Smiles receives his Quest for Happiness
Smiles was born in Payneville Springs in 1971 to parents who, according to him, had an extramarital affair.
Earl Smiles (46), a happily married man and a proud father of two sons opens up about his tough upbringing.
Smiles was born in Payneville Springs in 1971 to parents who, according to him, had an extramarital affair.
“My mom used to work for whites in Springs cleaning the homes, so we were dependent on the leftovers she brought home from her white masters,” said Smiles.
Smiles and his brother were never accepted by their step-parents but they lived with their mother and stepfather in a one bedroom space.
When Smiles was in grade 9 he attended a leadership course called Veld en Vlei in KwaZulu-Natal.
While he was there he fell ill one night and was crying endlessly, as a result the camp allowed him to call home to check up on his mother but he was informed that she had died and had been buried already.
On his return home, he was sent to a place of safety in Benoni where he stayed for two years and was then transferred to St. Nicolas Home for Boys in Newclare after showing a need for rehabilitation.
Smiles said, “When I lived at the St. Nicolas home I developed a very good relationship with one of the house mothers. I grew extremely fond of her and wanted he to adopt me as her child.
“I knew she liked me but I was unaware that it wasn’t that simple. She just got engaged, so I don’t think her husband-to-be wanted to adopt such a big child. I felt unwanted and thought that by killing myself I would not have to face rejection anymore.”
One day at Westbury Secondary School he ingested tablets to end his life, but he was found and taken to the principal’s office.
“A gentleman whom I still to this day believe belonged to one of the gangs in Westbury gave me the reality check of my life. He told me not to waste people’s time and offered me his gun to shoot myself. I got such a fright that I never ever attempted something as stupid in my life ever again,” added Smiles.
He completed high school and then moved to Eldo’s for a few years after returning to his hometown Geluksdal in Brakpan.
Smiles, however, began his retail career while he was still in school, he worked at Highgate Hypermarket where he worked in the takeaway section, from there he worked at various other retail stores in the sweet department, became a security guard, worked in the display department, got retrenched, joined Pick ‘n Pay as a cashier left and then became an administrator-clerk.
“My big break, however, came in 1993 when I was employed as a trainee manager by Pick ‘n Pay. I worked for them for 6 years until I joined Woolworths as a departmental manager at the East Rand Mall in Boksburg.
“I was a fast learner and moved to Eastgate, a Woolworth’s flagship store at the time, I stayed there until I was promoted to my first senior position. I stayed with Woollies for six years until I was headhunted by the company I have been working for during the last 14 years,” he said.
Smiles is currently the branch manager at Hinterland SA (PTY) Ltd Senwes Village branch in Klerksdorp. This is an agricultural business supplying input products to the farmers for crop production such as maize, wheat as well as animal production.
Today, he holds a Post Graduate Honours level qualification through the Business School of the University of Cape Town.
He is a motivational speaker and author of his self-published book titled ‘My Quest for happiness’ which you can find on Facebook, his other two books: ‘South Africa 20 Years Post-Democracy, Has Reconciliation Failed?’ and ‘Earl Smiles Blogs of a Progressive Thinker’ have been registered with the National Library of South Africa.
He continues to believe and trust in the promises of God in Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future.’
Smiles added, “If God can promise this to me just as he looks after the birds in the sky I want to tell you today that he has the very same plan for you. Your path may be different to mine but we are all created equal in the eyes of God. Most importantly so in his own image and likeness.”
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