Indomitable: Cannot be subdued or overcome
News reports last week used the word "insurrection" to describe the unrest in South Africa. That's a scary word, with hints of civil war. It means to rise in open revolt against civil authority.
Ordinary South Africans again proved their resilience and their ability to stand together. It was chilling to watch videos of the rioters. But it was uplifting to see communities work together to defend shops and clean up the destruction.
We saw the victims and the heroes. But for me, the important part is that the victims are the heroes. What makes them heroes is their choice to be indomitable.
It's about not giving up
The word indomitable is often used to describe warriors and superheroes. But it doesn't actually mean strong or brave or powerful. It means not giving up.
That's important to remember. Because often we don't feel strong or brave or powerful. But we can still be indomitable. Winston Churchill famously said: "If you are going through hell, keep going."
Covid-19, riots, retrenchments, unemployment. Right now, many of us feel like we are going through hell. This is a reminder to you (and to me) to not give up.
Every step forward matters
For a while I had a screen-saver that displayed "Two steps forward, one step back". Because even then we are still going in the right direction.
I know a young man who has worked hard to develop his programming skills. He's put in many hours over the past few years, and he has the aptitude. What he doesn't have, is a job. With the unemployment rate and the reluctance of companies to employ inexperienced programmers, he has been thoroughly disheartened.
But last week he had his first-ever interview for a programming job. And he did well enough to get through to the next round, which was a programming task. And he did well enough again to get through to the third round, which was a bigger programming project.
I don't know if he'll get the job. But even if he doesn't, that's still two steps forward. It's valuable experience that will help with the next interview. He just has to not give up.
What about the zombies?
Sorry, there are no zombies.
To encourage public morale at the beginning of World War II, the British government produced a poster with the words: "Keep Calm and Carry On". We've seen the "Keep calm and [[insert activity here]]" slogan on everything from t-shirts to mugs. At the start of the pandemic, one variation was "Keep calm and wash your hands". Still good advice.
"Stay alive and avoid zombies" is a variation of the "Keep Calm" poster. (If you worry about zombies, it's probably also good advice.) I thought a little humour might remind us to be indomitable the next time we feel like giving up.
Please share your thoughts - and any suggested words for next week. It brightens my day when you do.