Natalie Thinks

I know I joke about how I can’t live without my domestic worker, but of course I know I can.  It would be hard… With a family of 6 we do about 6 large (top loader) loads of washing a week.  My 3 teens leave home at 6:30 every morning and are often not home before 5, my husband is gone 12 hours a day, so most of the work would fall to me, and I already work half day.  But I have done it before and I could do it. But for me employing someone in this country, where unemployment stands at 25%, is truly an act of social compassion.  Having a job is a great source of dignity which is denied to 25% of our work eligible population.  Is it any wonder we sit with so many of the problems we do? As my budget continues to be challenged (several cost-of-living increases have led to further adjustments this month) it is very tempting to either retrench or reduce the hours of both my domestic worker and gardener.  But on reflection, let me tell you, I cannot...

I don’t know if you find it as unpleasant as I do when you’re in the company of someone who continually lets you know how hard up they are (when they often are not).  I consciously try to avoid saying, "We can’t afford it.”  Realistically it’s more accurate to say, “We have chosen to spend our money elsewhere.”  Because we have chosen to send our kids to a private school (albeit not a very expensive one) our choices of what else we can do are limited.  Because we have chosen to have life insurance, our choices to eat out have been curtailed.  It’s good to recognise and take responsibility for our choices such as they are within our circumstances.   Giving likewise is a choice.  I suspect most South Africans are very generous givers.  Certainly there is so much need around us.  A recent survey has revealed that a massive 93% of the country's people support charities and other social causes, with 54% donating money, 31% giving food...

So can I tell you something?  I mess up. A lot. Like all the time. I make mistakes.  Really stupid ones.  I send out emails with the wrong information.  I confuse dates.  I don't check things.  I forget things.  I mix up things and end up doing unnecessary work.  I make myself weak with panic and frustration sometimes.  And I feel bad about it.  How the hell could I have done that? How could I be so stupid? I mess up with money; with food; my body; my car; my clothes; my house.  It’s really quite limiting. Worse than that, I mess up with people.  Friends even.  I forget birthdays.  I say silly things that I want to leap on and beat to death the minute they’ve left my mouth.  I am living proof that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can pretty much annoy them all in one go!  Most of the time I think really hard before I speak, yet, even so, I often still say exactly the wron...