Creating a Life beyond Recognition!

Could my life be Brilliant?

A question what I like to ask myself regularly to determine where I stand with myself. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that things might not always be that great, but there are times where you just ride the wave. Somehow I do feel empty, but somehow I always tasted a little bit of satisfaction. It is on & off, but depends clearly on oneself.

This morning could not have been better. I was notified that I could come and collect my passport with my Deutschland visum for my 27 day trip that I’ve planned for so long now with all the effort that Anne and I have put into it. It was just the day where dreams meet reality…..2 Hours later with my ticket in my hand and still battling to get hold of my Travel Insurance, because of the net network failure (some tower is out of action apparently) and the power surges. But at least I know now that I’m on my way and now I can start planning who I will see when and maybe some time on my own doing just that what I like most by observing people.

Well, this incredible feeling ended around 19:30pm when I met up with my director from South Africa who postponed the meeting with one day due to the airplane that needed to do turn around back to South Africa and ended up doing an emergency landing due to hale the took out the front window of the plane. Well, at least he made back to Tanzania a day later still in good health.

I mean every time I see one of my colleagues or superiors from South Africa; I get this burning feeling of excitement, but this evening was different. I did get the excitement though, but I knew what it was all about. Jean Louis just came to tell us what is the updated news from South Africa, doing his diplomatically responsibility to find out the progress of our project and offering his assistance and then also coming to tell us that we will be looked after this contract. Well, that was the good part at least, but there was something I knew what he came to do.

And that was to come say Goodbye. After 35 years service with our company he finally decided that before he’s dead, he wanted to go enjoy that what’s left of his life. A well deserve rest I would say and I personally know how hard this guy worked. Basically lost 3 wives, because of his work obligations! At the end of the day after looking back on his life he is satisfied what he has accomplished. Man, something that I definitely want to do one day when my time comes.

Well, Jean Louis being a Frenchman he had this really firm and hard attitude from the start when I started knowing him back in 2001. A real tough cookie, but at the end a man with a genuine good heart looking after his employees who is by the way technically speaking not his anymore. Well, technically speaking he has nothing to do with me anymore, but I will admire this guy until the day I day. The man who gave me the opportunities that any white young guy in South Africa could dream of! Him seeing me grow during the past 4.5 years from an arrogant young white South African man age 21 as a contract junior draughtsman into a Senior Site Manager/Deputy Contracts Manager probably trusting him with part of probably the toughest project in a long time.

Man, tonight I sat and listened to everything he had say from joking to being really serious giving good advice. A man I have trusted for so long and somehow I’m really sad seeing him go. I knew now for a long time that he will retire now, but it came actually so suddenly and I never imagined it will end here now……

I have to dedicate this day to him. I guess it is really sad to see him go and I don’t know when I will ever see him again….well his next trip is with the chief CEO of Degrémont international which is a by the way a personal request from the big man there above will be in late February when I will be fortunately/unfortunately be in Germany. This is probably the guy that made me believe that by working hard you will go places and by seeing what he had to give up to date…..just so fucking incredible! But I’m really happy for him and I know now that this will be a well deserved rest.

At the end to say Goodbye was the hardest part and I sense that it was hard for him as well though he was pretending that he was happy. Jean Louis Pierrefeu, thank you for everything. You have to be one of the greatest people I have ever known. May the South African force be with you where ever you might be on your sailboat in the world. You really deserved it and I will promise you that I will always try to live up to your standards and try to make you proud. Thanx for calling me one of your children.

Au Revoir mon Grand Patron!

posted by Gordon van den Heever @ 11:29 pm