How did I get here?

Being with Tim and Barbara Haag in Bethany Connecticut and still awakening at 5 am allows me time to write my journals and to go onto Face Book and catch up on family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and people and things of interest every day. It gives me time for reflection and time to look at TedTalks and Youtube and learn anew.

I am still in awe at what I was able to do so far in my teaching career. I know how tough it was for me when I started out at RBHS and struggled to find that way of teaching that was somewhere in my make-up, but of which I was not sure or how to present. I was always a compassionate person, but being a rookie, I had no clue how to put it into action. So I bumped my head continuously, but remained committed to something that I knew was there.

When I got back to teaching at SACS, a few glimpses of what I was trying to do and the realization of that slowly but surely emerged, but still with many bumps and bruises.

In 1981 I finally fulfilled a childhood dream of visiting the USA, a dream that was fostered when I met my great uncle Waldo Gillies in 1954. I was intrigued by this silver-haired and regal giant at a family reunion. He was married to one of my grandma's 12 siblings, aunt Freda. I first went down to Miami and Orlando to Disney World and then embarked on a marathon bus trip via New Orleans to Magnolia Mississippi where my uncle Bill Gillies, one of Waldo and Freda's sons, practiced in a medical facility. That was the start of another quest, to work in a Summer Camp in the USA and here I found more of what I was seeking.

As Field Sports Director of Camp Waubeeka in the Curtis S. Read Scout Reservation of the Westchester Putnam Council, I ran the Shooting Ranges and taught the Americans to play cricket and rugby and things like skeet shooting, .22 rifle and Muscat rifle and shotgun/skeet shooting. Here I was given responsibility for not only my area, but also as the number two at camp under Terry Bennett. Here too I met Tim Haag.

These two friends and Bob Towne, Reservation Director, saw in me elements of leadership that had not been seen at SACS as well as recognizing and speaking of how compassionate I was and I saw how the boys reacted to how I spoke, coached and supported them. Now I was realizing my own ability to teach, not just in the classroom,but out there in the sports arena and just hanging about and even in the classroom, my ability to be confident to teach life lessons as I too became wiser.

The following two years, 1987 and 1988 I was appointed Camp Director of the main Scouting Camp, Camp Buckskin with over 20 staff and 1400 boys and their adult Scouting leaders. And I did a good job. I became confident in what I could do and say. many years later in 2010, a Scout Master, who was a dad and Troop leader in 1988 as well as a Fireman in Westchester, said to me at an Alumni Dinner in New York, sat down beside me and said; "I recall every word you said in your closing speech at the end of that Summer of 1988 and it has stayed with me and I have used it". I realized then that I had lessons to teach and things to tell and that I had actually been doing it for so long. I also realized that for the past more than a decade I have been loving my teaching so much and that all the bumps and bruises, the struggles and put-downs were actually overshadowed by the fact that what I was doing was right. I was teaching how I tried in 1976.

And now that I really have time to reflect and to read and hear the views of my boys through these many years, I know I did a good job. I know I did good.

The trick now will be, to where now? This trip, this journey, this adventure will point me where next and I will have the confidence to go wherever fate will lead me with humility, but with the confidence of knowing that I can do it.

So here I am doing something I dreamed of with amazing and magnificent friends and family here in the USA and around the world and I can do it easily, but knowing that the long journey from 1976 has been an accumulation of wisdom and skills and knowledge that I can pass on and also add to.

I love you all and I am so happy and blessed to be seeing so many of you that I taught, tutored, coached and mentored on this trip around the world.

Gifting on Boxing Day

This is Barbara's family or most of them with Jerry and Erin partially hidden on the left. They are the Pickering family and they are as close knit as one could ever imagine and as generous as one could ever be amongst themselves and the community. The Matriarch is Betty, behind my proud SA flag. She is an amazing 90 years old and still runs the family with love and massive generosity in spite of having to trail her oxygen tube around with much humour attached too.

The family gifts on Christmas and Boxing Day as there are too many to be in one place usually for Christmas day. So here we all are ready for handing out the Christmas gifts. Such magic to be with this family. Tim and Barb are the two on the left of the flag with their son, Ben, on the floor with the beard. he is at RIT doing electrical engineering.

Three fat meals - Christmas Eve dinner at Linda Pickering, Brunch and dinner on Christmas day at Betty's and Boxing Day Dinner at Alan Pickering and family. Too much amazing food prepared by them all. Gerry and Charlene dipped out on having a meal at their home, but it rotates each year in no particular pattern.

The 4 boy cousins here, Ben, Chad, Corrie and Cole are all engineering students or engineers and Luke is in the USAAF about to commence pilot training. amazing how their families have brought them up to attend great universities and Academy in Luke's case and be so good at what they do. They are also all great carpenters, electronics boffins and generally amazing with any handy work.

I am so blessed to have met Tim in 1986 and then be at their wedding and to get to know this huge Pickering family and be so included in all they do when I visit.

Great start to my wonderful adventure.

Christmas eve and Christmas day

Ben's Toyota Tacoma 4x4

 Tuesday 24 at Tim's with Ben's new truck. Snow has gone and we are ready to roll to Victor in NW New York State near Rochester.

The trip was a good 6 hour or so and the weather was fine to near Syracuse and then we had some snow flurries while Ben was driving. By the time we got to Victor, there was a fine blanket of snow on the ground.

Christmas morning has dawned with a white wonderland and a perfect wind free day with too much food, but luckily a brunch and dinner day only. Of course dinner promises to be massive!

Somewhere near Schenectady for a pitstop

Cannot wait to see all the Pickering family again
Barbara's family. Betty, the matriarch, is chirpy
 as usual and presiding over the meals as usual with graciousness and kindness.

 Tomorrow I will publish the family photo.

Merry Christmas to all in South Africa from family to friends to all my boys and their families.

Take care.

Christmas morn. White and quiet with the sun rising at Betty's home.

Ben's gift to his dad. a wind chime of spanners! 

Tim's woodshed

 This is where I am staying until after New Year's with a short sojourn to Victor in NW New York State tomorrow for Christmas.

The sun was out when I took these on Saturday as I arrived, but today, Monday, it is grey and rain. Tomorrow we should be driving in sunshine.

Feels good to be here again in Connecticut, USA. I will be splitting wood to fill the woodshed before long for sure. I have to earn my keep!

See you all later. :)

Tim's house

The last snow before the rain on Saturday

I have arrived in the USA - Yay!

The flights from Cape Town to JHB and then to JFK were fine and even the food on SAA was passable. Moved to an Exit isle seat as the plane was not too full. Once here, the trip to North Haven and Tim and Barbara was pleasant in a Ford (Yay!) 16-seater and took 2 hours. Snow on the ground, but not so cold - over 50F. Hot cup of Twinings Earl Grey tea awaited me and it was so good to see both Tim and Barb after three years absence.
Of course I looked out for Mustangs along the way and was totally happy that the first one was Ford Performance Blue. Good sign.
Went to church Sunday morning and immediately got confronted with 'anti-gay' comments which really angered me, but I let it go as it was not my church as I went for Tim's sake. I don't believe in institutional religion and less so to be preached to. I know who I am and what my beliefs are and how I see God. I know my truth.
We leave for Victor in Northern New York State tomorrow, Tuesday 24 for Christmas with no snow in sight for the next 4 days, so no white Christmas.
Now that the travels have started, I realize how much I will miss you all. You are in my thoughts even in the early hours as 'jet-lag' persists and I lie awake knowing how privileged I have been to meet and get to know so many amazing people.
Love you all. :)