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It’s a fact, there’s a huge contrast between December and January – from bulging bank balances to being skint and borrowing cash.
In December, people become “rich”, but the opposite is true come January.
After December 16, there is less traffic on Gauteng’s roads as most people trek to their home provinces and across the borders.
The most common thing among some of us is that, when we are “rich” from bonuses and stokvel money, we become reckless with how we spend and also reckless on the roads – the festive season death toll figures attest to this.
Then there are those who forget January is back-to-school month. While partying hard during the festive season, they forget that, within weeks, schools will reopen and they will have to fork out big time for stationery, uniforms, transport money and so on.
It’s as if they suddenly wake up in January and realise their kids need all these items.
I have been inundated with calls from friends and relatives to help out. Lame excuses are given – from “my kids are at a new school and the school wants money upfront” to “I didn’t know I had to buy a new school uniform”.
I believe these people are irresponsible. How on earth can one forget about these basic things? The problem with most of us is that, when we are loaded and in the mood to party, we forget that there is always a tomorrow.
It is about time that we change our behaviour and party responsibly. There is nothing wrong with partying – what is wrong is that we spend unwisely just to show off and boast.
Well, I’m not there.
We are in January now and the volume of cars on the road has picked up again. Those of us who didn’t go away feel it immediately as holidaymakers return to Johannesburg and the traffic is no longer free-flowing.
The same applies at gyms. It’s New Year’s resolution time again and, for most, the priority is to lose weight. Getting slim and fit tops most people’s resolution lists – as it does every year. As a result, gyms are jam-packed with resolution people and it is a mission to find a free treadmill.
These wannabe weight losers jump from one machine to the other because they don’t really know what to do – they end up huffing and puffing without doing anything meaningful.
How I wish they would do this for the whole year and not just in January. But, the fact is, come next month, most of them will not return as they will have run out of steam.
Gym should be a lifestyle change and should not be attended just to please others. It must also be attended without any pressure.
This is not a new trend in the country. At the start of every year, people flock to gyms. But many do so to appease others and not because it is what they really want.
As for me, this is the time to continue where I left off on the last day of the year. But, for now, jogging on the road will do. Anything to avoid isiphithiphithi at the gym.
See you next month, when all these resolution people are back to their old ways.
Follow me on Twitter @TimSpirit
