Dieter Ian Maree

There are two sets of rules in Life. The Written and the Unwritten. The mature being does not need the written whereas the immature being has no particular interest in the unwritten...

There comes a point when you realize that there is no script, that life can be infinitely more beautiful and intriguing than the movies. It all depends on what you`re willing to do...

I don`t fall for looks...I fall in love with vulnerability, tenderness and maturity rooted in self-respect...

That golden thread that should define all our relationships … do unto others as you would have them do unto you... starts with discovering and loving yourself for who you are and not who society expects you to be.

Our political emancipation and its derivatives (e.g. academic freedom and freedom of expression) have yet to bear fruit once we start asking a few questions; who am I addressing, what am I addressing and lastly, have my indigent brothers and sisters actually felt my presence when confronted with a very harsh reality?

A soulmate certainly understands that you have a far greater destiny than simply being someone`s husband or wife and appreciates the fact that he/she has a role to play in the attainment of that destiny...

We cannot assess or gauge the potential harmful effects of any relationship without knowing who we are as individuals -our values and principles and not just our preferences will facilitate the above exercise to a great extent. We have to know what we stand for, what keeps us grounded and where we seek refuge when society condemns us for not playing by its rules.

Get a life by finding out who you are, what you`re passionate about and how you can make the most of your life before offering yourself wholeheartedly to someone else.

The broken but blessed heart will always have enough curiosity and faith to know and not just believe that there is something or someone better around the corner...

'...ek strooi stadig en suinig my laaste bietjie bruin-suiker in die vallei langs jou linker-wang, `n paar sagte korrels in die droë rivierbedding onder jou regter-oog en die soet, verslawende geur van swart koffie en moerbei tussen jou harde lippe wat angstig wag...'

...And as I have aged with no greater Wisdom than any other fool, I have come to discover that the only sustenance for weary limbs and broken spirits would appear to be the Unknown...

...that all-consuming afterglow that leaves you smiling and aching -yearning for some more of whatever it is that has rendered you content...thank God for his most intriguing creatures who have never ceased to liberate me from myself...women!

I`m still standing, still writing, still breathing, still fighting, still loving...

The only difference between you and me, dear is that you do your damage with a smile...

Our profession is indeed a noble and honourable profession - we are in the ranks of Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Bram Fischer, Anton Lubowski and George Bizos. These individuals have managed to influence history and direct its course to a tremendous extent. There are also a myriad of legal professionals, who have in their own right and in a somewhat humble fashion contributed to the prestige of who we are and what we represent...

There is an inconceivable madness beneath the daily routine, the fake smiles, the intimate but insincere gestures...the entire civilised world...

Beware of those gifted few who have mastered the art of diplomacy and good manners...I would certainly be more at ease in the company of a spirited fool who has no other option but to say what`s on his mind...

Not everyone will share your values, your sense of adventure or compassion. Just go ahead and do whatever you want to do without them.

She desperately wanted to fall in love every time but obviously didn`t want to be burdened with the potential weight of her feelings for someone...

I come from a background of good and bad - a tension that resides in every man...Demons that we have to confront....and yet there is that part in us that wants to do good and the part that wants to be a better person - someone that my mother would also be proud of.

At some point in your life you will inevitably be faced with choices and decisions as to who you are and what you want to be. These choices do not necessarily have to be a deviation from what your parents or relatives have taught you or what you`ve been exposed to. The most important thing about these choices, however is that they have to be yours, they have to serve your needs and have to be suited for your specific purpose in life

Excessive financial freedom often leads to spiritual and creative bondage...

What I admire most about intelligence - real intelligence - is its humility...how it lights the world - the gentle yet passionate embrace of a fragile humanity...

Staan saam met my, my strandlopertjie en kom ons skyn ons bruinliggies so helder dat almal weet wie ons is, waar ons vandaan kom, maar meer belangrik waantoe ons oppad is...

Of course I`m distracted...I am distracted by Life in all its complexity and splendour...

Ek soek nie liefde of warmte in `n koue wêreld nie, maar wat van `n bietjie verbeelding, skat?

Shhhh…whispering wisdom, breathing truth, loudly steering clear of the muted madness - the puppet begins to stray…

Our fragility and vulnerability ultimately reside in our fear of evaluating our purpose in life, our fear of examining who we are without the appendages and the circus décor...

I have often wondered if such an intimate glimpse of life in all its simplicity will ever be at my disposal once I have been elevated to a level of success by the respect and admiration of the very people I am leaving behind? Will I ever be able to re-connect with something that offers more than fleeting affirmations of prestige...

Believe it or not… they are the ones who will be inheriting the earth one day - the weak, the oppressed, the marginalized. The privileged ones who will be makin` it without any of those appendages that direct an entire human existence.

Phrased differently, how does one define the notion of success or standards of socio-economic well-being or the value of any commendable achievement in a country overwhelmed by corrupt practices, a weak and inefficient public sector and a civil society that has repeatedly failed to assert itself to a more audible level?

There have been events in the past that exposed a certain vulnerability or fragility but from these events the resilience of an indomitable human spirit has also emerged...

The doldrums of unemployment provide ample time for reading, for observation, reflection and generally for drawing conclusions that otherwise seem absurd on the daily treadmill of an eight-to-five. I wanted to run, I wanted to look the other way but I was trapped in a reality with no exits. I was forced to question my "utility-value" in this country based on my racial background, my educational background but most importantly perhaps, my future contribution to society as an aspiring lawyer... bling-bling...

n Nadoodse ondersoek sal bepaal wat die oorsaak was, maar hoe bepaal `n mens waar en wanneer jy begin sterf het terwyl jy nog gelewe het?

En ons sal dalk nooit werklik afskeid neem van daai gevaarlike gees wat weier om tot die verbleikte, stowwerige annale van die vergeetlike en verganklike af te tree nie - juis omdat hy sy lewe met roekelose oorgawe gewy het aan `n saak wat verder as sy kort en nietige bestaan strek...

En so kom daar tye in ons almal se lewens waar ons herinner word aan ons menslikheid, ons stoflikheid - tog 11 minute na `n kort begrafnis dwing die verbysterende spoed van die lewe ons weer terug op die snelweë van verwagtinge en eise wat nooit ons eie was nie, maar wat ook nou saam met `n klomp verwyte begrawe word - praat van `n Joyride!

Waar begin doen en sê ons dit wat ons nog altyd wou gesê, gesing of geskryf het?

But what about thought, what about reason? The dispassionate faculties that inspire and motivate the feeble mind instead of seducing the raging heart...

If we talk about truth, who is to determine where and how something as elusive as the truth positions itself?

A sudden and debilitating attack of intellectual impotence is imminent as we are driving in air-conditioned, European-styled vehicles under the scorching heat of the African sun...

'Girl, your legal career has a far greater destiny than material wealth or the vanities of this world...'

'Dis jou Hárt, my kind.Dis nie jou lyf of jou kop nie...en daar is niks fout met hom nie.Jy het nie iets verkeerd gedoen nie. Moenie worry nie. Dit sal weer gebeur, ' het sy geglimlag...

I guess there are those diligent divas that I wholeheartedly trust with my money and my life. But regrettably they`re not the kind of people that I would want to be in a relationship with...

The issue is not us versus them or Africa versus the rest of the world if such a simple contrast ever existed. No, the point that needs to be emphasized is that Africans should continuously seek to evaluate their unique set of values and principles (based on their immediate priorities) in a dynamic and ever-changing world where globalization has increasingly set the course for both individuals and governments.

In Africa, a concomitant attribute of education is condescension. The educated elite often view the illiterate masses with disdain and indifference. Frustration and arrogance are inevitable pot-holes as they look at Africa through a piece of paper obtained in a highly sophisticated and driven democratic environment. Education has become an end in itself and not a means to humbly contribute to a greater cause.

Has education assisted us in articulating our immediate challenges or has a certain level of education equipped us with the skills to come up with practical solutions? Phrased differently, has any form of knowledge empowered the uninspired masses?

The qualifications and/or credentials obtained domestically and abroad would certainly convey more substance should we cease to criticize a senior politician or a political system in a dominant Party-State and instead convert our knowledge into accessible and versatile tools suited to our domestic situation and the abilities of our eager compatriots. The active conversion of knowledge (so-called success) is pivotal in a society that wishes to promote the well-being of all its members.

What do we do once the generous African has wholeheartedly embraced the benevolent tyrant and evolves into a self-centred, individualistic kleptomaniac with no compassion, pride or a fundamental set of values to guide him on his journey?

A rigid mould was imposed with the view to eliminate any or all traces of original thought or behavior and to replace it with a cognitive set-up that will easily gain purchase on excessive consumerism and ultimately greed

'...my beautiful and determined sisters, gallivanting through the male psyche is an enterprise fraught with danger and uncertainty and perhaps something that should be conducted with utmost sincerity and caution...'