Read all about it

Read all about it

Google is great. Find out anything you want, with just a click of a button. Yes, yes yes... I am aware that there is plethora of other search engines but it is almost as if search engines are automatically associated with Google. It is almost like here in South Africa, when you say Colgate you are actually referring to any old toothpaste, not necessary the actual brand.   

I have a confession: I am a Google geek. I Google absolutely everything, from serious issues like rhino poaching in Zimbabwe or helping a friend who is in trouble, to so-called dilemmas: How to do a 2000-word essay in one night. Help! My hair is breaking or the most common one: successfully pull all nighters (which always ends up in a fail, yet somehow I find solace in the fact that I am not the only person considering this it). I Google anything and everything, Google is my friend when I need advice on the go and so is the vast amount of knowledge contained in those paper things called books. Yes! Books! How could I forget about books!

You can find out anything you want, or so I thought but I will get into that later. You can literally read about any subject imaginable, not just from the internet but from books, books, BOOKS! And being the nerd I am, I love to read! And I used to think that I knew all the answers I need about life because I had read about, watched it, and that somehow granted me automatic degree in LIFE.

For instance, my " book" knowledge about relationships always came in handy when my friends would come to ME for advice. Me? The destined spinster ,lined up to adopt 67 cats, for relationship advice? I was always my best friend’s personal Dr. Phil when it came to relationships, which at the time was ironic because I had never been in a relationship or even had a boy look at me unless it was to copy my homework . But being as curious, and avid reader of women’s magazines, advice columns and Dr Phil or whatever there was from young a age: I was considered an expert. Or maybe in my own narrow view I was an expert. I was mature. My mom even said so, in not exactly those words, when she was amazed at my " mature" approach to relationships. I had read about it, and since I read about it, it was that simple.  1+1= 2. 

I thought I knew all there was to know about relationships, or maybe life in general. I had the neat formula. I spent a share amount of time reading from various self-help gurus.

Of course that was until It was my turn to face some of the challenges I had painfully watched my friends handle. The self-esteem issues, crappy relationships, and just life... All of a sudden when I felt like I was thrust into the heat of things: I was lost. What is my purpose in life? Am I really smart enough? What should I do about ABC? Crap! I am so fat Etc…

I felt like all those books teaching me how to get the best of life, the blog posts on living a happy fulfilling life had filled my empty cup with air. Just air, because I did not become wiser with them… I had all the theory, but not much practice. Or in other words, I could “talk a good game”, but when it came to actually living, I struggled just like everybody else.

And that scared me. It still does. Yes, there are some things I have read that have challenged me in so many ways. But I am clueless at times- And realizing this has been a humbling experience. Self-help books, Google, Oprah or whatever are great! Really! But they still don't give me all the answers to life's questions.

My point is, you can’t learn all there is to learn about life in a book or a search engine. Sometimes experience really is a great teacher. There comes a time when you can choose between living life, or watching other people live it!

It is your call.

Xxxx

Imani Dlamini