My vreugdes en frustrasies

A - Z (2018)

#AtoZchallenge (2018) L is for feeling Loving

My theme for this challenge is “feelings” of a sexagenarian and the influence of social media.

My tema vir hierdie uitdaging is “gevoelens” van ‘n sestig-plusser en die invloed van sosiale media.

English (Afrikaans below):

Loving:  feeling or showing love (affection,  passion, devotion) or great care. Love is an emotion that can swing the scale from one end to another. It can bring great joy, but it can also have catastrophic consequences, regardless of the kind of love that is at stake.

Here I am not referring to the love between romantic lovers only. It does not matter whether it is love as in a compassionate relationship, a passionate romantic connection, or a matter that is served with great devotion. It seems that when things go well, life is rosy and when things go wrong, everything falls apart.

Take politics as an example: no relationship can grow quite as acidic at quite the same rate as the love between political leaders, or between the leaders and those who voted them into the leadership positions in the first place. In this country we use a typical South African expression that can not really be translated, but it is used to describe a friendship which American slang will refer to as “besties” and “bros”. We say “hulle staan hand om die blaas” – literally translated, one holds the other’s bladder. BUT … that was yesteryear. Today, the hands have slipped a little lower and are applying pressure to more sensitive organs.

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, woh (The Righteous Brothers)

This happens at some time or other in all love relationships, right?

The role of social media:  Watching the political news reports on the internet and reading the comments thereon on social media has become one of my favorite pastimes. It’s almost as captivating as the old-fashioned radio stories about love that causes pain and the agony aunt features in newspapers of days gone by. The back and forth accusations, gossip mongering, mudslinging, satire and predictions of evil follow the same pattern as old-fashioned novels wherein love has soured between hero and heroine. Very entertaining. And nowadays also ominous. The more we try to restore the relationship, the more it falls apart. Is love still the answer? Today’s emoji: 😘

Afrikaans:

Liefde: voel of wys liefde (deernis, passie, toewyding) of goeie sorg. Liefde is ‘n emosie wat die skaal van die een uiterste tot die ander kan swaai. Dit kan groot vreugde bring, maar kan ook katastrofiese gevolge hê, ongeag die soort liefde wat ter sprake is.

Ek verwys nie hier net na die liefde tussen romantiese liefdesgenote nie. Dit maak geen verskil of die liefde ‘n deernisvolle verhouding, ‘n passievolle romantiese verbinding, of ‘n saak is wat met groot toewyding bedien word nie. Dit blyk dat wanneer dit goed gaan is die lewe rooskleurig en wanneer dinge skeefloop, dan val alles uitmekaar. MAAR … geen verhouding kan so vinnig en so suur word soos die liefde tussen politieke leiers, of tussen die leiers en diegene wat hulle in die eerste plek in die leiersposisies ingestem het nie.

Hier ter plaatse gebruik ons ‘n tipiese Suid-Afrikaanse uitdrukking wat nie regtig vertaal kan word nie, maar dit word gebruik om ‘n vriendskapsverhouding te beskryf waarna Amerikaanse slang as “besties” en “bros” sal verwys. Ons sê “hulle staan hand om die blaas” – letterlik vertaal, die een hou die ander se blaas vas. Dus ‘n baie noue vriendskap waar die liefde en broederskap dik loop. MAAR … dit was verlede tyd. Vandag het die hande ‘n bietjie laer afgesak en is besig om drukking toe te pas op meer sensitiewe organe.

You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Whoa, that lovin’ feelin’
You lost that lovin’ feelin’
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, woh (The Righteous Brothers)

Dit gebeur mos maar die een of ander tyd in alle liefdesverhoudings, nie waar nie?

Die rol van sosiale media:  Om die politieke nuusberigte op die internet en die politieke bekgevegte op sosiale media dop te hou, het een van my geliefkoosde tydverdrywe geword. Dit is amper so boeiend soos die outydse radioverhale oor liefde wat pynig en die agony aunt briewekolomme in destyds se koerante. Die oor en weer beskuldigings, die geskinder en moddergooiery, die draakstekery en die voorspellings van onheil volg dieselfde patroon as die outydse romans waar die liefde skeefgeloop het tussen die held en heldin. Baie vermaaklik. En deesdae ook onheilspellend. Hoe meer probeer word om die verhouding te herstel, hoe meer verbrokkel dit. Is liefde nog die antwoord? Emoji vir vandag: 😘

Read all my entries for the #AtoZchallenge (April 2018) here.

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23 Comments

  1. Die nuutste komedie is tant Patrysie de Lelie wat om Jollias se nek hang. Ai die spul politici is darem hansworse!
    Goed geskryf, Hester.

  2. Mm die handjies sak bietjie laer…? Goed geskryf Hester!

  3. Liefde is, na my mening nie ter sprake nie, maar eerder, wat kan EK hieruit kry. Vir my is die sakkende handjies baie interessant.

  4. Love could be the answer. 🙂

    Nicely penned thoughts.

  5. Nilanjana Bose

    Liked that expression about holding the other’s bladder – pithy! And I am in turn amused and appalled by the political news round the world… Love may be the answer when the love object wants to love back and knows how. Otherwise – disastrous, as you said.

  6. Ek hou van

  7. 😀 And here was me thinking you’d choose Lust!!!