PHENOMENAL WOMAN

Quite coincidental that it is women's month in South Africa and I find no better person to help celebrate a woman than the one and only Maya Angelou who is one of my favorite poets and also quoted in my previous post. This one goes out to all the women of the world. Celebrate yourself, because you are phenomenal.


PHENOMENAL WOMAN 

MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say, It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman, Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man, The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say, It’s the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I’m a woman, Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much,

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say, It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman, Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say, It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

Cause I’m a woman, Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, That’s me.

Lessons from Maya

• 'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

• I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

• 'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

• 'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

• 'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

• I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back...'

• I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

• 'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

• I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back...'

• 'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...'

• I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Image credit

Getting off the bike without falling

One weekend I was teaching my son how to ride a bike. While he had been previously riding the bike without any problems when it had wheels at the back, after I removed them he struggled to balance the bicycle and found himself falling off the bike every time it came to a stop or when he lost control.

I had assumed that since he could cycle with the support wheels, he could also cycle when I removed them but I was wrong. He did not have the technique required to take off and also to stop without falling off. The major problem was getting the bicycle to stop without falling off and so I ended up giving him a lesson on the proper way to fall, or rather get off the bike, something I had not planned on doing at all. My realization was that if he could fall properly, he could enjoy riding the bike as the way he had been falling was making him feel that the experience was not enjoyable. And so within a few minutes he could bring the bike to a stop and not fall off ,and this changed his whole perspective of learning to cycle and even made him want to continue where he had previously decided that he had had enough of the bike.

So I found myself learning a lesson on getting off the bike or taking a pause while cycling. Every cyclist will stop at a stop sign or traffic light or to ask for directions. When you do not know how to get off the bike you can miss important stops that need to be made or maybe fall and end up not enjoying the ride. When you know how to get off the bike however, you can get up and get going again. Life is after all a series of starting things, stopping and continuing or starting new things again, more like riding a bike getting off and riding again. The key is to stop in a way that prepares you to get going again with a new venture. There are various reasons why when setting out to do something, we do not go straight through to complete it and may need to get off what we are doing and then get back at it. Many times we are not taught about getting off but we are taught about getting going. Many speakers talk about going where we want to go and how to get there, with a few if any talking about those moments when you have to get off your venture or goal for one reason or another, but with a posture of getting up to go again on the same or another venture maybe due to temporary setbacks. When he fell off the bike he left hold of the handles and rolled all over the place bruising himself in the process. I told him to maintain his hands on the handles of the bike when the bike stopped and then get one foot on the ground ready to carry him and avoid falling.

So while he still got off the bike, he did in a way that prepared him to take off again. We start many things that we want to achieve in life but sometimes we may need to temporarily, maybe
permanently even, get off something we are doing for various reasons but still be able to get going. Do we know how to get off while maintaining the passion and zeal to pursue again? It is important to know how to  get off, step back, reflect something and still prepare to get going again as we cycle the bicycle of life. You could be cycling perfectly right now but you need to know how to get off when the next stop (obstacle/hindrance) comes up. Unfortunately it is not as easy as riding a bike as there is no set formula on how to do it, but you will need to know how to get off the bike at some point. It is important to avoid falling which can put you off ever finishing what you set out to do in the first place.

Seeing through closed eyes

There are times when I just want to be blank, not think, see, feel wonder or do anything just for a moment. A moment to just forget about all the cares worries and burdens and not have a care for a while. This is a wish that cannot ever be granted as long as I am alive, for my mind sees through closed eyes and never rests. My vision is not only in my eyes but deep in my mind is where my vision lies. Deep within the partly explained grey matter in my skull unseen by anyone, and whose workings are unknown to many. As much as the grey matter is unseen, it sees way beyond where I am, even when I am in the dark and its works manifest in my actions daily. I cannot be blank, neither think, see, feel nor wonder. I create, build, put together, break, pull down, celebrate and moan and all this happening split seconds apart of each other without effort on my part. My mind speaks while I am silent, walks, runs, even flies while I am sitting down. It jumps, dances and spins around while I am in no mood to do anything physically myself. I see when I do not want to see, as my mind shows me my successes and failures right in front of my closed eyes. It shows me my joys and sorrows as clearly as they happened, be it yesterday or 20 years ago. I can see a face that is no more, even a tree that is no more, as if it was still there. A friend that is no more, a foe even, it does not segregate. There is no discrimination in the mind. I lay in my bed and close my eyes but I still can see so many things. My mind is more powerful than the eye that saw and took in the sight that it sees while the eyes are closed. While my whole being is asleep and innate, the mind plans and sees a future that can be, a life that can avail, a destiny that can unfold. I must just put in the seeds of vision for my mind to work with for whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve.

Riding the wind

When I was young, I used to make plastic kites and fly them all day, or for several days. It was great fun especially on those windy days. A kite uses an aerodynamic surface to create a lift and overcome gravity to fly in the wind. The lift that sustains the kite in the air is created when air flows above the kite's surface, producing low pressure above and high pressure below the wings. In December 2014 while in Durban, I saw a kite surfer, something I had not quite seen before, considering that my only kite experience was the home made kite from my early years. I found it intriguing and the surfer was very good at it and was clearly enjoying himself as he knew well how to do it. There is kite boarding which is a surface water sport combining various aspects such as wake-boarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kite boarder harnesses and uses the power of the wind on a large power kite and is propelled across the water on a kite board similar to a small surfboard, with or without foot straps. Kite surfing is a form of kite boarding which is related to wave riding and uses standard surfboards. There are different styles of kite boarding and in 2012, the number of kite surfers was estimated at 1.5 million people worldwide. A kite surfer ensures an optimal balance between the wind speed and direction and the power of the kite to ensure that the kite surfing experience is enjoyable. He then rides the waves with air jumps and all sorts of tricks and stunts thanks to the wind and surfing skills with reading of correct angles combined. Power kites are very powerful and can, if control is lost, cause injury an optimal balance between the winds speed and direction and the power of the kite to ensure that the kite surfing experience is enjoyable.

He then rides the waves thanks to the wind and surfing skills. Power kites are very powerful and can, if control is lost, cause injury to the surfer. The surfer needs to maintain control of the kite to be able to manage maneuvers as well as dictate what he wants from the kite. Strong winds or unexpected gusts can lead to bad impact which can cause harm. Like a kite surfer, life is about ensuring that you are always in charge of that kite board and anticipating strong winds that can destabilize you. One needs to always be in control of their present, anticipate the future and be mindful of the past. Losing control of  your environment can mean falling off the board into the water or worse, hitting objects and getting hurt. Not all winds are good for surfing and surfers know that

cross-shore and cross- onshore winds are the best for kite boarding. Offshore winds pose the danger that one can be blown away from the shore in the event of equipment failure or loss of control while direct onshore winds carry the risk of being thrown onto land and possibly falling into buildings or dangerous objects. Always ensure that you can handle the winds you are surfing and choose your winds carefully as some winds are ruthless and not worth taking out to surfing. Do you know the winds you are dealing with? You can ride the wind, or lose your balance to it and fall. Enjoy the ride.