Everything that ends, does so as a consequence of failing to maintain/sustain the state of things. Sometimes, this termination is deliberate/voluntary, but often it is not, owing to factors outside of our control.

Everything that starts, must end. (Quantum physicists might tell you otherwise, but that's a field outside my knowledge). All good things must come to an end, yet sometimes it is good that things cease. Change keeps life interesting, if not necessarily easy, anticipated nor expected.

At least today, gentle rain has brought the weeks-long hot dry spell to an end. (From forty degrees to fifteen is somewhat dramatic, though.) A power cut from around 01:30 this morning (give or take ten minutes) went on until about 15:00. I have no idea when the frustrations I have with the shoddy state of my country's infrastructure will end, however. Knowing how these things usually play out (and have done for several years), I have my doubts.

Perhaps I can afford to take the chance of hoping things will change. My brother-in-law phoned me and put forth an idea to me. Since he is planning to move to Dubai, but can't take his dogs (they're pit bulls) and his aging mother with him, he had the idea of me moving into his house as its caretaker. ( I'm pretty much the only other family he has left in the country, so his list of suitable candidates is about two people long, apparently.) What he gets is someone he trusts looking after the place, keeping an eye on his mom and dogs. What I get is an opportunity to live somewhere far away from everyone I know, rent-free, in a fairly pleasant neighborhood. Plus, he's put systems in place to contend with lack of service delivery, which could alleviate some of my frustrations/problems. Even though I don't particularly want to live in a big city (and Jozi is truly massive), it strikes me as a potentially great opportunity to do so. (At least it's not Durban or Cape Town.)

The only caveats I can see (so far, anyway; I'm sure I'll identify more in time) are that I'd have to renew my car license, find a job in Johannesburg and contend with the traffic there, but that's not an insurmountable obstacle (especially considering that there aren't many opportunities in the sleepy hollow where I live). I still have to think it over and weigh up the pros and cons, but it could be a good stepping stone to a different life for me. One thing I do have to keep in mind is that he changes his mind about almost everything, every few months, so I'm not setting too much store in his grand plan or getting my hopes up until I know it's definitely going to happen.

Thumbnail image: Photo of apartment buildings in Johannesburg, by Andy Diesel on Pexels