News in this Day and Age | 5 February 2018
Many people tell me how they try to screen out the news because it is dominated by seemingly intractable problems that make them feel anxious and depressed.
This is understandable but it is also important to note that there are many good stories too…
This one was covered in the Cape Times in a report by Nicola Daniels. It showed a photograph of a young man in his graduation gown having been awarded a B Ed degree in further education and training from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
According to the report he had spent “half of his life on the streets, sleeping on shop stoeps, and a portion in shelters”.
He was gradually absorbed into the family who “heard his story and saw he was bright at school…(and) just wanted to give him a better life”. After the death of his mother he became a permanent part of their family.
This year he is starting his teaching career at a local high school in Wynberg.
This is a shining example of the ability of individuals to overcome difficult circumstances with support and opportunity given at the right time. For all the destructiveness we see, there are perhaps even more acts of kindness, generosity and courage, and we should seek these out as they help us keep a hopeful and balanced view which is important for both our own wellbeing and that of others..
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