Long Walk to Freedom

 

After reading a post on my blog, ‘A trip to Sungai Lembing in Pahang’, in which I mentioned that “Sungai Lembing is now a sunset town suitable for folks like me in the sunset years,” my younger daughter was quite concerned about my outlook in life after my retirement. She did not want me to be pessimistic for my remaining years. She bought me a book, 'Long Walk to Freedom'. This book has been an international bestseller. It is an autobiography written by Mr. Nelson Mandela who was the first elected President of the Democratic South Africa in the year 1994 at the age of 76. She hoped I could learn from Nelson Mandela and be inspired by the book written by him.

To me, Mr. Nelson Mandela’s command of English is excellent. Practically for every page of the book I read through, I had come across a number of words which I had to refer to the dictionary. I had to keep a Little Oxford Dictionary by my side to look up the meanings of the vocabulary which I was unfamiliar with. At first I promised my daughter I would finish reading the book within a month. In the end it took me four months to do so. Mr. Nelson Mandela was the longest serving political prisoner. He was in prison for twenty seven and a half years. He sacrificed his own freedom and personal comfort as well as his family’s well being to fight against the unjust system of apartheid introduced by the White minority government of South Africa. His family, especially his wife, Winnie, suffered frequent intimidations and numerous prosecutions while he was in prison. He was even deprived the right to attend the funeral of his mother and his eldest son.

Seldom have I read a book so touching that tears rolled down my cheeks when Mandela narrated in court that he was prepared to face guillotine in his fight for the justice and freedom of his people. He did not give up his struggles even at the adverse conditions especially when he was incarcerated at Robben Island for a long period of time. He would persistently devise strategies and ways to fight the establishment even when he was confined within the four walls of the prison. He never gave up. He utilized his prison life to the optimum use. Prison was made a ‘university’ for him and other prisoners to aspire for higher degrees or better qualifications by correspondence courses; he and his fellow prisoners conducted political and economics lectures for other inmates. He became the spokesman cum lawyer for his fellow prisoners and fought for their rights from time to time. He never bowed to the enemy of the people. Neither did he compromise the interest of the people for his personal gain. He has earned the respects of friends and foes alike.
On the other hand, he would not forgo his daily hourly physical exercises as he realized that health was of vital importance for his ‘long walk to freedom’. He even planted vegetables in the prison compound as a pastime.

If Nelson Mandela could make the best use of his prison life, I see no reason why I cannot make better use of my retirement life to enrich myself in every aspect of life.
After reading through the memoir of Nelson Mandela once, I have a standing ovation for him deep from my heart. I wish I could have an audience with him and to see for myself the real situations on the ground at South Africa after the abolition of apartheid rule.

It is encouraging to read how Mandela has fought for decades to liberate his country from the reign of the White minority government, to end the rule of apartheid and to establish a just and democratic nation. On the other hand, it is rather sad to see that there still remain nations whose heads are hypocrites. Outwardly they supported economic sanctions against South Africa for the implementation of apartheid rule, but back in their own countries they still practice one form or another of the apartheid rule in the name of affirmative actions. It is such a pity that we can’t find ‘Nelson Mandela’ in their souls and minds. Hopefully these people will have a chance to read 'Long Walk to Freedom'; and hopefully the book will transform each of them to another ‘Nelson Mandela’.

Related Stories:

(1) Timeless Lesson from Bapu Gandhi
http://zest-zipper.blogspot.com/2010/08/timeless-lesson-from-bapu-gandhi-there.html
(2) The Lady by the Lake 
http://zest-zipper.blogspot.com/2009/05/lady-by-lake-after-reading-book-perfect.html 
(3)Zhou Enlai (周恩来)
http://zest-zipper.blogspot.com/2010/10/chou-enlai-chou-enlai-last-perfect.html
(4) A Visit to Sungai Lembing
http://zest-zipper.blogspot.com/2008/06/trip-to-sungai-lembing-in-pahang17508.html