Service starts with gratitude

“Springs is falling apart.”

I read this in almost each post on the Springs Advertiser Facebook page.

No matter what the Addie is writing about, there is always someone uttering these words.

We wrote the past weeks about the war memorial that has everything that was copper stolen from it and about parks becoming rubbish heaps they are not being maintained.

And there is the recent story of the animals that had to be relocated from the George Sutter Park because there was no water for them to survive.

Then there is also the continual stealing of steel covers from everywhere, sometimes leaving gaping holes in the roads.

This situation makes many residents fuming with anger.

And it seems that it is happening everywhere in our country.

This is no consolation, because who wants to live in a town where everything falls apart?

Yes, we want our town restored with everything neat and clean.

But, we are not helpless bystanders.

Look at the volunteers who last week decided to relocate the animals from the duck pond from the George Sutter Park (read about this on page 3).

There are talks that this group of people will refurbish the pond and relocate the ducks, geese and fish back to their old home.

This, according to me is what you call civic consciousness in action, individuals involved in meeting the needs of their community.

By understanding their role in the community they choose to contribute where and when they were able to do so, by giving their time and expertise.

Serving your community and meeting the needs of others around you begins with an awareness of one’s community.

Do you know who is living next to you?

And how old their children are?

We are all guilty, because we cannot always choose our neighbours.

There is also another facet of doing your part for our town than knowing its people.

This is to report what’s wrong.

An example is that you fix water leaks on your part of the fence and report water leaks on the street’s side.

In a time where the mayor requests people to use water with care, it is wise to get the most of our water.

Ekurhuleni metro has an item in their monthly and yearly water reports, stating that millions of litres of water are running down our streets.

Only because residents don’t report leaks.

Sometimes the street lights are on during the day, but we ignore this and fail to report it.

Yes, I know you call and call and call the metro, without someone picking up the telephone.

This frustrates and angers people even more.

But, we all have a ward councillor representing you in Ekurhuleni metro.

Although getting hold of them is admittedly extremely difficult, and if you do manage to get their contact numbers they are (sometimes) unwilling to help.

The ward councillor is not elected to have a nice car and fat salary, this is the person that has to see that your area is livable and that the residents’ needs and wants are executed.

You may not like that councillor, nor the political party he stands for, but this is your link to effectively serve your community.

This councillor has contacts and powers to a lot for the community living in his ward.

As a journalist I have seen how communities stand up and, (sometimes) with the help of this councillor started to serve each other.

And it is possible for Springs to do the same.

This is more than giving to those in need.

It is about making life easier for everyone living in our town, like the guys that are planning to upgrade the duck pond.

It is far easier to complain about our government and what we don’t get from them than to plant flowers on our pavements that bring pleasure to every one passing in the street.

I understand that getting water in our taps or electricity in our houses and refuse removal is something we cannot do for ourselves.

And when we don’t have it, our lives literally fall apart.

Report that to your ward councillor too?

Imagine getting all the water you need for your house from one tap or water tanker or being without power for days?

Or your home, street and suburb in dark as the sun sets?

When we, in our anger about our town that is not as beautiful as it used to be, become thankful about what we do have, we will be able to serve.

This makes me think of the quote of the Dalai Lama XIV: “Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

Marcel Proust says it like this: “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

Maybe we have to look beyond our anger about our town by starting to practice gratitude of what we have on not of what we don’t have or have lost.

Maybe, if we start investing in people and their well-being.

Begin small and don’t think you have to serve with money.