Tributum Newsletter #62

Hello

Now that most of the long weekends are done and dusted, we can hopefully get down to business. But, like me, I am sure it will be with one eye on 29 May and the run up to the elections. Now, I am no fan of soap operas so I don’t follow every news article but even I know that some politicians in South Africa return from the dead more than Bobby from Dallas or Stefano from Days of Our lives.

Yes, JZ (no – not Beyonce’s) will once again appear on the ballot papers as the leader of one of the political parties. Despite a criminal record. Despite not yet being expelled from the ANC. According to former President Thabo Mbeki that is because the ANC wants to follow its constitution by only expelling members after disciplinary hearings. They’re taking Mark Twain’s “It’s never wrong to do the right thing” quite literally on internal matters, but I’m not so sure whether the same applies on external matters…and according to polls the ANC is losing support (no real surprise there) to the MK party now headed by JZ. Like they say in the classics – you can’t make this s*%t up.

Other than poking fun at the antics in the run-up to the election (but taking the election itself seriously) this month has lent very little by way of inspiration for a newsletter. Let’s be honest – it is tough out there. But I don’t want the newsletter to be overly negative – there seriously is enough of that going around. The one positive I can say though is that at least I’m not a Man United supporter. See, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

But maybe the lack of inspiration is not just external. For one, the reality of an empty nest in 2025 really hit home the last couple of weeks. I know it’s not a birth (one of my three rules for my girls) or a death (another of the 3 rules), but it will be lifechanging. The matrics of 2024 start the mid-year exams on 16 May already, and that means that their academic year is almost done. She’s been accepted at university and if all goes according to plan will join her sister away from home next year. Leaving me, the wife and the pets at home. Last week a client said that I now only need to get rid of the pets to have real freedom…. clearly, he is as happily married as I am…

Change is the only constant, whether big or small. Evidently, I am struggling with change at this stage – looking at every silver lining and only seeing the dark cloud. But hopefully that will also change and next month I will have more inspiration. For the newsletter and for life. Let’s hope and see. Until then, do your civil duty on 29 May and above all else, keep breathing.