Writing has always come naturally to me, whether it’s about something made up or perhaps even a work-related email, note, or blog post – whether or not I’m good at it of course is another story entirely. Hey, I think I’m pretty good, okay?
December leading into 2020 had been a bit of a nightmare, we hired a contractor (an acquaintance of a family member) to do work on the house and what was meant to be a 2-week job turned into a 4-month nightmare which technically never ended as the work was never completed. But I think I will rant about that another time.
Needless to say, by March, the Coronavirus had the world firmly clasped in its grip and by the end of that same month, we here in South Africa were also subjected to restrictions and a strict lock-down in an effort to slow down what is now called COVID-19. The lock-down regulations range from the perfectly reasonable (stay at home, social-distancing, and so forth) to the ridiculous (no tobacco, alcohol or ready-made foods to be sold in supermarkets). How is that ridiculous you ask? Well, in the absence of said alcohol and tobacco, the government has inadvertently (though it should not come as a surprise to them) created tobacco bootleggers and home-beer-brewers, the latter supposedly ‘illegal’ now too – just what the fuck did they think was going to happen?
Oh course, the whole no cooked foods thing is just a big fat fuck-you to front-line medical workers and the elderly who rely on the convenience of ready-made meals – but hey, that’s in the ‘fast food’ domain and since all fast food outlets and restaurants are currently closed, you don’t get to have that pie or chicken you’re either too frail to prepare or tired to think about making after a grueling 18 hour shift attending to the sick.
Given the weak state of SA’s economy, needless to say the lock-down is driving the economy even further into the ground as 1 in 5 companies begin lay-offs, people starve and despite what the media would have you think, crime is in fact increasing due to pure desperation. In that regard, my wife and I find ourselves in quite a fortunate situation as she runs a business with her sister and I contract IT services for a company abroad.
Amid all this chaos, I selfishly wondered if the little Houw Hoek Farm Stall will survive not being able to make and sell those pies as that is exactly what it’s famous for…man, those pies are good.
Beyond that, I’m a bit at odds with what sort of creative endeavours I should pursue – I still have an unpublished book that needs attention, a YouTube channel to maintain, the desire to draw some sort of comic strip and of course, write. Fuck, something’s got to go. Again, selfish, I know, especially when the world burns around us, but I’m not going to apologise, it’s good to have goals, even during the apocalypse.
Fast forward to mid 2021, South Africa continues to burn thanks to country wide rioting and looting carefully orchestrated to destabilize our beloved country even further no thanks to ex-president ‘fuck-face’ Jacob Zuma who’s just been imprisoned for endless crimes yet somehow, people still support him. Disgusting. Perhaps I will rant about this fiasco in greater detail at some point later in the year.
Any-who, I’m trying to challenge myself to post an update here as frequently as possible, so I’ll keep at it and scribble down anything else that comes to mind that I think someone out there may find interesting.
If not, hey, at least I’m writing.