On Friday 4 September our Class of 2020, for a brief moment, made time stand still when they placed a memory, a token or their future goals into a Time Capsule. Although a poignant reminder of what the year has brought with it, it is also a symbol of our hope and knowledge that this too shall pass, and that future possibilities, opportunities and many adventures still lie ahead.
We will honour the Class of 2020 on their 5th Reunion Year by opening the capsule so that we can remember this year and what these young men were forged from.
Deputy Prefect, Mnqobi Shoba, addressed the matrics with the following words:
When It Rains
Sometimes it rains, and it rains and it rains. And when it rains most often there is nothing you can do to stop the rain but there is always something you can do about the rain. It’s either you face the rain and say “try me” instead of “why me”. When you have that kind of attitude it’s guaranteed that you will gain from the rain, you will be stronger and more resiliant and you will have the ability to take any rain in the future. Or you can just let it rain and wait for the perfect opportunity which may never come, find factors to blame and play the victim, when you do that, it’s guaranteed that you will gain nothing from the rain and you will forever be in pain. unless you change the way you think.
Don’t be scared of problems. Take all that life throws at you as a challenge and fight it. Try harder and harder, at end of the day it doesn’t matter whether you win or not. The will to fight will take you higher and higher.
No one promised us life without rain, no one promised us life without pain. If you want a rainbow you’ve got to put up with rain. In the journey of life we pass pleasures and pain. There will be sunshine and rain. There will be loss and gain. But we must learn to smile, again and again.
One day when we all come back here everything will make perfect sense. For now lets laugh at the confusion , smile through the tears and keep reminding ourselves that everything happens for a reason. You may not see it today or tomorrow but you will look back in few years and be stunned by how every thing added up and brought you somewhere wonderful or where you always wanted to be. You will be grateful that things didn’t work out the way you once wanted them to. Remember out of confusion comes clarity. Out of chaos comes order. The struggle we are in today is developing the strength we need for tomorrow. Difficult roads leads to beautiful destinations.
No one makes a lock without a key and that’s why God doesn’t give us problems without solutions.
Finally life is a journey of discovery. There are moments on mountain tops and there are moments in valleys. Challenges are a sign of life. Your attitude determines your altitude.
If you are tired learn to rest not to quit.
The best views always come after the hardest climb.
For Northwood always.
Mnqobi Shoba
Deputy Head Prefect
