I am extremely privileged to have been included in a Tandem Blogging "experiment" with some of SA's most gifted bloggers. Fortunately I bring the average IQ down to a palatable level so you all can relate a little better.

Every week 9 SA Bloggers are given a random title, and asked to create a piece around it. We each publish the piece on our Blogs at 2pm every Wednesday. This week's title was "The Art of Boredom". Here's my piece... 

(See below the Post for the links to other Blogger's work!)

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"7 February 1993

The last 12 months have been nothing short of sensational. I never in all my life expected my work would ever receive such acclaim.

When I first wrote A Few Good Men in 1985 I wanted to take a stab at the political game of megalomaniacs. When will humanity rid itself of these arrogant imbeciles who continue to make the lives of their contemporaries a living hell? I fear the worst sometimes. Fortunately people like Rob Reiner and Tom Cruise restore my faith in humanity.

Why Rob would ever believe in the play the way he did, and take a chance on me, is still to this day a mystery. I knew I had something special in A Few Good Men, but getting people to believe in your vision can be one of life's toughest challenges. I think back to failing my sophomore year. I almost called it quits. But thank God for that fail. I could've easily become an actor, and missed out on penning my baby.

She is just that. My baby. What Tom, Demi and Jack did with those characters though took a baby and made her a dazzingly radiant beauty queen. I am just so proud.

But I fear my own future. What now? Have I peaked too early? I never dreamed I'd ever reach such lofty heights. But will Hollywood still want me? Am I done before I've even begun? I have so much more to give!

I anticipate my greatest challenge in the coming months: Mastering the art of boredom. I have all I could ever have wanted. I have no need to continue creating.

But maybe that's the key? Maybe my next piece could rise from the mire of a bored soul?

The art of boredom.

That could make for a good film? Well, for now, I think I'll try and master boredom's art before conquering its challenge."

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Fictitious excerpt from Aaron Sorkin's diary. 

Check out what the other great Bloggers came up with below:
Megan: www.meganshead.co.za/
Sarah: https://medium.com/@ricegirl2
Dave: www.meganshead.co.za/
Nick: https://medium.com/@nick_frost
Brett: https://brettfish.wordpress.com/
Cath: https://cathjenkin.wordpress.com/
Scott: http://squidsquirts.blogspot.com/ 
Kerry: www.kerrycontrary.com/

This "s**t hitting the fan" message is a prime example of the mindsets of most of humanity: Default to view things negatively. (This default is the reason the 'Rapture Theory' became the most popular End-Time theory after World War 1).

Now, yes, what is going on in KZN is atrocious. And yes, it IS a negative situation. No doubt about it. But the way we spread messages and the messages we send go a long way in the kind of atmosphere we perpetuate in our communities.

(The very reason this xenophobia has exploded is because the rhetoric within these communities has translated into action) DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A MARCH FOR PEACE IN THE DURBAN CBD BEING LED BY THE KZN PREMIER AND ASSOCIATES TOMORROW?
For every 1 post I have seen noting this, I have seen TWENTY negative thoughts making comment about the violence.

Humanity loves stories. We love to comment and give our 2 cents.
But CHANGE requires ACTION. Not comment.

We each have the power to contribute to ending this violence. We do.
And it starts by a simple action: Viewing these horrendous circumstances through a different lens.

What lens you may ask? For starters: One that sees the root of where this violence all started. A root of uneducation. A root of poverty. The pain of the past.

When we view these attacks through this lens, immediately there is an empathy which arouses a need to contribute to preventing this from happening again.

The s**t may be hitting the fan. But how much s**t is it? And what percentage of people are actually activating this violence verse those that are mere sheep-like followers?

There is a much better way to warn our fellow citizens than by opening a line with "s**t hitting fan seriously".

Garissa, Kenya. That was SERIOUS "fan s**t". Us privileged picket-fence dwellers don't know "fan s**t".

Let's change our viewpoints, and see this as a call-to-responsibility as fellow South Africans to rise up and take back our beautiful Rainbow Nation.

For starters, I will be at tomorrow's March. Will you be there with me?