A Surprise...
Although I have been surprised on many occasions in my life, very few have left an impression on me. There are even fewer where i can admit that i have been at a complete loss for words. On Wednesday I was surprised, pleasantly I might add, but to such an extent that I was, for a significant amount of time, at a complete loss for words.
A friend of mine, that I had not seen in the last thirty years, and I arranged to meet at Sandton City for a cup of coffee. Walking through Nelson Mandela Square, i could not help but notice, that all the restaurants were filled with tourists from all over the globe who had come to our beautiful country to share in the World Cup experience. The chatter of people in various tongues contributed to the cosmopolitan atmosphere that prevailed in the square.
We made our way to a coffee shop and proceeded to catch up on the last thirty years. It was fascinating listening and chatting about how our lives had turned out. It occurred to me at that moment that I could never have imagined , or even contemplated, that my life would turn out the way it did.
After coffee, we took a drive home where we continued our chat, and then came the surprise. When I first saw the book, I was happy that my friend remembered that I had a love for good writing paper. This until I opened the book and was completely gobsmacked!
There on the most exquisite paper, neatly typed out, across every page were the words that had flowed directly from my soul. This blog, arranged in date sequence, word for word. Unabridged, with all its errors, reproduced exactly and neatly bound into a book.
I was at a loss for words, overwhelmed and completely humbled at this most precious gift my friend had given me. I had never thought, for one instance, that I would see my words in print let alone in a book. A special gift from a very special person.
A gift I shall cherish for the rest of my days, and I shall stipulate that my children preserve it, and their children after that throughout the generations as a testament to our friendship :-)
A friend of mine, that I had not seen in the last thirty years, and I arranged to meet at Sandton City for a cup of coffee. Walking through Nelson Mandela Square, i could not help but notice, that all the restaurants were filled with tourists from all over the globe who had come to our beautiful country to share in the World Cup experience. The chatter of people in various tongues contributed to the cosmopolitan atmosphere that prevailed in the square.
We made our way to a coffee shop and proceeded to catch up on the last thirty years. It was fascinating listening and chatting about how our lives had turned out. It occurred to me at that moment that I could never have imagined , or even contemplated, that my life would turn out the way it did.
After coffee, we took a drive home where we continued our chat, and then came the surprise. When I first saw the book, I was happy that my friend remembered that I had a love for good writing paper. This until I opened the book and was completely gobsmacked!
There on the most exquisite paper, neatly typed out, across every page were the words that had flowed directly from my soul. This blog, arranged in date sequence, word for word. Unabridged, with all its errors, reproduced exactly and neatly bound into a book.
I was at a loss for words, overwhelmed and completely humbled at this most precious gift my friend had given me. I had never thought, for one instance, that I would see my words in print let alone in a book. A special gift from a very special person.
A gift I shall cherish for the rest of my days, and I shall stipulate that my children preserve it, and their children after that throughout the generations as a testament to our friendship :-)
hopefully those who have in the past tried to surprise you, dont read your blog. they might feel a tad dissapointed. I am sure they have put in a lot of effort into the surprise, as effort is required for any surprise. But sadly not enough to impress you :) enjoy your awesome gift.
ReplyDeleteI do appreciate the effort that goes into a surprise, but that does not mean it has to leave an impression. often the surprises that leave the biggest impression are those that take the least amount of effort. So its not the surprise that leaves an impression but the thought behind the surprise that does, and this is what makes the difference.
ReplyDeletehmmm... no comment ;)
ReplyDeletehmmm.. i wonder if a signed Kaka shirt plus 2 x VVIP tickets (thats is player's tickets) for Friday's game will leave you impressed ;)
ReplyDeleteSufficiently so :-)
ReplyDelete