The shorter version:

So, what is this site all about? Ok so the name ‘insidestory’, got your attention, right? And I am almost positive that you are a little inquisitive as to what this space is about, why would I have a dream of creating this site, how I got the name and, if you are anything like me, you just got to know… 

The short version (for those who don’t want to read too much) is that insidestory.co.za  started with an idea that I had a long time ago and after many ups and downs became the dream I have of a place where I can write my thoughts, bits of my life and what I have learnt. With that said, I promise to always be honest and real. I will include and mention not just my life but my daughter, mom, family, friends and also incorporate other people’s stories too. (Maybe even yours, if you like…?)

My hope is that this can be a safe place, where we can connect, and together we can create an online community where we can tell our stories and learn from each other. Where you can be honest and talk about things, real things, things that many prefer to just keep quiet about.  However, not everything is always super serious, so this is also where we can share some funny moments too, because we all need a laugh, share some embarrassing moments and moments of encouragement, inspiration and hope.

With so much going on in the world, in our lives, it would be nice to have a space where you are not alone, know what I mean?

The Longer version:

(For those of you who would prefer to hear the below story, cause maybe you haven’t got the time to read it all, I have included an audio version of it too. To listen, just press play…    😉)

Well to be able to give you the full (short) version, I would need to give you some past information, just as with every story you need the beginning, right? However I will try to keep it as short as possible…

It all started with an idea that I had way back in 2011, after I had been told a few times that I should write a book. I thought that maybe a blog would be a better idea. As sitting down to write a book, well that could be a very timely exercise and maybe it would be quicker and easier to do regular blog posts instead. Also, not everyone has the time to sit down and read a whole book, but maybe an interesting post now and then, now that would be more doable. And also to mention that back in 2011 blogging was not as well-known as now, so the idea intrigued me.

However, as you know life happens and we can so easily get wrapped up in our day to day activities, with everything demanding our attention, like working, taking care of those we love and everything in between. The start of what could be our dreams, well that can unfortunately fall to the background and “life” takes center stage. Then getting my daughter back permanently with me and looking after my mom took priority and corporate is most definitely a whole other ball game! Plus, throw in some unforeseen drama, like having an emergency operation and then being retrenched, needless to say my idea, simply got lost in the deep ocean of survival.

So, after a very bumpy 2012 to 2017, I went back to Reach For Life No Regrets, which is a whole other story for another day. But the important little nugget I have to share is that after going back to Reach For Life No Regrets, the stipend I was receiving didn’t cover the rent and we were evicted and had to move.  Shoo and how my faith was tested there, because God had told me that were going to move, with no rent and no deposit! Yet He took care of it (yet another story…!)

During the second month in our new place, a breathtaking cottage, a gentleman had donated some groceries for us as my stipend and my mom’s pension only just covered the rent. He instructed that an ‘Inside Story Chocolate’ had to be bought and given to me. He gave the following message “The reason I have helped you is because not very many people are prepared to tell their ‘insidestory’ to help others, so thank you”. Imagine my surprise!

Now fast forward to 2018 – yet again the “you should write a book” subject came back up and with this an igniting of a long time ago, dwindling little wick of an idea. And slowly edging its way forward from the almost, decade ago, place in my mind, came the blogging idea once again. But I was busy studying, life coaching, teaching life skills, volunteering and seeing my daughter off to varsity, so once again it was pushed back.

2019 started with me really thinking about my blog. What it would look like, what would I say, and how would I go about turning my idea, into a reality. This too, sadly, was short lived as I then had the opportunity to do my level four in Early Childhood Development, which I gratefully accepted and gave my best. Everything thing else took second place, to put it mildly. Oh and my dad reaching out to me after 23 years, to make peace, and him then dying a few months later of cancer, plus all the other day to day parts of living life. Let’s just say that the blog… well, I simply had no inclination of trying to do that too!

Then came 2020, the beginning, seemingly business as usual, until the media started talking about a deadly virus and next thing events escalated faster and faster till the whole world was on lock down! What an eerie, strange and scary time for mankind!

So I turned my focus, after going through a depression of sorts, to my Bachelors in Theology.  One morning I was busy looking up a scriptural reference and what a surprise when I read : 2 Corinthians 8:10-11  ¹⁰ And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 

 I don’t know about you, but man it was as if God was talking straight to me, in plain English, what I was thinking of doing (the blog) in 2019 well, it was now time to start the blog.

But, the idea in my mind of simply writing and putting it out there in cyberspace, to me actually having to learn how to create and design a site from scratch, now that was a totally different story! To start off with, I had to choose a domain name, I mean I didn’t even know what a domain was… that was the level of my blogging understanding! Any way back to the domain name…

Drum roll please…

In came a memory, crashing down every rope that had been holding it back, ‘insidestory’, yes that is a perfect name! 

The reason I didn’t call it ‘My inside story’ is cause after thinking about it, I didn’t just want this space to be about my story, but others too, other people, all people. (On a side note though, when I do one day write my book, I think ‘My Inside story’, would make a good title, don’t you?) So, domain name done, hosting sorted, WordPress loaded, the journey began. My idea had become reality, and after many hours of ‘How to’ videos (thank you, You Tube) and hair pulling trial and error… not to mention testing… a lot of testing. (This included my special daughter being editor, checker, encourager, advisor and listener.  And my dear mom the shoulder to cry on, the supporter and my number one fan. Not to mention my many friends coaxing me on, thank you to you all!)

Here we are insidestory.co.za.  

And my idea, from 2011, becomes a dream that is finally materializing.