'Appreciating Not Knowing'...featuring Frank Kronenberg

 

A big thank you to Frank for unlocking a whole new world of OT for us!

The day before the talk

 

"Ach maaan!...another mandatory lecture to attend" is what shot through my mind when we received the email notifying us about the public lecture that was to take place with the title, 'Engaging with SA's Divided, Wounded, Violent Human Condition'...how many have pulled this topic apart, dissected it, patched it back together and STILL have found no solution to the problem! Are the philosophers, the great writers and freedom fighters of the nation not tired of it by now?...oh, and what on earth has the topic got to do with OT?  

I am truly embarrassed for having had such pessimistic thoughts about this topic, which will hopefully change with time...as Frank said, “...for an OT, challenges and obstacles, should not mean never, but rather not yet.”

 The day of the talk

He was worn out from his trip and a little intimidated by his surroundings, just like any other individual would be, who has just been flown into the city two hours prior, to delivering yet another talk on his well thought through topic, which engulfs his very being.

What won my attention over within minutes, was the warm, sincere and positive manner with which Frank touched on this controversial topic, a topic (let's admit it) that is so very close to every South African citizen’s heart.

 "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in diversity" rolls off ones lips quite easily but when having to put it into practice, the difficulty thereof comes to the fore...”look, you can not put me, an educated young female on the same level as the beggar on my street corner! I mean, I am contributing way more towards society than what he is right!?” It is exactly this ‘white coat thinking’ or the ‘me, myself and I mentality’ which stands in our way today. We need to start seeing the treasure every individual carries with them, thanks to their unique makeup. We are as much a human as the beggar is. Believe it or not, but his story counts just as much as mine and yours! We ALL have this strong inner need and desire to give meaning and purpose to our lives, making our story worth while telling, which is mainly done through human occupation. This is precisely where the importance of our job comes in you see! Is that not exciting! We should strive to make individuals “dance to the music of possibility”.

“Whilst seemingly waging war against itself, the planet humanity struggles on to keep what makes us human alive.” Due to a series of unfortunate events, the people in our country are divided. This may well be due to the wounds from the past that run deeper in our veins than we can imagine. It very often does not take a lot for these wounds to be torn open again which very often results in violence. Divided....wounded....violence....divided....wounded...violence...a vicious cycle is created and many ask themselves where to from here?  

Frank quite openly admitted that we should appreciate not knowing where this is all going. All we know is that, “humans cannot do without each other” and that life is not just black and white, literally and figuratively speaking.

The beauty of OT is seeing how much the simple things in life can mean to people that have experienced life on another level. It is truly amazing to witness, how your “OT instruments” can fulfil the life and impact an individual’s life story, in such a way, that a beautiful harmony comes together!

I am just a student that has just started off her journey through life and that is learning about how to make use of the “OT instruments”. Frank's talk has helped me see a greater depth to what I am actually here for. I have friends that have everything well planned out and know in which direction OT or life is taking them...well I am not ashamed to admit that I have NO idea where I am going with OT...all I know is that I care.

I wasn’t the smartest kid in class (am still not, but getting by), didn’t have a rich daddy whose company I could one day take over...I was just ME, wanting to work with people. I started studying for the sake of studying or doing something which is how I got onto history and tourism...better said a tour guide on the Shongololo Express which runs from the Cape, right through Africa to Cairo. But OT got hold of me before I could even make it to the train station and that is where I have found my home now...well at least I think so. "Home has to do with - where you feel that what you do matters". Don’t know how I got into the course, don’t know how I made it through anatomy and Zulu, don’t know how I managed to get along with some of the supervisors and clients, don’t know where OT is taking me....

...but like Frank would say, “appreciate not knowing”.