four score and ten

On my recent trip to Cape Town I had the joy of visiting Robben Island (Robben meaning ‘seal’ in Dutch); the island off Cape Town that was used as a prison from the 1920s up till the end of apartheid in South Africa. It is most famous, naturally, for being the place that Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his imprisonment in his struggle against white oppression in South Africa.

While the tour was not long, the memory of the Island will, I hope, endure throughout my life. I bought a t-shirt which depicts Robben Island as the centre of the sun, shining light out across the rest of Africa. They say that some of the greatest experiences happen not in the outside world but in the human heart and mind, and if they don’t say that then they should because I’ve just said it and believe it to be true. I certainly had a big experience on that Island.

What struck me most was the bringing to life of a story I’ve read about. In many walks of life you have to experience something to truly know about it. After being to Robben Island I feel I truly know about what Nelson Mandela and others were willing to do and go through for what they believed. From the large and unsheltered lime work quarry to the unjust and oppressive wardens, and from the small cramping cell rooms to the year after year of captivity of once in a lifetime hearts and minds; he fought daily against these things and come 1990 his passion and commitment to the fight was still strong.

The question that both laid me low and raised me up was this: after four score and ten years of life, will I be able to say I picked a battle and fought for what I believed in no matter what?

It is never too late to take up arms.