I know there's only about 5 million blog posts and news articles and facebook and twitter statuses out there on the world wide web already about the passing of Mandela. But I can't help but add one more.
I can't quite explain what it means to be here during such a historic event for South Africa. It's in everyone minds and thoughts, and most certainly in everyone's hearts. Mandela's photo is everywhere. There are small memorials set up for him all over the place. Yesterday, I went to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and right beneath his statue, there were cards and candles and flowers. Today, I went to the mall...and one of the stores had a photo display in the windows with flowers and candles lit, and a big sign in book where people could write messages of condolence. The post office is closing tomorrow as a last remembrance to him. I went to a concert yesterday, and before it started, all the thousands of people in the audience stood still without uttering a single word in honor of him. And actually, from what I've heard, every single organization, company, business, and gathering is holding moments of silence.
His name is on every radio station and tv show all the time. His face is everywhere. Online, in print, social media, in store front windows and on the sides of buses. They love him here, and with good reason. The whole country is in a state of mourning that I can't even begin to comprehend...simply because I'm not South African. Sure, I can mourn the loss of one of humanity's greatest and brightest stars with the rest of the world...but somehow, I know I'm not even coming close to the depth of feeling there is all around me.
As a friend of mine put it....he was kind of like their George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Junior, and Obama all rolled in to one. The effect he had and the imprint he made has already been written about in thousands of history books, and will be written in thousands more. But right now, in the day to day...it is a pure and real sadness that is written on everyone's faces. It's sort of bubbling just below the surface...because of course day to day life must continue. But the undercurrent of this great loss, this great mourning, is always felt.
The day after the news broke, all public transportation was free so that all people could come together, from near or far, to memorialize him. There are continuous memorials happening throughout the country every day, and over the course of the next week. I'm going to be in Joberg next weekend...which is much closer to his family home and where he passed. So I'll be interested to see what the atmosphere is like there. I'm sure I'll keep you all updated :)
Anyway...I'll post another entry soon regarding other updates and such...but I thought I'd share my opinions and experiences as I reflect on what it means to be in a world where Nelson Mandela is no longer with us. Let this be my sort of last tribute to him. Perhaps I can give some people a certain perspective that all those thousands of reporters have missed? Or perhaps not. But it doesn't matter. This post is for him. Not anyone else.
May you rest in peace Madiba.
I can't quite explain what it means to be here during such a historic event for South Africa. It's in everyone minds and thoughts, and most certainly in everyone's hearts. Mandela's photo is everywhere. There are small memorials set up for him all over the place. Yesterday, I went to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and right beneath his statue, there were cards and candles and flowers. Today, I went to the mall...and one of the stores had a photo display in the windows with flowers and candles lit, and a big sign in book where people could write messages of condolence. The post office is closing tomorrow as a last remembrance to him. I went to a concert yesterday, and before it started, all the thousands of people in the audience stood still without uttering a single word in honor of him. And actually, from what I've heard, every single organization, company, business, and gathering is holding moments of silence.
His name is on every radio station and tv show all the time. His face is everywhere. Online, in print, social media, in store front windows and on the sides of buses. They love him here, and with good reason. The whole country is in a state of mourning that I can't even begin to comprehend...simply because I'm not South African. Sure, I can mourn the loss of one of humanity's greatest and brightest stars with the rest of the world...but somehow, I know I'm not even coming close to the depth of feeling there is all around me.
As a friend of mine put it....he was kind of like their George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Junior, and Obama all rolled in to one. The effect he had and the imprint he made has already been written about in thousands of history books, and will be written in thousands more. But right now, in the day to day...it is a pure and real sadness that is written on everyone's faces. It's sort of bubbling just below the surface...because of course day to day life must continue. But the undercurrent of this great loss, this great mourning, is always felt.
The day after the news broke, all public transportation was free so that all people could come together, from near or far, to memorialize him. There are continuous memorials happening throughout the country every day, and over the course of the next week. I'm going to be in Joberg next weekend...which is much closer to his family home and where he passed. So I'll be interested to see what the atmosphere is like there. I'm sure I'll keep you all updated :)
Anyway...I'll post another entry soon regarding other updates and such...but I thought I'd share my opinions and experiences as I reflect on what it means to be in a world where Nelson Mandela is no longer with us. Let this be my sort of last tribute to him. Perhaps I can give some people a certain perspective that all those thousands of reporters have missed? Or perhaps not. But it doesn't matter. This post is for him. Not anyone else.
May you rest in peace Madiba.
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