I wrote this way back on the 8th November 2010, a few months after moving to the Karoo. For the first time in my adult life I was unemployed, had nothing to do except renovate my cottage while no income was flowing in as I had been accustomed to for over 20 years. I felt strangely vulnerable and at risk every day and found little solace in the physical work of renovation and even less at the expenses of it. To be frank, I became anxious, stressed out and daily I tried my best to find some way of achieving an income. I even bought the textbook sets for Mathematics and Physical Science for high school grades eight to twelve and studied them. My BSc degree had mathematics to second year and physics was a major (with geology), so this was easy for me. I began offering extra classes to the local high school learners from grade ten upwards and eventually helped a few pass their finals. This gave me some encouragement! But these months were HARD! Hence this...

The wisdom teachers of the mainstream religions were often known for this valuable characteristic - ENCOURAGEMENT! For example, Jesus: as a man, living his daily life, was always full of encouragement. So many times, in so many different contexts to so many different people, he spoke words of encouragement. What I really appreciate when reading these stories, and applying current contexts, is that many times the circumstances are not necessarily encouraging and it would have been so easy to simply confirm this, pointing out the obvious, while trying to be encouraging. He doesn’t do this.

I have a recent example of this. I want to teach. Or at least be involved somehow in educating and training the youth of this country. To this end I contacted the heads department of the major universities with strong geology departments in South Africa. I received responses from these gentlemen, two that were in sharp contrast with each other. At the outset, I am realistic about my chances of landing a lecturing post at any of these universities. I am well aware of how that industry works, but I thought it worth an e-mail to make myself known.

I received this response from Stellenbosch:

“Thanks for sending your details. We have no openings here at the moment, ... We look for people with PhD qualifications to fill all our vacancies. However, from time to time, we need to engage people to lecture a module or parts of modules on short-term contract. Should such a circumstance arise, we could give the matter consideration then. The difficulty could be that, we will probably look for someone who can just step into the breach, as it were, with their own lectures, etc. ready to go.”

I received this response from Bloemfontein:

“Thank you for your CV. I shall keep you posted if anything comes up.”

Now as I have said, I have no delusions about the possibilities, but is the difference in the two responses as clear to everyone else as it is to me? I am left with the impression that I am probably just not good enough for the one, but with the other, there just might be a chance and my hopes are buoyed.

For someone like me with an analytical approach and a desire to have the truth revealed, stating the obvious is often my instinctive approach. I shudder to think of how many times I might have sucked the courage right out of people with this approach and I hope that everyone I have harmed can forgive me. I have now learnt the value of being encouraging, of putting some courage into someone, when its too easy to take some out. When even just a “thank-you” and smile can put enough courage into a day to make it liveable. Most often the obvious and the stark reality is just that; and nothing else is needed.

This is as relevant to me today as it was nearly 13 years ago - just like you, I need the encouragement! We can do this, so keep at it!

20 May 2023