The way we carry our knowledge is important, particularly when living in such uncertain and insecure times. When you’re standing on the edge of a cliff and feel the ground crumble beneath you, your instinct may be to hang on for dear life to anything that seems rooted enough to keep you from sliding away.

But if we hold too tightly and fearfully to what we believe, we become dogmatic and rigid, unable to live the life we meant to save. At the same time, to hold too loosely to what we know is just as mistaken. Whether cynical, nihilist, relativist or ironic, dogmatic disbelief comes across as insincere, irresponsible or just ungrateful.

At any given moment, we can know enough, with enough certainty, to move forward. We needn’t worry that what we know and our confidence in it changes over time. It might even mean we’re gaining in wisdom, even as we know (for sure!) that we’ve still got a way to go.

It’s the 2010 Soccer World Cup, and excitement is definitely mounting in my neck of the woods! South African flags are proudly popping up everywhere, and with just days to go before the kick-off, my fellow countrymen are getting very excited indeed….

Truthfully, I’ve secretly not given the event much thought.

That however changed, when I recently watched ‘Invictus’. It was an impeccably-timed reminder of how fortunate I am to be alive in this amazing country right now. As I critically observed the talented Morgan Freeman do an admirable impersonation of our beloved Madiba, and Matt Damon struggling with his Afrikaans accent, all the feelings of national pride and the sense unity I felt 15 years ago came rushing back. It was uplifting to say the very least.

With happy tears flowing freely, I casted my mind back a little further to the 1994 general elections. There I was, not fully appreciative of my privileged opportunity or the arduous struggle that made it possible. Unlike so many before me, I had the right to vote and was considered an equal to all other South Africans. Drenched in rain, I queued alongside many tearful old people whose difficult lives were written all over their faces. They wanted to make their mark. They wanted to change their lives….

‘Invictus’ was the perfect antidote to my Soccer World Cup spiritless-ness, and a poignant reminder that some things in life are simply just bigger than the individual - bigger than our egos, our needs and our wants.

Unfortunately, I lucked out on match tickets, but that will not deter my heart-felt support and positive spirit. I’m part of something big, something remarkable – and it’s awesome!

Let the games begin!!