So you think you have it bad? Well things must be a lot worse for the English or at least it must be pretty bad out there in the UK!
Figures just released show that last year 34,000 prisoners in the UK refused an offer to leave prison early! You can see it can’t you, Sorry guv not me, I am not wearing that girly electronic bracelet and going out there, falling house prices, petrol through the roof, food prices on the up and up, in doors giving me grief every bloomin day, I’m staying ere wiv a warm cell and three hot meals a day!
Meanwhile back in SA we do not have the option of a luxury prison, you may just end up with an Arthur Brown one! No, we must push on and upwards, dealing with our own lives every day.
Tito threatens us with 2% in one go, car sales in May fall 25% (the biggest drop in nine years), the average house in SA falls from R680,000 to R620,000 that’s 9% and the food and petrol prices keeps going up and up.
But don’t fret please, Bafana Bafana had a good 10 minutes against Nigeria before losing and at least the two finalists in the Super 14 were from the Southern Hemisphere, only kidding before you email me!
Anyway, remember this it is always darkest just before dawn! There have been many bigger challenges that SA has faced and beaten and in 2008 things often seem worse simply because there is so much information and news, in fact it’s everywhere and not always correct!
For example last Saturday, or was it Sunday, age is creeping up on me, anyway I am sat in the bedroom and the TV is on. I am looking at the newspaper, not really reading as nothing is going in, the TV is on SABC 1 and I hear a cracker.
South Africa have been beaten in the Rugby Sevens now being held in Edenberg. What? I look at the screen and it gets better, scrolling across is the same news however its not Edenberg it is now, Edinburgh, Wales, I kid you not, Wales! Roll on E News 24 hours a day, I think and when it arrives I can actually stand the background music for about 15 minutes, which is perfect as that’s the length of time in which you see and hear their entire offering!
No, there is actually too much information and the trick in the 21st century is knowing how to use it or actually how to ignore some of it. Whenever you venture into unknown territory always ensure you have the best guide and do not rely solely on your instincts. There is no GPS system yet devised that can take you to the correct share, unit trust, bond or property, but there are well qualified and regulated people who can, so use your own instincts to seek them out, then listen to them. At the same time remember there are lies, damn lies and SA Inflation figures.
Finally, if you don’t believe me that things must be worse elsewhere, in addition to the 34000 who would not LEAVE UK prisons last year 19 were caught, get this, BREAKING IN! Perhaps they had seen the SABC 1 News and thought they were in Wales?
Ian Kilbride is Chairman of Warwick Private Wealth, The Constantia Valley Association and The Kids Foundation www.iankilbride.com