This is Cecilia writing the blog for Tim and Cecilia this month. I wish to write about “journey” as in “all life is a journey”.
But we did start July with our journey home from our retreat in Durban, South Africa. The trip was mostly on toll roads that were in good condition for safe driving. But about half an hour from home, Sister Margaret’s car broke down. She phoned another Sister who picked us up and drove us home and then went back to rescue Sister Margaret and her good old car.
Much of July was filled with strikes by various workers. The steel workers and the petrol delivery workers were some of the first to go on strike throughout South Africa. The strike actions that were shown on television had hundreds or thousands of people in the streets demonstrating. Most of the actions were non-violent. And many times there were people dancing in the protest. Both of those strikes have been settled after several weeks of negotiations.
Meanwhile our health care workers at the St. Francis Care Center also planned a strike for higher wages. There were threats of possible harm to people, so all the children in the Rainbow Cottage were sent to stay with temporary foster parents. And as many of the adult patients as possible were sent out. So the adult census went from about 35 to 16.
It was also decided that if the strike was finalized by the union, that Tim and I would move across the street to stay in the guest room of the friary so that we would not have to cross the picket line to get into the hospice. The union and the care workers decided not to strike, so we continued to live in the guest house. And the patients are gradually returning to the center.
Currently the miners of South Africa are striking. There are about 150,000 coal miners plus gold and diamond miners. These strikes are being negotiated and will probably be settled this week.
There is a certain tension that accompanies all of this strike action. And somehow it makes a person tired even when living just at the fringe of the events. Now Tim and I and Sister Dierdre are planning a one day journey to Pretoria to renew her passport and to explore the city.
