30+ hours of flying definitely feels like I traveled that far, but alas it was only a mere ten thousand miles or so: Jo'Burg to Cape Town to Amsterdam to Wash. DC to Denver to Seattle...
HOME AT LAST!
My time in South Africa was formative in so many ways personally and professionally. In particular, I have grown a deep respect for the country and its people; who have demonstrated courage in post-Apartheid years, learning to forgive and to never underestimate the power of one person in making a difference. The poem Invictus (by William Ernest) was an inspiration to Nelson Mandela, and I have been impressed by the selection of words as I continually try to comprehend his legacy:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my inconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Powerful words - powerful leader - and the power of one!
[Note: "The Power of One" is also a great movie about South Africa during Apartheid years]
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