I’m proud to be a Benonian.
It’s a topic I frequently write and talk about.
It’s a subject that I will never get bored of or tired of discussing either.
This past weekend reinforced and reinvigorated my pride for my hometown.
Put me atop the highest mountain and I will scream Benoni’s name until I’m blue in the face (although I’ll probably already be blue in the face straight after climbing to the top of a mountain).
Anyway…
Four friends from the United States of America (whom my editor Kevin and I met during the recent trip down to the Comrades Marathon) ended a month-long tour of our beautiful country on Saturday evening – their final stop being Benoni on Thursday night, Friday and Saturday.
Yes, indeed, a good few adult beverages, as well as many kilograms of biltong (sorry, vegans), were consumed during the course of their brief stay here on the East Rand.
They played golf at the gem-of-a-course that is Benoni Country Club; they played the popular Friday night Joker Draw at Benoni Northerns Sports Club; they partied with some of the talented musicians from Benonian funk band Strait Jackal and friends; they ate 2am burgers’ from the 24-hour Steers in Brentwood Park and then enjoyed the busy Saturday sporting events at Northerns before heading home.
Anyway…
My Yankee pals got to experience a bit of Benonian life before they headed to O R Tambo International Airport and disappeared into the Highveld winter sunset.
A comment from one of the guys, Kain (from Hawaii), stuck with me.
While he was observing the fund-raising Beer Mile Challenge at Northerns and all the other well-supported sporting activities on Saturday, he commented that Benoni is, in a way, similar to his island home (believe it or not).
Now, I know we don’t have coconut trees, host luaus, play ukuleles or live in an island paradise, but the commonality which we do apparently possess is community spirit and a love for family and friendship.
Some might laugh at his observation.
I mean, some of us in Benoni do not even know our next door neighbours’ names.
But, to me it’s true.
Well, it can be true.
Last week’s service protest by residents from the poorer areas of the town definitely dented my pride a little.
I didn’t like that private property was vandalised or destroyed, or that innocent people were injured in the upheaval, but I understand the frustrations of the protesters.
As mentioned in last week’s “Delving into the archives” the strikes of 1913 and 1922 also left a trail of destruction as angry mineworkers rampaged through the town.
It’s clear that there is actually not much difference between the anger and frustration of hard-done-by folks of that time to hard-done-by folk protesting now.
Some people labelled last week’s demonstrators as “savages” or “barbarians”, but how would you behave if you had to live below the breadline?
Just saying.
Perhaps we need more Benonians to stand up and fight for better delivery of services, or in tough times – like the people did in Knysna after the fires there.
Maybe we need to harness the energy inherent in that neighbourly spirit we evidently do possess and stand together to create a better place to live for absolutely everyone.
I’m not a political aficionado (I’m a sports guy), but I do believe in the power of a community in unison.
If a foreigner can see it, then why can’t we?
Be proud, Benoni.
LG
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