A Time to Pause

In every journey there must be time to pause.

A time to take stock, to replenish resources. To look through some old photographs and to sit around the fire while it nourishes the soul.

There is a time to stare deeply into the flames which capture the past and the future in a moment of contemplative combustion.

Perhaps, now is that time.

In Peru, on the railway trip between Cuzco and Agua Calientes, the small town just before the trek up to Machu Pichu, there is a small stop called Poyroy. Not too much happens here, or it didn’t when I was there nearly twenty years ago now. But the train stops here and window sales-folk peddle their brazed corn and cheese delicacies and a few trinkets and treasures for the traversing tourists.

The story goes that the construction workers on this iconic railway arrived at this place. It was beautiful, they had worked hard, and someone must have said “Poyroy”.

“Enough for the day.”

Not enough for ever, or I’m going on strike, or welcome to retirement, just “Enough for now”.

And so, on this journey of lockdown as we enter stage 4 tomorrow on Worker’s day – or at least for three hours it might be “Walker’s Day”, I am going to say ‘Poyroy’.

Enough for now.

This journey has been a deeply significant one for me and as the new age dictionaries will now doubt mention, a “Coronacoaster” of emotions. I have reunited with some extraordinary people from Blessing, to Patrick even in his passing. From Bongani with his newspapers and his smile, to Aaron the Caddy who carries his high fives in his heart. We have met car guards and carers, taxi drivers and waitresses who ‘live in this world’. We have been tracking with Renias and Alex, even down the “path of not here”. We shared stories of sports and sportsmen of elephants and Einstein, of Magicians in the mundane and of Mandela. We have been cooking and baking together and shared a precious biscuit. We met Agnes who knows that Love is a verb, Coaches who know the value of ‘Shining Eyes’, teams who have held onto belief, and choirs who lift our spirits.

Maybe one theme in all these musings has been that we are always in the presence of everyday heroes, and all these heroes are already here.

This turning point along the Ziziphus branch, the ‘wag ‘n bietjie,’ now offers us another place of possibility, and that lies in the presence of the Leaf.

It is only at the points of most turmoil where the leaf emerges as the result of hard work, grappling with direction and tough choices.

And this leaf has three main veins.

Each one represents a key relationship in our lives.

The relationship I have with myself.

The relationship I have with others.

The relationship I have with my God, or my Environment, or even something bigger.

Until we meet again, may you find great joy in all three of those relationships.

Please visit me on www.storiesforhumanity.wixsite.com/stevehall

Here you will find all these stories should you ever want to dive into a short reflection.

I will be waiting for you there, and I will be back again soon.

Stay safe, keep connected, and Lead with Humanity,

Poyroy…’Enough for now’…

Steve