Before I heard the news of Mandela’s passing, I was already feeling depressed. I was worried, but not about Mandela or this country. I was thinking about my priorities, family, bills that need to be paid and deadlines that need to be met. Then I heard the news. Mandela died. Minutes after President Zuma’s announcement, the news was all over the internet. What does this mean for me and my daily “first world” concerns? It doesn’t change them but, it does put things in perspective.
We often get lost within our own problems. We focus primarily on ourselves and our
direct responsibilities. Poverty, the education
system and other such matters are the government’s responsibility. We are obliged to pay taxes in order to fund
these priorities. We participate by
voting and we take advantage of free speech to voice our opinions. The problem is the never-ending cycle of shifting
social and moral responsibility which characterises our generation. It appears that everybody is in it for
themselves. The same can be said for our
administration judging by the cars that MPs drive and the properties they own
in comparison to the active role they play in enhancing our society.
Our individual problems are not as big as they appear but
only as big as we make them in our minds.
Your problems are not going to disappear if you shift your focus to the challenges
of our country but, we need to realise that our individual concerns are
minute compared to the issues we face collectively. If we perceive our issues as minor, it
becomes easier to tackle them and we realise that we can take on greater
challenges. Unfortunately, we have
become a culture of the self rather than the community. We focus on the small problems which appear
huge to us and fail to see the large errors in society which affect us all. This will only change through education and
acting on what we learn. Only then will
we see that our individual problems are not that big and we create many of them
for ourselves. Poverty, child labour,
human trafficking, ignorance, prejudice, racism, inequality and environmental deterioration,
among others, are real, measurable concerns.
They are statistics which are easily neglected. These are the real problems we need to face
together.
Mandela sacrificed his life for an ideal. His freedom, reputation, family and physical self
were placed at risk for the benefit of the whole. These hardships were endured with the end in
mind. The task was not handed down to
somebody else but accepted. Madiba is
our icon as a result of his recognition of the bigger picture and fight towards
political freedom and equal rights.
If a man could endure all that which he did and overcome
it, why can’t we overcome our life’s obstacles?
A man. That is all he was. That is what every icon tries to tell
us. They are only human. They have just tapped into a greater
potential and purpose than most of us. Mandela
has taught us what the human spirit is capable of.
Mandela’s vision was not singular. It encompassed our entire nation. The long walk is far from over. It is up to us to realise that vision and if
that day comes, the next vision. We cannot
rely on politicians. The change begins
within us.
My problems don’t appear so large anymore. In death, Mandela has reminded me of
this. His purpose was realised through
his service. If we want to see a change,
we must make a change. We cannot do this
by simply conforming and living within the system. Each person’s challenges are unique but it is
up to us to face them in order to free ourselves so that we can actively contribute
to society.
Thank you for the reminder, Madiba. Rest in peace.
“I have walked
that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps
along the way. But I have
discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that
there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to
rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on
the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom
comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet
ended.”
Icon (A poem about Madiba)
You are
An idea
Personified
You are
A character
Exemplified
You are
A model
For a nation
You are
A spirit
To prove to us all
That we have
A soul
You are
The words we quote
The history we study
The past we relive
And the theories we implement
In an attempt to alter our future
You were
Just a man
A mere man
Like any other man
But,
Fuelled by vision
Passion
Perseverance
And love
Men die
But the legacy lives on
A luta continua.
Our long walk continues...
...
Maja Dezulovic
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