A Half Century of Memories

The year of my birth was marked with the US pulling out of the conflict in Vietnam, Roe versus Wade guaranteeing the rights to abortion, and OPEC declaring a 200% increase in the price of oil. To say that this was a landmark year in the history of the world would be an understatement. And my appearance in it would be much the same.

So much has happened in the last 50 years, so many conflicts, so many triumphs, and I was around to deliver testimony to it all. They say that life is short, but if you take into consideration all the memories I have of my life up until this point, it has been full to overflowing and has provided moments of inspiration, disdain, and everything in between.

This record is, for me, something to bear witness to the fact that I have had the privilege of living, of loving, of mourning, and of marveling at this thing called life which is, ultimately, so fleeting, so fragile, yet so miraculous in all it can teach us, if only we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and enough humility to acknowledge that, in the grand scheme of things, we know very little.

This has been my journey. Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, in an era of conflict, distrust, and outright hatred, has provided me with a very unique perspective on the world and my place in it. I will be the first to acknowledge that I have had a privileged existence, by virtue of the lottery of birth into a relatively well-off family, and a fantastic education pre-empted by parents who encouraged me to be the best I could be at all times and cultivated in me a thirst for knowledge and understanding.

Looking back on the years I have had, I can only thank God for His protection, provision, and ultimately, His Grace in forming me into the man I have become. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the friends and family that I did, inspiring me, motivating me, and at times providing for me when I could not.

The year is now 2023. I will turn 50 years old on 28 July. And, through it all, my passion remains the same – to find a way to repay my peers, my family, my friends, and all those who have sown into me over the years. I would never be so arrogant as to say that I am a self-made person. There is no such thing. Rather, I have stood on the shoulders of giants and have benefited from them in a multitude of ways.

May this memoir of my year find you, the reader, in your time of need. May it be a blessing to you.