Briewe van Elders/Letters from Elsewhere

Writer's block?  It was quite a sturdy block.  It was a while since I last wrote anything.  This edition doesn't really has anything to do with "elsewhere".  Nevertheless, I hope it will motivate me to continue writing. . Saturday 16 November was a very special day.   Gerhard, the youngest of my two boys, and I ran together for the first time in years.   It was the 5 km of the Valhalla Parkrun.   With that in mind, and to explain why it was such a special day, I turn the clock back to January 1994.   We had just moved to Pretoria, and the schools would start in a week or so after the Christmas recess.   Both the boys, who were still in the primary school, took part in the 1 200 m, and I thought they should make a good impression at the start of the athletics season in the new school.   I commandeered them that afternoon to go for a run. What a shock it was.   We had just started running when they left me behind.   I...

Skrywersblok?  Dit was 'n stewige blok.  Ek het lanklaas geskryf.  Hierdie aflewering het min te doen met "elders".  Maar hopelik help dit om weer te probeer. Gister, Saterdag 16 November was vir my ‘n besondere dag.   Ek en Gerhard, die jongste van my twee seuns, het vir die eerste keer in jare saam gehardloop.   Dit was die 5km van die Valhalla Parkrun.   Met dit in gedagte, en om te verduidelik waarom dit so ‘n besondere dag was, moet ek die horlosie terugdraai na Januarie 1994.   Ons het pas Pretoria toe getrek, en die skole sou oor ‘n week of so na die Kersreses weer begin.   Beide die seuns, wat toe nog in die laerskool was, het 1 200m gehardloop, en ek het gedink hulle moet darem ‘n goeie indruk maak met die begin van die atletiekseisoen in die nuwe skool.   Ek het hulle die namiddag opgekommandeer om te gaan draf.   Wat ‘n skok was dit nie vir my nie.   Ons het pas begin toe hardloop hulle vir my weg. ...