subject: The Wanderer: Part 8 of 73 [print this page] The Wanderer by Callie Roos, motivational speaker and author
Part 8 of 73
The Land Rover is moving more slowly now on the gravel road. Xaba and I are looking for lions this morning. We need to spend more time with the lions. "We are easily talked out of playing the game of life," I say to Xaba softly, while my eyes scan the road, searching for signs of lion tracks.
"We talk one another out of playing the game of life," I continue. "You talked yourself out of it," Xaba chips in. I don't react to his words. "After Upington, I ended up in Bloemfontein. I wanted to join the Parachute Battalion. Why, I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to move on.
I will never forget that first day we had to jump out of the cockpit mock-up in preparation for our first real parachute jump. It's bloody high, many meters off the ground. It was almost my turn. 'Open side or closed side,' the options went round and round in my head. They say the open side is worse because you jump away from the hill. It feels higher and further. Do you remember the mock-up?" I ask Xaba. He nods, he remembers. "The Captain called my name loudly. 'Yes Captain,' I said. I was still shaking from the jump as I stopped in front of him to get his feedback. His dark eyes bored deep into me.
'You are a chicken.' 'Yes, Captain'. 'You must push man, you must push harder'.
