Woo-hoo! Tomorrow night is Halloween!! Not really a South African holiday and we only started getting excited about the day, when sanctions against South Africa started dropping – YES, I am that old…and grew up in a completely different environment from today’s youth. Different and unique from other teenagers (Gen-X like me) in the world. We grew up conservative, religious with strict rules, enforced by stoic Boomers with extreme upright postures, due to the stick up their ass…privileged and Afrikaans. I was labelled early on in life as rebellious and a troublemaker (which I definitely do not deny…) and when I started visiting other churches (searching for answers and my tribe) my mother’s reverend cautioned me that even though it’s not exactly wrong to attend Catholic church, ”…their beliefs are…different from ours. Best not to confuse yourself Jenny.” Of course, “advice” (i.e. an order in disguise) like that from any authority always turned out to be nitrogen fuel to the little flickering flame in my soul.
My nickname in, Biblical Studies period used to be Malcolm-X. The teacher and I used to have heated debates about religion and why other religions are not mandatory subjects in school (yes, it was compulsory until your last year in school…I am that old). A day celebrating dead people coming to life was just blasphemous! Everybody knew the dead will only rise again with the second coming of Christ. My Mother (and many others) used the celebration of Halloween as proof that the USA is immoral and decadent, filled with heathens who will get what they deserve in the end-times…Urgh I know! A very backward mentality enforced by fear to desperately keep the conservative status quo and control. So, no…sadly we never dressed up as witches, zombies, or ghosts, because that would just be satanic! IMO, I think not getting a bag full of treats was the worst part for us as children…and in the back of our parents’ mind, I am sure they were grateful for the same reason!
I’m a YouTube addict and my Television stream it all day long. I like to follow the news and subsequently see a lot about the elections in the USA now. I have my opinions, but of course not really mine to share as I am not a citizen. I am however amazed at the process. Our population is equivalent to average 11 to 12 average states in America, but we get one day to vote. No Postal voting allowed, just one day of queuing…for hours in the hot South African sun…No Halloween, no costumes, no trick or treating with candy as a child…and now, as an adult with our own elections also approaching, I can look forward to a que in the scorching sun (it’s been 30°Celsius/86°Farenheit on average the past couple of weeks) for one day only from 7am to 9pm. Such is life, I suppose. Wishing to be born in another country, would just give me a different set of complaints… like not being able to see the Wild or Big 5 in their habitat whenever I want…I would miss breathtakingly beautiful sunsets with smoky aromas wafting in the air, either from your own or someone nearby, having a braai…or, after travelling to various countries in my life, the friendly, ‘lekker’ people across the entire rainbow of our nation.
Just yesterday, my oldest who is learning to drive, parks the car too close, to the one next to her. When the owner of the other car realizes she is busy learning, he tells me to stay seated and allow her to do it over. Friendly with a big smile, no bitching. He even stood in the front of the car, guiding her into the parking space. Man, I love this country! But: I am still pissed (emotionally scarred…) about not being allowed to be a witch, travelling on my broom from house to house, stuffing my bag with candy…
