Reason # 31 TALENT hunting (and carpentry)

My friend, Louis van Tonder, teaching his NLP programs and helping so many kids discover their full potential, share with them the following beautiful truth: "...although we cannot all be chosen as leaders at school, our time for leadership will come in one way or another...."





Remember my earlier posts about this?—we are all unique and beautiful blessings to the miracle of life.

In a similar vein, what we celebrate today, is a rather mundane thing, but still a blessing for me. And that is the fact that I installed all the cupboards in many of the houses I built—certainly those I built for my family. In those days, it often meant running between lecture halls and Builders Warehouse or Timber City.

I think I became quite a carpenter at times! But here is the interesting bit, tying in with what I said above:
I failed woodwork completely in Grade 8 (our old Standard 6) lock stock and barrel, hammer and chisel so to speak - I just couldn't nail it ha ha!!!. That class was my first exposure to any practical subject apart from a little "tuinbou" (agriculture) in our little plaasskooltjie Naastdrift. And yet, later in life, "woodwork" or carpentry became one of hobbies - wonderfully fulfilling, creative, and money-saving as bonus.

That experience, together with a few others,  inspired me to always do my best when introducing students to a new subject. We must strive to motivate and awaken hidden talents, not suppress them through apathy or rigid, outdated teaching methods. Who knows what passions lie dormant, just waiting for a spark?





There is also the story of how the remark below (in my first year Psychology class of all places) became one of my biggest career motivators;

 "Dames en Here, kyk links en regs van julle, dan besluit julle watter een van jul drie gaan deurkom, want net n derde van julle Eerstejaars kom hierdie vak deur" 

This was indeed the hidden spark that helped me to discover my passion for Adult Education and eventually became an Associate Professor to help adjust and better the system of Tertiary Education (read: raise the standard PLUS make it more accessible, fun, fulfilling, user friendly and rewarding)(not to mention achievable!!!). 

But that is a story for another day - most of you are familiar with it in any case !! 

(I know, I know - I keep on telling the same stories over and over again!)


But back to the topic of the day  - below then is a picture of my latest "Carpentry" Project - some storage shelves in my garage!! Just completed yesterday!

Maybe not my best work yet, but I am glad that the hobby still serves me well - it also ties in nicely with my hobby to Argive all sort of things read ("regpak") and to manage it then with fun systems!



Yes, I like to be a busy Bee, especially when it comes to sorting and "regpak". In my house for instance, all coffee mug handles point in the same direction - a little obsessive behavior I know.

However, it makes my world fun, organized and tidy too. 


It also reminds me of my Mother - we as kids always used to say; "Ma is either sweeping or on her way to a broom LOL" - that gene certainly carried over!






Happy Talent Hunting (and sweeping) (and "regpakking")!!

18 June 2025





LINK:

LINK to Landing page with LINKS to other "REASONS" posts


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reason # 1 LIFE is always worth CELEBRATING

Image
The 60!  (For TODAY's installment, scroll down to the bottom and click on the link in blue) Turning 60 is Special Turning 60 is more than just a milestone—it's a celebration of wisdom, resilience, and life richly lived. It's a moment to pause and reflect on decades of experiences, lessons learned, and relationships nurtured. At 60, you've likely faced and overcome challenges, celebrated triumphs, and grown into a deeper understanding of yourself and the world. Sixty is special because it's the age where confidence often meets clarity. The uncertainties of youth have softened, replaced by a grounded sense of who you are. You've earned the right to say no without guilt and yes with conviction. There’s a freedom in this stage of life—a chance to pursue passions, share knowledge, and shape a legacy with intention. It’s also a time of connection. Whether through family, friends, or community, turning 60 reminds us that our most meaningful moments are often shared....
Read more

Reason # 2 House Rules & STORY TELLING

Image
The Gratitude Journey Journal This is going to be quite a journey— which I intend to keep super short at times, because this is not the book YET… ha ha! ( As if my life is really interesting enough to write a novel about.) Still, life is always    a precious gift, and I do have quite a few stories to tell... Once, when I asked my children to give a one- sentence summary of how they see me, they said: " Jy is ' n storieverteller, Pappa!" Well, I can’t fault them on that one, because storytelling is an integral part of my life. Maybe it started back when I was a teenager, and the favourite storyteller to my siblings’ young kids. The briefing was always the same and always short: " Ons gee vir jou ' n sin, en dan moet jy die res vertel..." And so, many a story began. Funnily  enough  (or sadly even)  , I told fewer stories to my own kids. Instead, I played make- believe  with them. Once I  even built a whole Fairytale  storyboard— complete with a...
Read more

Reason # 3 Each life is a GIFT - whether you are a "BONT", BLACK or WHITE sheep

Image
  One of the 60 things I daily celebrate, is the fact that every life is such a gift - hence I  don't really fancy the celebrity culture of our age very much.... Instead I rather want to CELEBRATE each life! Because I think that each person is a gift to the world. You carry a talent, a gift, that is just right for what the planet needs at a time like this - YES YOU!!. Hence, I don't believe in clever or less clever people - I think we are all talented with the right attributes, in the right measure - we have within us all the "things" we need for the story/experience (#SoulReasons) of this lifetime... Each life is a quiet miracle, sacred not for its visibility but for its very being. In a culture that elevates celebrities and public achievement, it's easy to forget that worth is not measured by spotlight or applause. The teacher who shapes young minds, the nurse who soothes pain, the neighbor or friend  who shows kindness, the engineer or manager or data analyst —...
Read more