“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will not forget how you made them feel.” ~ Anonymous.

Anonymous (whoever he/she is) couldn’t be more right. I will use myself as an example here; words really are not that important, you know. For me, it’s actions that count! But even actions are not enough. What matters most, then, is the impact you have on others during the chance encounters that life grants us, how you make them feel about you and about themselves.

I had one such encounter today, on my flight to P.E. (where I was going to try and fix up between my parents. Mom gave me a mandate; bring him back, no matter what!) I met a very old man, a grey-haired, stout white Afrikaaner man who, even when speaking English had an accent. He sat next to me, greeted, “Yebo mama!” (the accent was still there). I glanced over to have a better look of him. He had black sun glasses on his head. I greeted back with less enthusiasm determined to let him buzz off, so I could get to reading “Some of my best friends are white” by Ndumiso Ngcobo.

But I definitely didn’t want to be friends with an old white man. No!

But I hadn’t even read a sentence when he asked me what I do for a living. I told him that I was a “student”, and then yawned hoping that he’d see that I wasn’t interested. But he wasn’t to be discouraged easily like that. It always works, you know? One-worded, non-committal responses coupled with a yawn (which is sometimes substituted by a sigh) usually works to drive anyone who’s trying to chat me up away.

But not with him.

He just wouldn’t back down. So, I gave him what he wanted, all of my attention, I even put the book away and removed my reading glasses.

He asked me about my work as an upcoming journalist. In fact, we spoke about it, coz this time I was hooked. It always feels nice talking about what I do. He listened as I went on and on about projects I’m involved with, and you know when someone’s really listening to you and not pretending as if they are by nodding their heads vigorously and saying “yes, yes, yes” at every opportunity he gets.
No, he didn’t do all that, we chatted. We even disagreed about the freedom of the press in South Africa.

He told me about his racist father and how he had been conditioned from a young age that there was nothing wrong about apartheid and that Mandela was a terrorist. He told me about the street he lived on, in P.E. Where, before the introduction of apartheid, he had a Chinese friend, and “just down the street lived a black family and an Indian family. We lived harmoniously, until an IDIOT (in capital letters because he said it with emphasis), who was not even from South Africa, decided that these ones had to live here and these ones there.”

Like most white people, he too, thinks that Mandela was a “flippin’ great leader.”

We spoke about so many things that if I were to tell you everything, I’d go on and on without a stop. So, I’ll stop right here about the WORDS we exchanged, and tell you how he made me feel. But I doubt I can put it in words for you to understand. Feelings are very complex things, you know, you can’t just bundle them up in sentences and phrases and hope to capture their true form.

But for what it is worth, he made me feel really special. Especially when he said it is up to us, the younger generation, to make sure that South Africa prospers. His words hit me very hard, what have I done to make sure this country advances, I found myself pondering over this question. But when I said my last ‘byes’ to him, I knew and FELT it inside my heart that I have a purpose in this world, whatever it may be.

I know they say angels, are like ghosts, they don’t exist. Or if they do, they must be dresses in white heavenly robes. But I met an angel today, he was wearing a blue checkered short-sleeved shirt, and khaki shorts. What’s his name? I don’t know. Who said you can ask for the names of angels? Besides, names are forgettable.

Dish it: Who has had an impact in your life to such an extent that you won’t forget how they made you feel? Did they hurt you or did they make you feel good about yourself?

Find me on Facebook, like my page and comment on this post and tag that person.

ZZ xxx