60 Reasons to celebrate life

Yesterday, we celebrated the power of choir music. Today, we turn the dial and step into a different soundscape — a time when synthesizers reigned, hair was big, and music videos changed everything. Today, we celebrate the music of the 1980s specifically, but we’ll also journey before and beyond. It’s been said many times before, but let me repeat it again: there’s something  timeless about '80s music. It was the soundtrack of rebellion, romance, and reinvention. It gave us anthems that made us dance like no one was watching, and ballads that understood heartbreak better than we could express ourselves. From the electric pulse of Michael Jackson’s Thriller , to the beauty of Whitney Houston’s voice, to the raw energy of bands like U2 and The Police — the '80s gave us music that was bold, unapologetic, and utterly unforgettable. For me, '80s music isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a feeling. It’s driving in my little Datsun 1200 (Gamor) with my little cassette player on full vo...

Thank you for the music - CHURCH CHOIRS  especially !!!  There’s something profoundly moving about the sound of a church choir on a Sunday morning. For me, it’s more than music—it’s a tradition, a ritual, a memory. The music reach into my soul and reminds me of beauty, reverence, and the sacred... Therefor I have this little ritual - every Sunday, I make time to listen to some of my favorite choral pieces. The harmonies, the rise and fall of voices woven together in song, have a way of carrying me away into something timeless.  Hearing voices sore high up in those majestical cathedrals almost makes me feel as if I have lived and experience that myself in a world long forgotten. Thank you YouTube off course for showing us worlds -  and putting experience into reach that we never might have experienced otherwise. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s nourishment. In a world that’s often loud and hurried, choir music slows me down. It opens space for reflection, for gratitude,...

 There are moments when the noise of the world fades, and all that’s left is the sound of oars in water or boots on earth—and that’s where I feel most alive. My love for nature isn’t something I picked up—it’s something I’ve always felt, like a pulse just beneath the surface. The ocean and the mountains speak in different languages, but both call me in the same way: toward clarity, humility, and awe. Rowing strips everything back to the essentials. When you’re alone in your little kayak cruising the calm waters of the Helderberg Basin, just off Strand beach, there’s no noise—just rhythm, weather, and the horizon. The Highrise buildings a distant horizon. Once in a while a Rob will come say hi! (They look far bigger in such close proximity than you would expect - but WHAT a moment!) It’s not just physical joy; it’s trust and connection in the ocean’s power and your own presence in each humbling moment—almost becoming one with the ocean,  with each movement of your oar. Hiking ...

  As I’ve said many times before, this blog is about blessings (Reasons why my life has been such a gift)—and when it comes to blessings, all others pale in comparison to the blessing my two children are to me. I’ll write more about them later, but for now, I just want to say this: As a lecturer and later Associate Professor, I have dedicated my life to learning and teaching—especially with the hope of making knowledge (qualifications)  more accessible and affordable to many. And as a social entrepreneur, I’ve done my best to help build a world that is kinder, more just, and more joyful.   But by far, my greatest joy, my truest accomplishment, is found in you—my children, Jeandré and Minette. Jeandré, with your calm intellect and curious spirit, and Minette, with your luminous brilliance and compassionate heart—you are engineers not only of data but of dreams. You build bridges not just in code, but between people, possibilities, and futures I once only imagined. Wat...