h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Not a lot done today. In fact, I slept during the afternoon. I think I am just generally winding down until I leave for SA, when I shall be busy again. I have most of my weekends taken up with visits of one kind or another.

Still, House Church was good - we only had four people turning up, and we discussed Jonah 1&2, but it felt that God was near and we were all able to share some quite personal stuff maybe in a way that wouldn't have been possible with a bigger group. Jonah always resonates with me big time - something about abandoning God and then coming back de profundis and being given a second chance.

I had to wear a jumper today. Cast ne'er a clout. Honestly, though, I hope I get some nice summery weather here before I hit the Big Damp of Stellenbosch in the winter! At least I won't be alone as I was the last time I spent the winter in Stellenbosch (1993). That was the year I was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and had to spend a night in the cells. I was on tranquillisers and had had a bottle of brandy before going out on the town. I paid a R30 "admission of guilt" fee (apparently - I don't remember doing it) and they let me go after giving me a breakfast of a cup of hot sweet coffee and a hunk of bread and jam. The worst thing about that experience was that I woke up at about 5am with a raging thirst, but there was no tap and no cup to assauge it from. So I had to keep flushing the toilet and drinking by hand from the toilet water as it flushed down. But, every time I flushed the toilet, the floor of the cell flooded. So I was stuck! There was a bit of dry floor I could sleep on but it was an extremely uncomfortable experience.

I felt very bad as well, psychically, as you do when you can't remember how you got somewhere the night before, because of drink. I just barely remember being arrested and being put into the little yellow police van. My God, what a humiliation that was. I subsequently returned to the university, where I was sitting in on the first year Afrikaans courses, to hear a group of students referring to me as "daardie dronk Engelsman" - that drunken Englishman. I was so humiliated that I left the university, never to return. I had only done about half the year, too. I just hope I don't bump into anyone who remembers me from those days! (I also walked off with someone's literature notes - I hope they have forgiven me for that!)

Gosh, memories, eh? I felt so bad at that time. I decided then that I should make the effort to be a better Christian. And it has been a long uphill struggle ever since.

Hello Richard! I've been having a leisurely read of your journal each day, but now feel "moved" to write a reply!

To begin with, I think you should try to cast from your mind/draw a line under/move on from ~ the incident which happened in 1993. I think it's well best forgotten, especially some little snippets of information such as your procurement of drinking water!!

I hope that your move to Stellenbosch will be a wonderful fresh beginning for you in every possible way.

Take care,
~~Misty~~ (wearing Auntie-type hat)