On the Edge

Portaledges are cool climbing contraptions used to sleep on the face of a big wall, but imagine sitting on one for six days non stop…read what Trevor Johnston has to say about life on the edge.

Trevor Johnston, CEO of Educo Africa, is hanging off a portaledge in Sea Point Cape Town for 6 days to raise funds for his organization. Using the wilderness as a teacher and classroom, Educo Africa runs experiential programmes that encourage participants to push their personal boundaries, discover their inner strength and face their challenges, both physical and emotional.

Starting on Monday the 16th of February and only coming off 6 days later, Trevor is facing a grueling challenge out in the Cape Town summer to help others. He has a daily blog, and to bring you a little taste of what it would be like hanging out on the side of the building indefinitely, I’ve copied his fifth day's entry..

Tough stuff and take care

The Souch

I am on such a high as I fall asleep this evening after the wonderful day and special guests as well as great support that I received throughout the day. My best friend and my wife came around. It was hard not to hold my darling wife but just seeing her was enough and I was grateful. All the gifts of chocolate and Alison’s brownies were adding to my happy mood. Then Carl from Good Hope spent an hour doing an interview during drive time and he is one of the funniest people I have ever met. The voice impersonations had me in stitches. Thanks for raising my spirit, Carl.

As I sit here on the ledge the week seems a blur of discomfort, agony, loneliness, laughter, smiles, interviews and so much more…..I have lived a lifetime on this “door”. In many ways it has been a spiritual journey of deep introspection. More of that tomorrow! But I feel happy that I have done this and even though we may not raise one cent I know that at least we have raised awareness for who we are and what we do. I heard this evening that a woman donated two hundred rand and that is enough to cover a couple of meals on a course for a kid. I am eternally grateful.

I am grateful too for being on the side of this building and doing this….being afforded the opportunity to try make a difference in someone’s life even if it is just the awareness of the problem that we have in this beautiful city and country.

But I am ready to leave now and I feel I am better for the experience and grown as a person. The love and goodness of humanity is all around me in the people that waved up at me, ex-participants and ex- staff that have come out to visit and offer their time, my colleagues that have showered me with gifts and words of support, the emails from around the world from friends of Educo Africa, and even the strangers who don’t even see me but sit on the bench on the promenade and kiss, or the couples that walk holding hands…..humanity what a beautiful creature. And the sunsets have been breath-taking. So at Educo Africa we have the eagle as our symbol or logo and it has been so relevant in this time. I have felt like an eagle on the edge of that mountain where they make their nests.

My vision has been like the eagle’s watching the world from a distance. But now like the baby eagle who is ready to fly, the mother kicks her out and she falls but just before the baby hits the ground it spreads its wing and flies. That is the moment that all things become possible. So now I await my turn to be shoved from my nest tomorrow and fall to the ground but I will be supported by my friends and colleagues and when I touch Mother Earth all things will be possible and Educo Africa will fly.

I am a little apprehensive about tomorrow especially the reconnection with people because I don’t know what to expect. All I want to do is run five metres in either direction and then jump in the cool ocean opposite. I can’t wait!

Thank you all for being there for me on one of the most physically and mentally challenging experiences of my life.

There is a huge tanker moored in the bay for the whole week with the letters of M.O.L on its side and I have been trying to figure out what it stands for but it just dawned on me….we can find meaning in anything we do or see. So for me it means: Meaning Of Life. That is what this week has been for me.

Cheers

T T

For more information visit Trevor’s blog at http://educoafrica.wordpress.com/ or www.educo.org.za