Nearly four years ago, there was a mild rumble of panic in the belly.
Lockdown slashed options for people tasked with delivering interesting, diverse, off-beat and engaging stories and opinion pieces to readers.
Just about every writer on the planet was covering Covid. We didn’t know how long it would be around for. Everything was in crisis. I had a hole to fill and nothing to fill it with.
I had to do something, so I called the editor and asked if I could fill the space myself. If he didn’t like what I wrote, he could chuck it out, and I would go into full-scale panic. If it was okay, I could do it until the chaos settled.
So On The Couch ‒ it didn’t even have a name for the longest time ‒ was born.
For its final outing, the couch research centre considered how best to leave those who have brickbatted and bouqueted us over the years, thankfully, more bouquets than bats. To those who took the time to respond, good or bad, thank you. But not to the person who accused me of being a terrible hack who, had I done even the slightest bit of research, would have known that the Defeated Orange Guy in the White House had never suggested ingesting bleach to kill the virus. I ignored that one. Once I had got over being flabbergasted.
Mostly, the couch mused on the magic and amazement of words, human nature and the natural world, from hadedas to hounds and our wild but live-in mousebird Raptor. Just this week, he spread his wings, and we hope he is living his best life with a wild family.
We have frequently bemoaned the crooked, inept or downright wicked who seem to be taking over the world.
But Saffers have been reminded, most recently, by the Boks and the Proteas, that small groups of united people can achieve miraculous things.
There’s no one group, party, plunderer or megalomaniac that defines us. Saffers are tough, hard scrabble, hopeful people. We have overcome so many struggles and we can do it again. We must come to our own rescue.
I confess to being a proud Saffer ‒ the beautiful flag, the national anthem, the joy of people celebrating triumphs together ‒ can make my eyes water, as can good people doing amazing things to help others or animals in need. And the incredible beauty and diversity of our country, in geography and its people, are worth believing in and fighting for.
We have to be more kind to each other on the roads, in the supermarket queues, with colleagues and on social media. We don’t know what others are going through to make them grumpy, rude or disagreeable. Give them the benefit of the doubt, smile, and either offer help or move on.
Another thing we can do for each other: register for next year’s general election and cast your vote. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, but it does matter that the people who will represent us know what Saffers want, and we tell them loud and clear. I suggest it’s the most important election in our history.
With thanks and gratitude and in the words our boss says on Friday nights after as another paper rolls off the press: ova and out.
- Lindsay Slogrove is the news editor
The Independent on Saturday