Connecting the dots
The first Springbok rugby game of the season had us down in Cape Town. Also to meet with networks and contacts on the business front. It was an opportunity to connect many dots from our past.
Enabling The How #220. Reading time: 6 minutes, 17 seconds
It was just another work day at the beginning of May. We were both squirreling away doing what we normally do. Well, one of us was.
“I’ve booked us to go and see the Springboks play,” said Matthew.
“What?” said Chantal, looking up in alarm. Memories of watching the Springboks being beaten by the All Blacks at Ellis Park floated up unwelcome and unwanted.
“Yes,” he said with a broad smile, “They are playing the Barbarians for the first time in South Africa. In Cape Town. On the 28th of June.”
“Cape Town? Oh gosh, then we better get our act together.”
We decided it was an ideal opportunity to spend some time meeting with potential clients and our extended network in the Mother City in the week leading up to the game. Kill two birds. We reached out and set up tentative arrangements.
Serendipitous seating
Settling into her seat on the flight down Chantal noticed the rather large and heavy book in the hands of her neighbour.
“That looks like quite a tome you have there,” she remarked.
“It’s not very easy reading,” he responded as he angled the cover her way: The Concentration Camps of the Anglo-Boer War - A Social History by Elizabeth van Heyningen.
“Oh my goodness, yes,” replied Chantal, “We were first exposed to that part of our history when we visited the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein a few years ago. Then this year we went to Bethulie which was the site of one of the worst camps.”
After talking about the impact of the scorched earth policy and the trauma of incarceration, our neighbour asked where we were staying.
“Green Point,” answered Chantal.
“That’s where I live,” he laughed, “Which road, may I ask?”
“Cavalcade.”
“You won’t believe it, but that’s my road!”
What a coincidence. What serendipity. Our warm engagement stretched throughout the flight and to our destination as we offered to give him a lift home. We’d made a new friend, if only for those few hours. The first dot of our journey?
Lots to catch up on
The following day we were booked to see a woman who had come our way via a mindfulness group in 2019. She had been looking for someone to do a presentation for Women’s Day to an NPO she worked with.
We put up our hands and flew to Cape Town. We facilitated a Shape of Emotion process with a hall full of women working with parents and children in some of the tougher areas of the city. Billy has been a supporter of ours ever since.
We visited her at her home. We were spoiled with a long curry lunch to catch up on the long time it had been since we had last seen her.
Rugby had driven us to be in this part of the country at this time. It was fitting that we were able to honour her dear husband who she lost only last month. He had been involved in the sport his whole life.
With barely enough time left for her to go for her “wrot” - walk-trot, we took our leave. Another dot.
A treasure trove
WIth the weather playing nice and showers predicted for the rest of the week we took a late afternoon stroll to the Waterfront. We were drawn to displays of colour and shape in the curve of a large window. On investigation we saw it was Art@Africa, a treasure trove of an art gallery.
There was still time to walk through it. Wendy, an artist in her own right, welcomed us in and set the tone for the visit. The bronze sculptures by Johann Steyn and Marke M turned heavy metal into movement and light. David Griessel’s ink drawings were a fantastical delight. We loved more than we did not.
One day, perhaps, our bank balances will allow for the luxury of bringing a piece to our home. Maybe another dot had been drawn.
Welcome to winter in Cape Town
Midweek was set aside to meet with a semi-grator friend of Chantal’s. The Cape winter showed itself in all its cold and wet glory ensuring that what should have been an easy walk to Bootleggers turned into a frustrating fight for no parking. There was no parking near the restaurant.
“What is it with no parking in this place?” muttered Matthew fed up with the weather, the idiot drivers and the inconvenience.
We were forced to park back in our street and walk in the damp wind, now 20 minutes late, to our lunchtime meeting.
“Welcome to winter in Cape Town,” laughed our friend as we arrived bedraggled and apologetic.
We peeled out of our multiple wet layers and sat to speak about the weather, the traffic, the parking and work. We regaled her with stories of Matthew’s cracking project and she matched us with stories of how her corporation could do better.
“More coffee and car washes isn’t going to get people back to the office,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Thank goodness she had a meeting to get to otherwise we would have kept her there all afternoon.
Work and life links
On Thursday we found ourselves in Claremont at Cafe Nood. Plenty of parking there. Here we met a contact from Chantal’s previous life in the metal industries. As committed and passionate about the possibilities that improved education offers as she is, Guy had been the inspiration for Chantal to get involved in Partners for Possibility. An NPO operating in the education sector, it was the birthplace of our work.
We had kept in contact, Guy persistent in his invitations to meet when we were in Cape Town. So we met. Over coffee and omelettes Guy gave us the rundown of his run-in with health challenges including a back operation and a broken hand.
“But enough of that,” he said, “What’s emotional fitness and how is it different from physical fitness?”
We gave him the lowdown on our work and the place we have arrived at. After nearly two hours of sharing it was time for him to go to his next meeting.
“Be care full, Guy,” said Chantal as she hugged him goodbye.
Later that afternoon as the clouds parted and the sky sang, we met up with a link to Matthew’s past. Dieter once lived in the same housing complex that Matthew did. Matthew was 13, Dieter 8. Their histories are woven together by a traumatic loss and the kindness of support. A working relationship with Matthew’s brother added to the pattern.
Years on and another loss, Dieter reached out to commiserate with Matthew. A missed opportunity to meet when he was in Johannesburg, luck made up for it with an opportunity to connect close by at the Waterfront. Sunset, supper and great socialising left us full and satisfied as we walked back home afterwards.
Connecting the dots
Friday drizzled its way to a warm and comfy meeting with a classmate from Chantal’s MPhil studies. Matthew’s cracking project piqued her interest for a potential undertaking in the future.
“Send me that information,” she urged as we said our goodbyes, “I need a new focus and this could be it!”
Saturday was rugby day. We cheered on the Boks to a magnificent 54-7 win against the Barbarians. The rain showered down but did not wet us while loud Mexican waves cascaded around the stadium.
Sunday was filled with two separate couples met at two separate places both packing babies and prams. The first couple recently relocated, recently new parents, both with new jobs. So much to catch up on, so much to tell over French crepes and coffee.
Later we met an “almost second son” of Matthew’s who had moved, got married and now was a dad. We connected near the beach, to meet his lovely wife and bonny baby boy. The sun was out with most of Cape Town soaking up the warmth, surfing in the icy sea, and walking dogs and children on the sand.
In his commencement address at Stanford, Steve Jobs once said: “You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path.”
As we walked to Mouille Point to watch the sun set on a wonderful week away, we reflected on the dots we had connected over the days. So many dots joined, and, we believe, so many more to be traced. The robust orange sun dipped its head in agreement and waved hot pink ribbons in the sky as if to cheer us on.
Until next time.
Yours in feeling,
Matthew & Chantal
