Follow your heart...

A friend of mine got his third degree yesterday. I will not mention his name but those who know me and know him will know that this is about him.

Over the years we've drifted apart and somehow, somewhere along the line we reunite. No matter how far the silence periods are apart when we do communicate it's as if the gaps were never there.

I met Friend in 2006, he was young, doing well, stayed in the Jhb northern suburbs, drove a nice car and had a comfortable job there at Bank City in town. He had an intriguing and inquisitive mind, he was smart and arrogant and the ladies loved him.

2007/08 he gave it all up to follow one of his many passions; journalism. He told me he wanted to work for nobody but The M&G. He became a full time student, initially staying at res then home then commuted by bus. I remember one of his former "admirers" telling what a joke it was that he came from a sports car to no car at all. She laughed. She didn't know. Great things awaited for this young man and she had no idea.

During his time as a Wits Journalism Post Graduate student he did well, naturally, enjoyed his craft and even wrote for the institution's newspaper. After graduating he went on to write for The M&G, like he had said he would.

While working as a journalist, his other passion surfaced its head. You see, in the early stages of our friendship, he told me he would one day become I judge. It was in passing so I didn't really take it seriously, I mean, I wanted to be Will Smith's housewife but some things are better left off as fairytales, you know? Turns out this dream wasn't far fetched at all. So he gave it all up. Again. And enrolled at Wits Law School as a full time student. This time he told me he wanted to work for a certain leading African law firm I will stick to naming "BG" (you never know with these law people, one mention and I find myself in jail, no thanks). Guess what? Yesterday he got his Law Degree after 3 years> His third degree and next year he will be at that very firm, like he had said.

It really sounds like a movie now that I think of it. I know he was working on an autobiography a couple of years ago and I really hope he sees it through because such a story should not go untold. I may have watered it down a bit but the message is clear; if you really set your MIND to it, you can ACHIEVE it, corny as it sounds, it's true and Friend is proof.

Now Friend may either love me or loathe me for putting his life out there like this, but if he ever happens to come across this blog post, I'll just deny it was about him...unless he likes it, of course!