Isn’t it fantastic when a dream is reached?
In this turbulent world of cash-in-transit mall robberies, countless road accidents and corrupt cops it’s terrific to know that there are still people out there focusing on the positives of life and making it happen.
Today, at 3pm, a good friend, Grant Thomson, will live out a long-awaited, well-deserved achievement when he dons the pink-coloured away strip of The Unlimited Titans for the first time when they take on the Nashua Cape Cobras in Cape Town in the Momentum One Day Cup.
This particular friend has always had the talent and ability necessary to play professional cricket and to see his name emblazoned on the jersey of the Titans team gives me a lump in my throat and a pride in my heart that cannot be measured.
What makes his journey so impressive is that he hasn’t had it easy in climbing the cricketing ladder.
He has constantly had to deal with the politics of the game and has emerged with his head above water on every occasion.
After slugging it out in the world of semi-professional cricket with the Easterns amateur set-up it is simply incredible to see a guy from my neck of the woods getting a chance on the limited-over domestic cricket scene.
Speaking of achievements by sportspeople from this part of the world, what a pleasure it was, yesterday, to sit down over an ice cold beverage with South African men’s national hockey defender Jethro Eustice.
He just recently achieved a dream when he wore the captain’s armband of the national team in a series against Austria.
With hockey not quite enjoying the same support and backing as the Big Three (soccer, rugby and cricket) in this country it is excellent to comes across a man who still has a staunch belief in the responsibilities associated with being the skipper of a national team.
The sport of hockey is also riddled with politics and a lack of support by national government, so to see the flames of passion fill his eyes when he talks about the sport he loves and the positive outlook he possesses regarding the future of hockey in the country is absolutely astounding.
There are others here and around Ekurhuleni who are firmly fixated on reaching their ambitions on the sports field, in social welfare or in the business world and we are equally as proud of them.
As difficult as it may be forget about the negatives and use these examples of everyday heroes as fodder for the goals in your very own mind.
It’s like Walt Disney said: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Reach for the skies.
LG
