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LIFE AND TIMES WITH COLLIN
The more progress, the more risk and challenge
Last Tuesday we had our annual Rotary Vocational Awards evening
at Rosemary's Restaurant in Klerksdorp. At the same venue, local
doctors were also gathered. During a break I went to the gents
and met Dr Martin Freeze on the way. 'Launch of a new
medication?', I ventured, 'No, a presentation on depression.'
'The price of a modern society', I mused. We both nodded in
agreement.
Quite coincidentally, Rotary Vocational Awards are about the
less fortunate in society. That particular evening our club gave
awards to the manager of a home for abused women and children; a
teacher of children with special needs; an organization which
hands out bibles in prisons and elsewhere, and an organization
who is about enfranchising the disenfranchised.
The Bible talks about the fact that the poor will always be with
us. In its broadest sense and context I have taken this to mean
those less fortunate. I believe, the view that poverty is only
about economics, to be narrow and myopic. Surely the sick, the
mentally challenged, the disabled and the grieving are also
'poor'. And they don't live on some other planet or in the next
town. They are in our very city and require our assistance. It's
a cop out to think and believe that it's the state's
responsibility to look after these people. Sure they [the state]
have a role to play, and they do. But it's not sufficient. It's
part of our collective conscience, I believe, to be more
responsible when it comes to caring for these people.
I can't help but think back to a few weeks ago when Dr Bond, the
Chief Medical Officer of the insurance company I work for,
addressed us. He spoke about the other people. It's always other
people who get the severe illnesses, who lose a limb or a loved
one. It's always other people who fall on bad times. Well it
came home to me that there are no other people. We jointly, for
better or worse, are the other people. And the more we as a
people, as a society, progress, the worse the problems, in a
paradoxical sense, seems to be getting. The very opiate that is
meant to cure us is causing more despair. We want the good life,
but there seems to be an unavoidable, mounting, corrosive cost.
My good friend, Dr Noel Shamley, whose intellect I value, some
years ago shared something significant with me. It was his
belief that the last frontier of medicine would be that of the
mind and of the emotions. Not thinking too much about it at the
time, I buried it somewhere. Last Tuesday evening the portency
of those thoughts came home to me. No doubt the sentience of the
awards that had just been handed out also torqued my feelings.
In the case of the home for abused women and children, I got to
thinking about what emotional upheaval must go through a person
who has been abused and molested. I thought about the person who
dishes out the abuse. What stress factors kick in to tilt the
see-saw the wrong way. Then all hell breaks loose. And then, the
next day a certain normality returns to the situation, with the
wife putting on extra make-up to hide the bruises. And she
bravely suffers this for the sake of the family. Possibly the
odd close friend, is confided, 'Leave the bastard', I would if I
were you', is no doubt the well-meaning advice. But the
confidant is not that person. Where does she go? Who will take
her and the kids in?
I recall the Rev (Dr) Brian Wilkenson talking about this very
issue from the pulpit, 'Its very easy to say 'leave him'. But
who will take her in?' The way modern society has evolved makes
it very difficult for families to take others in. Both spouses
are invariably working their butts off to make ends meet. Not
only that, the bastard will no doubt be phoning all night or
calling round to patch things up.
'No, no, we have enough issues of our own, we can't take them
in.
'And so she endures the abuse, and the lovely bunch of red roses
gets put in the vase after another round. Until eventually she
can't anymore and it all comes tumbling down. That card holding
the castle together, caves in. 'Oh my goodness, we didn't, even
know there was a problem.'
We can't stop progress, no less than we can stop the earth from
spinning. But that precious little gift called life seems to be
getting more fragile the more we advance. Maybe its time to take
stock of the situation? Take time to think about the purpose and
meaning of life.
Chat again next week.
Ingenieurstudente wen met koffie-robot
Ses derdejaarstudente van die skole vir elektries, elektroniese
en rekenaaringenieurswese en meganiese ingenieurswese het opnuut
gewys wat steek in die Pukkampus se ingenieursfakulteit toe
hulle vandeesweek aangewys is as die algehele wenners van die
Siemens Cyber Junkyard-kompetisie vir industriële outomatisering.
Die studente se inskrywing, 'n koffiemasjien van industriële
kwaliteit, het nege ander genooide universiteitspanne uit Suider
Afrika gewys waar Dawid die wortels gegrawe het. Hulle het
vroeër vanjaar tot een van die finale tien spanne deurgedring in
dié kompetisie wat gemik is op alle tersiêre instellings in
Suider Afrika waar ingenieurswese aangebied word. Spanne tot
sover as Zambië het ingeskryf.
Die wenners is Dinsdagaand tydens 'n glansgeleentheid in
Johannesburg, waar meer as vierhonderd kundiges in die industrie
teenwoordig was, aangewys. Dit is sedert 2006 die tweede keer
dat studente van die NWU-Puk die kompetisie wen. Die vorige
wen-inskrywing was 'n masjien wat sleutelhouers vervaardig en
aanmekaarsit.
Volgens prof. Jan de Kock, direkteur van die skool vir
elektriese, elektroniese en rekenaaringenieurswese, moes die
studente aanvanklik 'n voorlegging doen vir die keuringsproses
waarna hulle die koffiemasjien moes ontwerp en bou. Sekere
vereistes het behels dat die masjien met afstandbeheer 'n
versoek vir koffie ontvang, dit maak en per robot aan die klant
wat 'n afstand van die masjien is, lewer.
Hoewel sekere toerusting verskaf is, het die studente self die
stelsel vervaardig en ingewikkelde rekenaarprogramme daarvoor
geskryf. Die instrumentmakery op die kampus het van die
onderdele gemaak.
Die Puk se suksesvolle span het die werk onder leiding van mnr.
Piet van Huyssteen, dosent in rekenaar-ingenieurswese, gedoen.
Die spanlede, Adelle Bouwer, Tanya Steyn, Abrie Nieuwoudt,
Pieter Goosen, Wichert Huyser en Frikkie van Zyl, het as wenners
R50 000 se ingenieurstoerusting vir die NWU-Puk losgeslaan.
Elkeen van die studente het voorts 'n skootrekenaar ryker geword
en sal in Junie 'n konferensie by Sun City gratis bywoon as deel
van hul beloning. Die groep kry ook die geleentheid vir 21 dae
se gevorderde opleiding by Siemens, die hoofborg van die
kompetisie.
YourProfile
Name: Andre
van Niekerk
Birthday: 23 November
Occupation: Estate Agent
When I look
into the mirror every morning I think: What a wonderfull day
My favourite people in the world are: My family
Any good joke makes me laugh.
The greatest lesson life has taught me so far is: You never stop
learning
I'll do almost anything for: A piece of chocolate cake
When I get stressed I am most likely to throw computer out a
window.
In three words I am: an easy person
If I had a million rand to spare I would: Take a world tour
I live in Klerksdorp because: Moved to klerksdorp to get away
from the rat race in J'burg
The first thing I would save from a house fire is: My family and
my pets
I love my job because: I work with people
NEW RECORD HIGH IN
TREE PLANTING
Top End Landscape & Design owner, Cobus Swanepoel, broke a tree
planting record yesterday. Together with his team, they sourced
three False Olive trees commonly known as Buddleja Saligna from
Muldersdrift in Gauteng.
These indigenous trees are 80 years old, 8meters tall and are
the highest ever planted trees in Klersdorp, Doringkruin.
This is the first time that trees this high have ever been
planted in a residential area in Klerksdorp. “When I received a
brief from my client for landscaping that is eco-friendly and to
fit with the background of the house and its surroundings, I
decided to come up with a Mediterranean French feel which blends
very well with the famous 'Koppie'. Our selection of the False
Olives trees along with Jacket Plum trees, known as Pappea
Capensis and Wild Plum trees - Harpephyllum Caffrum, was the
perfect match for the house and its surroundings,” said Cobus.
“We carefully selected these trees in line with the design and
irrigation system of the garden.”
False Olive trees attract birds and butterflies, are water wise,
have sweetly scented flowers and their best season is Spring to
Autumn. |
