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Feb 2016
31
M
ac is one such
person. He is
consistently in the
top academic tier
but is also socially
very active. In other words, he learns
hard and he parties full tilt.
It was after one such Jol that he
returned to his room in Old Res, to
find it occupied by a family of goats.
This was, of course, unexpected
but not altogether unusual because
he, himself, had been the instigator
of many practical jokes. The goats
had been there for quite a while and
had left their personal imprint on
his room. Dung pellets everywhere,
books nibbled and, of course, the all-
pervading odour. But Mac, being a
vet student, a caring soul and in that
benevolent frame of mind which is
the inevitable consequence of a liberal
quantity of Charles Glass's finest, was
more concerned with the welfare of
the goats than for household hygiene.
He knew from his studies that the
ruminant's digestion was based on
fermentation and for this to occur they
needed a constant supply of green
feed and that the text books upon
which the goats had chewed were
unlikely to supply them with their
requirements. Then, he remembered,
there was a girl in the women's res.,
a colleague and an acquaintance,
who was the proud owner of an
ornamental tree, a healthy, green
leafed and much loved botanical
specimen, a meal, he reasoned,
which was fit for a family of goats.
And she was
not at home.
The mecha
nisms of how
he managed
to get into her
room is quite
vague in the
memory but,
a while later,
he returned
to his room
with the tree.
The activity
in the meanwhile had attracted the
attention of another returnee from
the late nigh revelry and the two of
them sat watching the goats demolish
the tree. This entertainment was
enhanced by the imbibition of further
bottles of wisdom. As I was not
present, I can only surmise that the
topic of conversation between the
two of them, being diligent students,
revolved around ruminant physiology
and that they regarded their present
situation as practical experience on
the topic. I do know, however, that
as the evening progressed and as the
tree started looking decidedly second
hand, they proceeded to water it with
the by-products of copious amounts
of Castle
Lager filtered
through their
respective
urinary
tracts.
At a stage in
the evening
they tired
of their
practical. The
goats were
released to who knows where and
the tree was returned to its rightful
room, a pale shadow of it erstwhile
magnificence, its plumage denuded
and smelling like a Pretoria North
nightclub after a big night.
And, the next morning, there was
a very confused female student
wondering why her
Ficus
had moulted
and now smelt very strongly of wee,
testosterone and goat.
v
Storie
I Story
Mac and the goats
Philip Kretzmann
Tertiary education is not only about academics. Sure, the fundamental objective is
to learn, but the student ends up studying his/her chosen subjects with like-minded
people and it is this interaction, networking and experience-sharing with these
peers that have a great impact on the student’s future. So, the learner that gets
the balance right benefits the most out of his/her university career.
important influence on your ability
to achieve your goals, experience
growth and how you experience life.
Ponder each assumption individually
and determine the relevance it may
have in your own approach to life.
The conscious level of realisation will
be revealed by this cognitive exercise
and the subconscious level is often
depicted in your daily activities, habits
and subsequent results. Figuring out
what you do subconsciously may
be difficult and it would be wise to
employ the help of trusted friends and
family that can describe your habits
to you.
I wish to empower you to believe
in, appreciate and use your own
strengths; make it easier for you to
identify and take advantage of the
many opportunities that are presented
to you throughout your life, thereby
helping you achieve what it is you
truly desire.
Enjoy the process and enjoy the
results even more!
v
L
ife
C
oaching
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