No electricity this morning. I went to a small shopping center and bought a coffee. They were making coffee because they had a generator outside. A busker was playing some old folk songs from the 70s. I sat in the shade listening to him. Made me relax.
Then I was off to the Sunrise Circle Sunday morning market behind the sand dunes and near the beach. I’ve never been there before. Many market tents. Good food. If you like local Cape takeaway cuisine.
Some of the markets had second-hand goods that were so second-hand that it would be hard to put them into third-hands. But there were some gems, as there always are.
In the car park, the security guard and car attendant started talking to me. I didn’t initiate the conversation. He just seemed to have a lot to say.
He told me that it was safe to park my car there because he was around and he knew how to deal with thieves.
Now listen to this. He said, if he catches someone stealing, he won’t take them to the police. The tragic reason is that the criminal will turn against him and charge him with assault. This is not something that the car attendant made up because I’ve heard this before but he was giving me much more detail on it.
He said that if he caught someone stealing from a car or whatever, he would get hold of him and give him a lot of kicks. He said he would also throw a good few punches and teach the person a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
How’s that for street justice? Some people are insulated and don’t really know what’s happening on the ground.
He also went on to say that in one instance where someone’s head was bleeding, a policewoman who was standing by urged him on to give the alleged criminal some kicks in the face.
This isn’t nice stuff to hear. It’s brutal. Violent. It goes against the law. But as the parking attendant told me, the police system has broken down and justice can’t be obtained.
Look, I’m only telling you this from what I’ve heard first hand on the ground. Of course, some people exaggerate so you’ve got to take some of what this guy said with a pinch of salt. But it is disturbing to hear how criminals are dealt with on the street.
If I hadn’t let this guy talk on and on, I’d never have known what really happens behind the scenes. I wouldn’t know how communities deal with criminals when the authorities provide no assistance.
Now my point is this:
How often do you get out there among people and listen to what they are saying?
The troubling secret is that many writers don’t go talk to people on the street, employees if you’re writing internal communications in a company and potential customers if you writing to sell. It’s vital that you do, so that you can bring the experience of others to your work.
If you don’t do informal “reporting“ like this your prose will be dry and dead. When people read your stuff it will sound like you live in a closeted world, safe from everything.
Let me know if you need any help with bringing life into your writing.
Just shoot me an email.
