Today I celebrated the is the anniversary of death of a long-term (40+ years) friend, that occurred more than a decade ago.
Once again it got me to think about the important men in my lifeā¦
My Dad certainly gave me a good grounding in a variety of life lessons. Having spent 36 years with the same company he could not understand my reasons for changing jobs every couple of years! That aside he was always supportive of whatever I undertook.
He also was instrumental in setting my future career, after I got a āproper jobā to fall back onā¦just in case.
In this case, it was finishing an electrical apprenticeship with what used to be called the South African Railways and Harbours, from 1971-1975. I found my letter of resignation from the SAR&H recently and it is dated the 30th of August, 1975. 49 years ago almost to the day.
He also gave me my love of theatreā¦and I was glad that he got to see me performing as a stand-up comedian even though he might not have liked my material. He also got to see me perform in tights in aĀ ShakespeareanĀ production at the Port Elizabeth Opera Houseā¦
I also have fond memories of his laugh.
I miss him every day
I had the pleasure of meeting Mervyn when I did a Dale Carnegie course in 1982. He was the inventor(together with Beryl, his wife) of Flight hand-cleaner. The most positive person I have EVER known, He was the living embodiment of the adage āIn every crisis there is opportunityā.
No matter what the āchallengeā he always looked for reasons to try again rather than give up.
He also taught me to make āForā and āAgainstā lists for every decisionā¦
and then go with whatever came out on top.
who was my business mentor.
Even when he discovered he had cancer he never gave up
and until his last breath, he believed that he had beaten it.
My corporate working life(short as it was) is a testament to what Mervyn taught me.
knowingly/unknowingly placed my feet on the path where I currently find myself.
Our friendship started at the Opera House in Port Elizabeth and
continued when John and his family followed me to Johannesburg in the mid-70s.
I have so many stories of the time I spent with John and the family that I could fill a book.
NeverĀ judgmental he was often the voice of reason for me.
And he taught me to build shelvesā¦
on the Miss World pageant in 1992.
It was also John that got me my first job in radio, a career that now spans almost 30 years.
Radio Today, the last station that we worked on together did a tribute show to him, however, the link to the podcast is no longer active.
It was John that gave me my love of country music and
he was the reason that I went to Nashville, not once but twice.
by Canon Henry Scott Holland.
I have only slipped into the next room.
I am I, and you are you,
Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Put no difference into your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as you always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of meā¦
Pray for me.
Let my name be the household name it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect,
Without a trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant,
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind, because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you for an interval,
Somewhere very nearā¦
Just around the corner.
All is well!
Dad, Mervyn and John, a big THANK YOU for the part each of you has played in shaping my life in one way or another.
Were it not for you my working life might have turned out a lot different.