67 Minutes, Hate Speech and Tik

I did my 67 minutes. I wore my purple top proudly and shook my jam can for change to support The Chaeli Campaign. I was under the impression though that this should have made me feel good, you know, fulfilled. My impression was somewhat misguided.

"Madiba day! Any loose change in support of the Chaeli Campaign - children and disability," was my chant.

After about three minutes of canvassing at a robot here in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, a bitter old man said through his twisted mouth, out of his cigarette reeking car, "Mandela should have got the death sentence!" Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is what he said. I was so shocked that I didn't have time to respond before he lurched off, in his Mercedes Benz, through the red robot.

I believe I am a relatively resilient, and sometimes quick witted, person, but I started trembling - visibly. I wasn't sure if I was angry or scared. I stepped off to the side of the road, regained my composure and tried to laugh it off. I kept thinking 'he probably isn't a very happy man.'

I waited two or three robot changes and got back in there.

No sooner had I stepped back into it, when a bakkie, with two suspicious characters nearly rode me over. The passenger, stuck his hand out of the car, and there, in broad daylight was a light bulb smouldering with poisonous and vile smoke in his gruby little paw. "Take a hit from the dark side my bru!"

This was just too much for me, and it hadn't even been 20 minutes. I still had 47 minutes to go!

I hugged my tin sheepishly and started walking towards the Pick n Pay, I was sure that I'd be met with a more appreciative audience there. It was better. I mean there wasn't any anti Madiba rants or drug using pushers, but my goodness there were a lot of very unhappy and seriously unfriendly people.

At the end of my 67 minutes I must say I felt a little disheartened and kind of angry that I had thought this would have been an inspiring thing to do.

Back at the office I took some time to think about it all over a really strong coffee.

I am glad I did it. It wasn't easy, but doing the 'right thing'; 'the good thing'; something for somebody else, isn't always easy. But we do still need to do it. Perhaps if more people actually did it, even though it is difficult, this place would be a better place to live.