Through the Eyes of Sisters, Topic: Red, White & Blue

This is week 15, I chose the topic, Heids doesn't even know what it is.  I am not taking her rejection very well to be honest, I don't buy the 'time' thing because I have two children at home on summer vacation, plus I am running a VERY demanding business from home with lots of time sensitive deadlines each week and over and above the daily requirements for that business, I also have to invest time in looking for premises and solutions to some of the operational challenges we are facing and the housework and laundry looms constantly so I am busy too, busier than I have ever been. The thing I loved about doing this with her is sharing - showing her my world and learning about hers and I feel very sad that I don't have a window into her world anymore.  Facebook is not the same, quirky comments don't replace meaningful blogs with photos of her home town, and my nieces, and her life.  So, without a confirmation from her that she wants to continue Through the Eyes of Sisters, this will be my last blog - it feels stupid to do it without a partner.

Now that my gripe is out of the way, I chose this topic because it is 4th of July over here, and the topic can loosely be translated into just one word here in America: Pride.  I know the level of patriotism gets up some peoples noses, but I come from South Africa, where diversity also means division and I am not getting political and talking about Apartheid, I am just stating a fact.  There is such a huge divide between the middle and lower class in terms of wealth, and with 11 national languages and around 30 spoken languages, everybody wants to celebrate their own culture and heritage which is totally understandable.  However, you have to look for common ground - and there is plenty - in order to be on the same page and I think people are afraid.  If they let go, if they accept that they are all more alike than different, they will be giving up their identity, accepting that their problems are not that different from everybody else's, they will be lost in massive pot of bubbling muddy soup and, I think, lose hope.  By fighting to hold on to their individuality they are saying they are different, things will be different for them.  People when they hear about South Africa think of 'black' vs 'white', when I think of the country that was home to me for so many years I think of how diverse it is culturally, post apartheid the black and white issues have receded and now instead of two fractions pulling against each other, there are eleven national ones and 30 spoken ones or so it seems.  I suppose it stems from pride too in a way.

Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam ride in style!

It is very hard to convey the emotion of this holiday, how sweeping and all encompassing it is.  Last year I was in Florida with Marilize, my dear South African friend, for the 4th of July and she could experience it for herself and I think understood why it is my favorite holiday on the American calendar.  This year as I sat on the lawn watching the 4th of July parade - the second oldest parade in the nation right here in our own home town, I looked around and realized 1'400 miles from Florida and the experience is the same.  Just about everybody was wearing red, white and blue, waving the country's flag, cheering on the town servicemen - the police and firemen in highly polished vehicles, a source of pride - everybody united in the celebration.   

Duxbury's Finest Lead the Way

The U.S. has problems and people feel differently about them and belong to different political parties but here they all are together, proud.  It is joyful and euphoric.  I wish there was an event on South Africa's calendar that brought everybody peacefully into the street to celebrate their country, that inspired them to wear the flag, wave it proudly, and all agree that despite their differences, they love their country.  Because they do love their country, everybody has fought hard for it in one way or another.  The only time they all get on that page is when they really achieve something monumental, like hosting and winning the Rugby World Cup, or most recently hosting the Soccer World Cup. 

2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa

Then everybody is in the streets, there is joy and pride in their hearts and they wave the flag high. 

Elvis Presley - America the Beautiful

I think because it is such a loaded topic for me, I cry every year at the parade.  Not a silent tear, and not hysterical bawling, but for the entire length of the parade I am wiping tears off my cheeks and avoiding eye contact with family or friends so we can all safely pretend I am not crying.  I am overwhelmed with emotion as the floats drive by celebrating music, pop culture and history, with families and friends standing on the floats, older people and little children wearing their red white and blue and happily waving and throwing candy and for the public, I love getting lost in that moment. 

Proud girls from a local riding club participate in the parade on their well behaved and beloved ponies

I can't help but feel the contrast between my two countries, South Africa has so much to offer, so much potential but she can't get it together, together being the operative word.  The dream is of a rainbow nation, a multi-cultural multi-colored nation where each individual color shines brightly, is equally beautiful and side by side they all form a hopeful rainbow.  The rainbow would be incomplete without any one of the colors, and together all the colors represent harmonious balance.  The reality is that the colors are arguing over which is the most important, most beautiful, which color should be on top and which color should be next to which color, and they don't want some colors to shine at all and the result?  Paradoxically, a muddy soup.  There is no rainbow, there is no harmony, there is no Independence Day parade, there is no pride and it's a crying shame.