The school is in an informal settlement that makes a living out of the rubbish dump it is built around. There is no running water, no electricity and nothing but self made amalgamations of turfed rubbish that people call home.

The shacks hardly stand strong against the winter breeze and I shudder to think what happens when our Highveld storms rip through the township.

Although there are 75 pre-school children that come to the school and get fed twice a day there are hundreds more who don’t attend because their parents can’t afford the R100 a month.

One little girl about 3 years old who caught my attention was sitting no more than 10 meters from the school entrance outside a shack in amongst the rubble. With no adult supervision visible I watched her merrily rock on a broken seat sitting all by herself with no stimulation, no creature comforts and no educational toys to play with.

These children enter South Africa’s schooling system with no base knowledge at all. There is no one to teach them the basics like the colours, shapes, counting or the alphabet because parents – if they are around are busy trying to make ends meet.

No-one is teaching them nursery rhymes or singing children’s songs with them. No-one is making sure they get the right nutrition or that they are sufficiently warm against the winter chill. And then we expect these children to simply slot into grade 1 and continue through to Grade 12 with no struggle.

This is where the crumble of our education system starts – right before it has even begun.

I have no quarrel with the man who takes a salmon out of the water and eats it for dinner but catch and release fishing for fun and adventure isn’t cool in my books. I’m open to debate and I’m keen to hear the arguments for the ‘thrill” of dragging a fish, 4 to 6 times smaller than you, through the water by a barbed hook in its mouth.

I find it difficult to understand how there is pleasure in making a fish of any kind struggle frantically. How is it exciting to force a wild creature to exhaust itself in a desperate bid to get free? I don’t see the gratification in the suffering of another for sport.
It isn’t sport, is it sadism.

Commenting on the ethics of catch-and-release fishing the philosopher, mountaineer, and former angler Jack Turner said. “Imagine using worms and flies to catch mountain bluebirds or pine grosbeaks, or maybe eagles and ospreys, and hauling them
around on 50 feet of line while they tried to get away. Then when you landed them, you’d release them. No one would tolerate that sort of thing with birds. But we will for fish because they’re underwater and out of sight.”

I can hear the indignant reply of countless anglers including a very dear friend of mine: “Fish are different!  They don’t feel pain. The hook doesn’t hurt them.” The generally accepted theory is that because fish don’t have a Neocortex in their brain (which is the presupposition for any complex process of nerval stimulation, whether it’s pain, light, sound, heat, cold etc.) they don’t suffer.

Turner however argues that there is mounting evidence that fish do feel pain. In experiments with rainbow trout at one of Britain’s leading scientific institutes they prove the presence of pain receptors in fish, and show that fish undergoing a “potentially painful experience” react with “profound behavioral and physiological changes . . . over a prolonged period comparable to those observed in higher mammals.”

Other studies, Turner points out, have demonstrated the agitated responses of fish to painful conditions, from rapid respiration to color changes to the secretion of stress hormones. To me I see this as the ordeal of being hooked through the mouth, yanked at the end of a fishing line, and prevented from breathing each time its body leaves the water is intensely unpleasant and distressing for a fish. Just the same as with hunting, to put a fish through that ordeal in order to eat fresh fish is one thing. But to do it for fun strikes me as far more cruel than hunting. Hunters don’t torment their prey or force it to engage in frenzied combat. They aim to
kill the animal, as quickly and painlessly as possible. But how many sport fishermen want a quick kill? Where’s the excitement in that – they like the fight.

The anglers’ next arguments are:

• “Maybe fish feel pain BUT they don’t SUFFER pain.”
• “Why should I do without fishing when it satisfies my inborn needs? As the highest primate, homo sapiens have a right to the pleasure of battling with the fish, reeling them in, watch them floundering in my net or on my gaff and finally killing and slaughtering them.”
• “I enjoy every second of fishing, who am I really harming?”
• “Fishing connects us to nature. The beauty of being on the water with nature around us keeps humans appreciating it. Fisherman are often avid nature lovers”

Here’s my problem with it – any sport that depends for its enjoyment on forcing an animal to fight for its life is wrong. Wrong for what it does to the fish. Even more wrong for what it does to the fisherman. Catch-and-release isn’t more humane and nature-friendly than catching fish and killing them.

As it approaches the anniversary of my cycling accident I am battling to understand how nearly a year has gone by and I didn’t achieve the recovery I wanted. How did I fail so dismally in getting back up and dusting myself off?  The past two months have been consumed with dealing with a torn rotator cuff. I have no idea how or when it happened or if the injury was related to the cycling accident at all. I just know that it is very painful and totally debilitating to have a sore right shoulder - as it renders your entire right arm useless.

I had taken for granted just how much I do with my right hand/arm. The positive spin to this expereince is that now my left hand has gained dominant status and it is very pleased to be learning new skills. I’ve never poured a kettle with lefty before and the challenge has given me a great sense of achievement. Oh how the little things can bring happiness.

I have a month to go before the anniversary of my broken bum. One month to go to prove that I am strong and healthy. The question is who do I need to prove this to and why do I feel the burning need to do so? The only person on this planet that is disappointed with my recovery is me. Which isn’t useful to me at all. It is all in the mind and my recovery journey has definately proven that wellness is mind, body and soul. Which brings me to the perfect saying I recently stumbled across…

If you resolve to give up smoking, drinking and loving, you don’t actually live longer;

it just seems longer.

What I think about and beleive is how my reality has panned out for me. I think I need to change my thinking. haha Now let me go think about that!

Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway. ~Author Unknown

We’ve taken a long overdue break to visit the sea and take advantage of all the public holidays. It has been 18 months since we’ve been at the sea as a family and I’ve noticed a number of things that have resulted from a lack of downtime together. I’ve also noticed a profound change in the way people are holidaying now.

The place we stayed at 18 months ago was always fully booked. You have to get on a waiting list and only once you’ve cracked a nod (we waited 2 years) do you get to book the same week the following year. Due to economics, we didn’t go back in 2010 and were very surprised to get a call saying “we have plenty of space, come and stay with us and we’ll even give you a big discount.”

Yes, the economy has affected South Africans, but I hadn’t realized the cascading affect it has had on our behavior as a nation. People who were staying at fully catered holiday resorts changed to self catering. Self catering frequenters moved to camping, and campers have either travelled less or stayed at home.

What’s fascinating is the number of campers at Rocky Bay (where we are staying now) with no caravan. I’d guess 40% of the campsite is occupied with families using their car and a tent to get close to the sea and take some time off. And the families in log cabins have brought along extended family and friends to occupy every bed available instead of
have two people stay in a 6 sleeper. Brilliant!  We’re a resilient bunch.

In the short couple of days that our family has been together at the sea I’ve noticed the reconnection happening quickly. We’re working as a team again making our meals together and cleaning up as a co-ordinated unit with each one taking a different but vital role. The family banter is back – with jokes, teasing and laughter replacing growling, scowling and huffing. There is also more of an acceptance and understanding of one another’s foibles and peculiarities.  Down time together, walking on the beach, doing nothing but watching the monkey’s or crabs is as important as getting to
school and work on time.

Sometimes, in fact I would hazard a guess far too often, we forego downtime “because I’m too busy” but it’s a grave mistake. We need to stop, breathe and take in the beauty around us so that we can remember that life is more than deadlines, bills,
pressure and traffic.

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world ‘s joy.
- Henry Ward Beecher

Kundalini (Sanskrit which literally means coiled - an unconscious or instinctive force or Shakti.)

 “To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ~Pema
Chodron

I want to close the chapter of why I started this blog and open this forum to more than my comeback trail, which frankly has been far too slow and frustrating. This will be the last time a refer to the accident and from now on the postings will be a lot more varied and on an array of interesting topics.

Closing ”My comeback trail”:-  On the 9^th August 2010 I had a cycling accident and broke my pelvis in two places. Life as I knew it disappeared. In an instant, I lost my capacity to work, care for myself, and function independently.

At 9am on Monday morning I was a keen cyclist, mother of three, communications consultant, adoring wife and avid diver. Later that day I was a hospital resident, my life totally altered offering me one of my most challenging opportunities to become more fully awake.

I became dependent 100%, on others for all my basic needs. I was fed, bathed, and taken to the bathroom.

The lessons I received were difficult to grasp in the moment and yet they form the core of who I am today. I wouldn’t choose to do it again, but I do realize that it was a gift and that we as human beings can choose to view obstacles as catalysts to positive change.

My journey to recovery was not fast and miraculous. I was not back doing the Argus the following March. In fact I hurt my pelvis training for the Argus and was back on crutches in March 2011. It shattered my self esteem and self belief. I had to fight with the unhelpful thoughts of “I can’t even heal properly”.

It is an ongoing struggle to stay strong, motivated and positive, but if you are up against the wall, if you have lost a loved one, your health, a job, a sense of direction or a feeling of hope, if you so choose, you can transform your most difficult
situation into opportunity.

Here are 5 Ways to Navigate Life Challenges {C/O Alison Miller – spiritual healer, personal coach and
intuitive guide}

1. Accept, invite, and embrace.

Start everday by asking “How can I receive this gift?” In the most challenging of moments rely on this question to help frame the situation leading to positive emotional states and actions.

This question helps open your vision to see who, what, when, and how to take your best next steps for healing. Move out of resistance, which blinds vision, into acceptance.

Trust your life situation, at a soul level, is being created purposefully for your growth and learning. Invite your experience in. Embrace it. All of it! The sad, the bad, the scary and the ugly bits, are bed mates, albeit hidden, with the joy, happiness,
surprises, and miracles to be found in your situation.

Choose powerful questions and attitudes to help you receive your experience. Turn your life challenge into a gift. What do you do with a gift? You receive it. Acknowledge it. Look for the value it can bring into your life. Ask yourself how your life situation
can be your best opportunity.

2. You don’t have to have all the answers at once.

Learn to take one step at a time. Bring your awareness to the present moment. Identify what you need to do for that day, that hour, or that moment in time.

Focus on what one action you need to take now for your next step.

Notice if you’re letting “thought trains” overrun you. Are you projecting fearful thoughts into the future? Worrying about your next ten months will not help your present moment. Stop it. Ask instead, what is the best place to focus my energy, now, for my best results?

3. Use your imagination like currency.

Did you know imagination is a type of currency? The images and pictures you create in your head are a form of energetic wealth.

What is your life challenge? Recognize, the inner canvas of the mind is one of your richest resources to generate your healing. Developing strong imaginary faculties is a practice. Start out loud. Speak your vision. Draw your vision. Write it in words. Assign a scent to it. Associate a feeling. Listen to it. Bring it to life with all your senses.

4. Look for the life lesson.

Peer straight in the eye of your challenge and say: “I see you. What are you here to teach me? I can handle it. Give it to me. I am here to learn. Show me.”

Take the nastiest, most confrontational, unexpected, and inconvenient of situations–and face them. Don’t back down. Keep asking, “What are you here to teach me?” Now, listen. Not with your mind, with your life.

Notice who shows up to help you, observe what books are given to you, what movies do you feel compelled to watch, what are you dreaming about at night? Pay attention to signs, symbols, and synchronicity.

5. Realize you are helping heal the collective through your growth.

Humans are deeply interconnected. On the surface we appear separate. However, underneath it all we operate collectively. The “collective unconscious” is a storehouse of information, ideas, and programming which informs our daily life and actions.

Your growth process, as you become who you are through the transformative process of life challenges, contributes to the whole. You are not alone with your problem. Thousands if not millions of others have gone through, or will go through, what you are facing.

Consider your life challenge a request to update yourself, and therefore, us. You, as a technology, are being asked to advance. New installs such as creativity, imagination, and collaboration are needed. Downloads of emotional intelligence, humility, and compassion are the operating programs required.

Your experience is an essential piece to healing the whole.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us” – Helen Keller

Stress

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, Raised a glass of water and asked;
‘How heavy is this glass of water?’

‘As with the glass of water, You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.’ ‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, Let them down for a moment if you can.’

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always wear stuff that will make you look good If you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be “recalled” by their maker.

* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well, just get up and dance.

* When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you, the more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons… some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors,  but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery …………on a detour! 

 Good news is I went to the Centre For Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics and they know what they’re doing, the bad news is I won’t be doing any cycling or running till next year. Bye-Bye 94.7 and definitely No-No to 70.3 in Jan 2011. There are two ways to look at it…be devastated or look forward to a year of building strength so that 2012’s 70.3 is comfortable and enjoyable.

To deal with the muscle pain around my bum and torso I underwent dry needling which is the strategic placement of solid needles in the relevant muscles and connective tissues. The injections into trigger points produces an involuntary spinal cord reflex which activates opoids in the body.  Opioids have an analgesic (painkiller) effect which decreases the perception of pain and increases pain tolerance. My back pain and tightness certainly went away after the needling.

The Kinesio Taping is just as interesting… an elastic tape is applied over the muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused or tired muscles, and supports muscles in movement. The tape wraps tightly around the muscles and convolutes the skin. This narrows the blood vessels thereby increasing blood circulation in that area. More blood means more nutrients and energy getting circulated in that area. Other than affecting the blood circulation, the pressure exerted by the tape on the muscles numbs the sensory cells of the skin thus reducing any kind of sensation in that area. I can’t really feel anything different with the tape on, but I trust in the theory.

I’m looking forward to having total pain/discomfort free days.

Farewell to friends and family popping in to check on me cos I’m back to work! Back to the real world and earning a living.

I’ve got tendon’s pulling from the pelvis to my lower back and inner knee which Dr says is deferred pain. It’s all normal and it will sort itself out. I could say “deferred pain my ass”, but that would be anatomically correct so the impact is lost!

All things considered there was no obvious reason for the pain so I surrendered took an anti-inflammatory & pain killer and felt better within the hour. The only lesson I can take from this is…’when it befuddles you, take drugs’.

I’m seeing the orthopaedic surgeon on Tuesday and soon after that have my first physiotherapist appointment (assuming of course I get the go-ahead from the Doc) Woo Hoo! I can’t wait! I’ve got a list of questions the length of my arm and I’m itching to start stretching and using my right leg. Funny thing is when I told a friend about the upcoming physio session her first reaction was “oh shame you’re going to be so sore afterwards.” I hadn’t even thought of that. Either I’m dumb or stupidly positive, it doesn’t really matter either way because the only way to full recovery is through physio, focus and physical exertion.

Another friend of mine has been recovering from pneumonia on top of measles on top on hepatitis. She got sick a week before I was knocked down on Women’s Day and is also still feeling out-of-sorts and not on top of the world. We exchanged war stories this morning and frankly I’d rather have a broken pelvis – at least I can drink wine!

The point is when you’re healthy and strong you don’t think about it. It is only when you’re ill or injured that we truly appreciate health. 

The trick is to spend time watching your health, but just as much time enjoying it!

I took the kids to school with huge cheers and woots at my ability to drive again. I showedem that my chair is indeed need for replacement and that sitting for longer than 30 mins is eina. I showedem that I can stand at my desk doing emails and I also showedem how to leave the office before 12 to go home and recover. I think my body went into tilt and the ‘gameover’ screen came up.

My mother’s house is halfway between the office and home and I felt so suddenly weary that I pulled into her driveway announcing “Mom please make me tea I need to lie down.” I love mothers – unconditional love is a beautiful thing. My mom has been especially wonderful since the accident and I’m so grateful that she has been around.

I’ve been told by a many that I need to wait a full 6 weeks before resuming play. I desperately wanted to beat that deadline, but the rules of anatomy seem to winning this contest.  Today was definitely doing the waltz again. One step forward in the morning and two back in the afternoon.

I need to work towards a full recovery and push otherwise I don’t know where the limits are……..I found them yesterday! Tomorrow’s limits will be different.

I repeat – this cycling accident was a gift, and the lessons can be applied to life in general. If you do not have something to work towards then you get locked into doing the same thing every day without a sense of purpose. Below is taken from motivator Johan Cambell’s newsletter (http://www.motivate.co.za)

“Then when something happens that stops you from doing what you always do you get stuck not knowing what to do. Trying to open the door that has just closed all too often gets a loud complaint about how unfair life is. So much energy is given to what you have “lost” that you fail to see the open doors all around you. Because you have got used to doing what you do, you feel that if you can’t do it anymore then there is nothing else that you can do.

Develop a sense of purpose for your life, realise that what you now do is a way of achieving your purpose, merely a way not the only way. Become flexible in your approach to life. Ask “what else can I do?” rather than “why me?” then when one door closes go and knock on the next one, secure in the belief that “When one door closes another always opens”.

This is exactly what has happened to me. In 5 short weeks the business has had to cope without me and while that door has closed another has opened. I have a purpose and that has given me a new direction in all aspects of my existance. Isn’t life just fabulous!