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JUST like generations before me, I am moving again.
I am not trekking beyond the borders of the Kei River, nor
even the Koeberg interchange. In fact, sunny weather permitting, I can scale
the distance by foot, no ox wagons required.
A few blocks closer to Atlantic waters, but also within
reach of the newly painted, provincial old age home that shimmers in the
starting blocks of Helen Suzman Boulevard, I can map my life stages on a bigger
scale.
And yet it is the prospect of being on flatter ground, near
a bus stop that excites me more than the thrill of wrapping and redecorating my
earthly possessions into a neat new Zen-like arrangement.
Add to that the convenience of a few of my favourite stores
and a health club within walking distance, and it becomes clear that my
shrinking world is designed for the shrinking pockets of modern day urban
living.
The squeeze on the wallet of this household has been no
different than the re-engineered cost-cutting measures at most multinational
corporations. Which makes an event such as moving household goods a calculated
tactic, offering medium- to long-term price equity ratio benefits.
Whether real, or because we have convinced ourselves into
thinking so, this house could no longer afford to carry on as if the dust had
just settled from the gold rush.
Our measures are clear, confident and done with a measure of
style.
In addition to cycling to work, eating homemade delights and
a total ban on new fashion accessories, I have also been cutting back on
luxuries such as a daily shave.
Admittedly, while it saves me some shaving cream, I am not
sure the blades last any longer with this stubborn Viking-like beard that needs
a pluck after a week of free-ranging joys.
The new abode offers more saving potential. As mentioned,
there is a MyCiTi bus stop just around the corner and the rest of my work-life
balance is within walking and cycling distance.
There is also a garden that is slightly larger than the
three pots we currently have on our terrace.
This is to be transformed into a mini urban veggie patch
(pending licence and prospect rights, of course): aubergines, zucchinis,
prickly pears and other exotics. Goats cheese, salmon and wasabi, if I could
figure out how to grow them organically.
If my rudimentary understanding of free market trading is
accurate, I may soon be able to either sell produce in raw format to you, or
process it into a delightful urban pie that you can enjoy while cycling pass my
tombola table en route to the nearby bus stop.
These are the early phases of my redesigned
post-petrol-hike-acceptance days.
My instinct to survive makes peaceful contact with rural
roots in an urban lifestyle.
- Fin24
*Taking a break from packing appliances, Adriaan invites brand ideas for Twitter as @aiBester for his new homegrown organic treats for passing cyclists.
