in986-The-Unbreakable-Rainbow-The-South-African-Soul-in-the-Protea-Paperweight

▼

Every April, South Africa celebrates Freedom Day. The six-color national flag is unfurled under the blue sky. The Y-shaped pattern of red, blue, green, gold, black and white is like the arm of this land embracing diverse civilizations. At this moment, many South Africans have a glass paperweight in the shape of a protea on their desks. This is not only the embodiment of the national flower, but also implies the spiritual code of this country. The English name of the paperweight, “Paperweight”, literally translates to “the weight of paper”, but it is actually an anchor to calm the impetuous. South African craftsmen seal the protea in crystal glass, so that this plant that can be reborn in drought and wildfires will be forever frozen in its blooming posture. Just as the South African society, which has experienced the pain of colonization, isolation and transformation, has always kept “reconciliation” and “rebirth” at the deepest level. When people touch the cold surface of the paperweight, the solid touch from their fingertips reminds people of the weight of the constitution. Like a paperweight holding down the fluttering pages, the six-color spectrum on the South African flag always frames the bottom line of tolerance – even if there are occasional gusts of social unrest, the foundation of diverse coexistence has never been shaken. The serrated leaves of the king protea stretch out in the glass, just like Mandela’s declaration of “Let the rainbow nation stand up”, with an unbendable backbone in its flexibility. This paperweight reminds us that true freedom is never a light promise, but a precipitation thing tempered by fire and polished by time. When new challenges come like a storm, South Africans will still choose to be their own paperweights – anchoring the direction with the weight of history, allowing hope to penetrate the glass like the king protea, and bloom eternal light under pressure.

Elke April vier Suid-Afrika Vryheidsdag. Die seskleurige nasionale vlag word onder die blou lug ontvou. Die Y-vormige patroon van rooi, blou, groen, goud, swart en wit verweef is soos die arm van hierdie land wat uiteenlopende beskawings omhels. Op die oomblik het baie Suid-Afrikaners glaspapiergewigte in die vorm van proteas op hul lessenaars – dit is nie net die beliggaming van die nasionale blom nie, maar impliseer ook die spirituele kode van hierdie land. Die Engelse naam van papiergewig “Paperweight” beteken letterlik “die gewig van papier”, maar dit is eintlik ‘n anker wat die rusteloosheid kalmeer. Suid-Afrikaanse vakmanne het die koningprotea in kristalglas verseël, wat hierdie plant, wat uit droogte en veldbrande hergebore kan word, vir ewig in sy blomtoestand bewaar laat. Net soos die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing die pyne van kolonisasie, isolasie en transformasie deurgemaak het, het dit “versoening” en “wedergeboorte” altyd op die diepste vlak gehou. Wanneer mense saggies oor die koue oppervlak van die papiergewig streel, herinner die stewige aanraking van hul vingerpunte hulle aan die gewig van die Grondwet. Soos ‘n papiergewig wat fladderende bladsye vashou, raam die seskleurspektrum op die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag altyd die onderste lyn van verdraagsaamheid – selfs al is daar af en toe storms van sosiale onrus, is die fondament van diverse naasbestaan nog nooit geskud nie. Die getande blare van die koningprotea strek in die glas uit, net soos Mandela se verklaring om “die reënboognasie te laat opstaan”, buigsaam maar met ‘n onbreekbare gees. Hierdie papiergewig herinner ons daaraan dat ware vryheid nooit ‘n ligte belofte is nie, maar iets wat deur vuur getemper en deur tyd gepoleer is. Wanneer nuwe uitdagings soos storms kom, sal Suid-Afrikaners steeds kies om hul eie papiergewigte te wees – hul rigting te anker met die gewig van die geskiedenis, hoop toe te laat om die glas soos ‘n protea te binnedring, en te blom met ewige lig onder druk.