Posted on Leave a comment

The Burpee…

No, not that type of burpee where you break up winds. The exercise called a BURPEE. That is how it feels to me since 15 March 2020. As if I must do emotional Burpees, even if I am not able or ready to do it.

Before I started Cross Fit in February 2020, I also did not know WHAT a burpee was. I learned the hard way though and in the process I became more fit physically.

Do your self a favour and google what a Burpee is if you are uncertain. Let me tell you, the people in the videos make it look EASY. When last did you do a Burpee? Have you ever done a Burpee?

With that being said and me going off point (again), I experienced this whole Pandemic as emotional exhaustion. And the only thing I can compare it with is a hectic heavy exercise such as a Burpee. One thing you must know about Burpees is, they make you fit like nothing else.

But it is hard. Grueling. To be exhausted like this emotionally and to be at a point where you just CANNOT go on anymore is tough! I know that I am NOT the only one that feels like this. It is as if these feelings are flaring up again everywhere, just like during and after the first hard lockdown.

The whole world expects one to function like normal. To go on as if nothing happened and to work as if there is nothing wrong. That while nothing is normal. Was it even normal to begin with? Or where we caught up in this lie of what we perceived to be normal?

You see, in my line of work (and here all accountants will agree and understand) things are just getting harder and hardee. The institutions you work with become more strict, issue penalties much quicker and faster and sometimes it feels just unfair. We are expected to perform, while it feels like they are doing very little from their side to make things work and make progress on finalising matters that have been with them for months!

The emotional wellness of people are not taken into consideration. Illnesses, days in isolation, compassion towards people are just not taken into consideration….is that then not the same as expecting someone to do a Burpee the whole day, every day?

From the moment that you wake up until you go to bed, you must do at least one burpee per second. Let us say it is 12 hours (we all know it is more as none of us sleep for 12 hours in a day). 60 minutes per hour. 60 seconds in every minute. Thus 12 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds. 43,200 burpees. And yes, I used my calculator for this calculation, purely because my brain in incapable of thinking this hard and do calculations to this extent. And now I doubt if I even did this calculation right….

Then I start to wonder…..is it God’s way to make us fit? Can He be this cruel? Getting us fit for what? The end times? I know that going through hardship forms you and shapes you….but I don’t know. I still wonder about the Pandemic.

When I started writing this article, it was January. Now it is February. January was for me and many people with whom I had discussions, an EXCEPTIONALLY (I use caps to express how I experienced it) tough month. It was as if there was this block and cloud hanging over us.

Your mind reminds you about everything that must be done, but at the same time it is on some or another strike that refuses point blank to continue to do these burpees. Then he condems you by reminding you how far you have fallen behind and that you will never be able to catch up your daily 43,200 burpees that is expected from you. You barely did ten for the day…..

As I was thinking about this article and talked to God about it between everything else, He sends me 2 songs. The first one is Hello, my name is… by Matthew West and the second one is en Borrow (one day at a time) by Josh Wilson.

Both songs had such a great impact on those thoughts that were moving around in my mind. The thoughts that made me feel that what I am doing is not even close to a burpee. I realise that this what I am feeling, is NOT from God. I serve a living God of order and full of love.

Then I softly and in my mind sing (for a few days now I might add) the words from Josh Wilson’s song…..Don’t Borrow, no trouble from tomorrow…..na na na….one day, one day, one day at a time! And I know that God calmed me (suddenly from beginning of February) so that I can focus on that which lies ahead relating to work.

We are all on our way to checking in at the Accountant’s Inn just to be forced to work behind your computer and desk with a ball and chain. To go speed dating with your clients and their tax matters. To pray that your speed date appointment allows you to see everything and to account for everything so that you don’t have to sit, later in the year, with your hands in your hair about not paying enough tax….

Die Burpee…
Posted on Leave a comment

Die Burpee…

Nee, nie die winde opbreek burpee nie. Die oefening BURPEE. Dis hoe dit vir my voel sedert 15 Maart 2020. Of ek emosioneel Burpees moet doen, al is ek nie opgewasse vir dit nie en ook nie reg vir dit nie.

Voor ek in Februarie 2020 begin Cross Fit het, het ek OOK nie geweet WAT is ‘n burpee nie. Ek het wel op die harde manier geleer en sodoende fikser geword op ‘n fisiese vlak.

Gaan google maar wat is ‘n Burpee as jy nie seker is nie. Die mense in die videos laat dit BAIE maklik lyk, laat ek jou nou vertel. Wanneer laas HET jy ‘n Burpee gedoen? Het jy al ooit een gedoen?

Dit daar gelaat want daar dwaal ek alweer van my punt af. Ek ervaar die hele Pandemie as ‘n emosionele uitputting wat ek slegs met ‘n harde strawwe oefening soos ‘n Burpee kan vergelyk. Nou Burpees maak jou fiks soos niks anders nie.

Maar dis moeilik. Uitmergelend. Om emosioneel so uitgeput te wees dat jy nie meer KAN aangaan nie is tough! Ek weet wel dat ek NIE die enigste een is wat so voel nie. Dis asof die gevoelens weer opvlam oral, soos tydens en net na die eerste hard lockdown.

Die hele wêreld verwag van mens om soos normaal te funksioneer. Aan te gaan en goed gedoen te kry asof daar niks fout is nie. Dit terwyl niks meer normaal is nie. Was dit ooit voorheen normaal? Of was ons vasgevang in hierdie leuen van wat ons sien en ervaar as normaal?

Jy sien, in my bedryf (en hier sal alle accountants saam stem en verstaan) raak dit regtig net moeiliker en moeiliker. Die instansies met wie jy werk raak strenger, reik vinniger en sommer vir niks boetes uit (so voel dit vir my). Verwag van ons om te perform dit alles terwyl dit voel of daar min tot niks aan hul kant werk nie.

Die emosionele welstand van mense word nie in ag geneem nie. Siekte toestande, dae in isolasie, menslikheidsfaktore word nie in ag geneem nie…..is dit nie dan dieselfde as om te verwag mens moet Burpees doen heeldag en aldag nie?

Vandat jy jou oë oopmaak tot jy gaan slaap moet jy elke sekonde ten minste een burpee doen. Kom ons sê dis minstens 12 ure waarvan ons nou praat (soos die Engelse sê hypothetically speaking want ek weet ook niemand van ons slaap vir 12 ure nie). 60 minute per uur. 60 sekondes in elke minuut. Dus 12 ure x 60 minute x 60 sekondes. 43,200 burpees. Ja ek het my calculator gebruik om die som te doen, bloot omdat my brein net nie meer KAN dink nie. En nou wonder ek en hoop ek dat ek die som reg gedoen het.

Dan begin ek wonder….is dit die Here se manier om ons fiks te kry? Kan Hy so wreed wees? Fiks vir wat? Die eindtye? Ek weet swaar tye vorm mens….maar ek weet nie. Ek wonder steeds oor die Pandemie.

Toe ek hierdie stuk begin skryf het, was dit Januarie. Nou is ons al in Februarie. Januarie was vir my en baie mense met wie ek gesels het ‘n ONGELOOFLIKE (ek gebruik hoofletters om die klem te lê oor hoe dit was) moeilike maand. Dit was asof daar hierdie blok of wolk oor mens was.

Jou kop herinner jou aan als wat gedoen moet word maar terselfde tyd is hy op een of anser sit-staking wat volstrek weier om aan te hou burpees doen. Dan sê hy weer vir jou hoe ver agter jy nou is en hoe gaan jy maak om jou 43,200 burpees in te haal? Jy het dan skaars tien gedoen vir die dag….

Soos wat ek die stuk deur dink het en met die Here daaroor gepraat het tussen alles wat moet gebeur deur, stuur Hy vir my 2 liedjies. Die eerste een is Hello, my name is… van Matthew West en die tweede een is Borrow (one day at a time) van Josh Wilson.

Beide liedjies het so ‘n groot impak op dit wat in my gedagtes rond beweeg, die gedagtes wat my laat voel dit wat ek nou doen is nie nagenoeg aan ‘n burpee nie. Ek besef dit wat ek voel is NIE van Hom af NIE. Ek dien ‘n lewende God van orde en vol liefde.

Dan neurie ek (vir ‘n paar dae al I might add) die woorde van Josh Wilson se liedjie….Don’t Borrow,no trouble from tomorrow…..na na na….one day, one day, one day at a time! En ek weet dat die Here my rustig gemaak het (skielik van begin Februarie af) sodat ek weer kan fokus op dit wat voorlê werksgewys.

Ons is mos almal hoeka oppad om onsself in te teken by die Accountant’s Inn net om met ‘n ball & chain vasgemaak te word agter jou lessenaar en weer speed dating van belasting te doen. Te bid jou blits afspraak werp goeie vrugte af en dat jy wel alles raak sien en in berekening bring sodat jy later die jaar nie met jou hande in jou hare sit oor te min belasting wat betaal was nie….

The Burpee…