Behind Bars

A number of years ago now, I was part of a team of chaperones who led a trip to South Africa. 

The impetus for the excursion was to give our students the opportunity to perform at a theater festival held in Grahamstown, located in the southeastern corner of the country. We planned a three-week itinerary to accompany the shows' performances, including stops at Johannesburg, the Addo Elephant National Park, Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls, the Cape of Good Hope, and finally, Cape Town.

We saw so much. Stunning landscapes. Creatures of every size and shape. We even traipsed along the bottom of the African continent. But nothing pierced my heart like Robbens Island. Standing in that prison cell. Pacing its minuscule dimensions. The ghostly presence of Nelson still lurking.

Mandela was the very definition of tenacity and perseverance. To this day, I am humbled to have stood on the same ground as he once did.

"Do not judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up." – Nelson Mandela