment to stand still, always something that I need to learn or study (when it comes to the Estate itself, the cuisine, guest preferences, and the list goes on!) and the opportunity to throw yourself fully into these beautiful surroundings wholeheartedly. There is no such thing as a dull moment or a task that is mundane or ordinary. Perhaps the most tedious or repetitive jobs or chores teach us discipline, honour, precision and even excellence. The beauty about writing, I think, is the fact that most of the time, unless it is something like a fact-driven report, the writer never knows where they are going to end up with their piece. The story and events unfold themselves as we delve deeper into analyzing what we have or are currently going through. It can be compared to a blossoming flower or running along a trail in a forest, where the path may branch out, take a turn or a twist, where we are always free to choose where we want to be taken. You may start out thinking that your angle will be a catch-up of all the recent highlights, but then once your prism-like mind has bent, mixed, mauled, refined and filtered all of the information you've collected and stored, you may end up relaying the value of sincere human interaction or why we need to practice some more patience or kindness. AH! I love it! Think of the incoming, white beam as your original topic of discussion from all your experiences and ideas, then as it enters the prism, your mental processes refract and bend this, and OUT!, on the other side, come the array of different possibilities of where your story or article may lead you--and trust me, it's more than just 7 paths!
To conclude, I have a quick picture of some Saturday lunch which my sister and I prepared a while ago... The photo would have been taken on the patio table, if we owned one..., or any table for that matter, so for the time being, our laps suffice. homemade Burgers FTW! I hope you have enjoyed reading this winding post of mine! May you all have a wonderful, delightful week! "Klein Saterdag" today; halfway to the weekend! "As long as we are not merely living only for the weekend" as my sister noted in the car this morning... each day has its own potential, and it's our own choice whether or not we realize it. <3 |
AuthorHi there, my name is Judete Fourie. I am a twenty-something-year-old writer living in Stellenbosch in SA's Western Cape. Follow my day to day adventures that involve wine, wit and braaibroodjies. Archives
June 2017
Categories |