A Water Color From 1976

A Water Color From 1976

Neil Sedaka once sang the song: “I Miss The Hungry Years.” Sometimes hard times leave you with some wonderful memories.

From 1993 to 1994 I lived in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Times were hard. The country was in a deep economic recession. Unemployment was above 27%. I had a job as a pharmacy technician at a government facility. I got the job because of the kindness of a judge in Cape Town, by the way. I lived in a humble rented room. I did not have a car. I was able to eat in the officer’s mess at a nearby military base. I was dead broke.

The whole country was in fear and dread. There was a transition from a white minority government to a black-majority government. Many people feared that South Africa would go the way of Zimbabwe, Angola, Mocambique, etc. with the white population stripped of all their money and encouraged to leave.

I was blessed to have a wonderful employer in Captain Alan J. Henning. People were kind to me. I had many friends including the radio personality Shirley Veal, Anthony Brian van der Westhuzen, attorney Claud Knoesen, David Goldberg, and Debbie Louw. When it came time for the first all-race election in South Africa, I was able to go and vote on 29 April,1994. I was a part of an incredible moment in history.

My favorite hangout place in Port Elizabeth was North Hill. It had a remarkable resemblance to San Francisco. In those days, it was very- upscale and I couldn’t afford to even rent a room there. It always had and still has a special place in my heart.

I sometimes buy things from a rare book dealer in Port Elizabeth-Lindsay Christison. His catalogue came out and I made the most surprising discovery. I saw a water color of the North Hill area of Port Elizabeth, I was surprised. I ordered it. It arrived a couple of days ago. It exceeded all my expectations.

Yesterday I took it in for framing. As I worked with Aaron’s staff to design matting and a frame, I shared the story with them. Someone painted a water color in 1976. They had no idea that it would survive for 42 years. They had no idea that their painting would end up half a world away in San Francisco. They had no idea that it would touch someone’s heart.