Bowing out

CAROLYN FROST: BOLANDER EDITOR

It is with a profound sense of purpose, and deep gratitude, that I have served as Bolander’s editor for the past 18 years, with exactly 900 editions published (yes, I counted!).

This journey comes to an end with next week’s edition, when I step down, and I thought I would share the heartfelt words I spoke at our launch at Lord Charles, just before our very first edition, on April 18, 2007:

“My life has been filled with journeys into the unknown, heralding new beginnings and testing my resourcefulness as I embarked on the challenges inherent to ‘the road less travelled’.

A long and convoluted journey transported me through varied landscapes of many countries, creating a wealth of experiences along the way, honing my physical and emotional navigational skills, brought about by subconscious desire to form a more holistic understanding of humanity, societies, cultures, the impact of history, and geographical constraints or opportunities.

My keenly observant eye, non-partisan atitudes, receptiveness to learning about things outside my frame of reference – and the inclination to capture what I saw on paper, and through the lens – revealed and evolved my journalistic character.Like the Elephant’s Child in Rudyard Kipling’s tales, I have always been filled with insatiable curiosity.

But my travels did not take me to the “great green greasy Limpopo” for a tug of war with a crocodile, but instead through 15 countries, with my belongings strapped to my back, in an elective tug-of-war with my own sensibilities and opinion, eventually propelling me upwards to the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

I lingered for nine long and contemplative years in their icy embrace, before the longing in my heart brought me back to the Boland with its majestic ranges, verdant valleys and warm-hearted inhabitants (and naturally, the delights of warmer climes!).

My journey with Independent Newspapers began in 2005, when I was appointed as a community journalist on the Helderberg Sun, thrusting me into the heart of the community, where I served as a conduit between its members.

Now, again, I embark into new territory, and I am filled with pride, confidence and enthusiasm, as Independent Newspapers launches Bolander.

For those who seek an articulate, eloquent, enlightening and insightful source of news and views, Wednesdays will be a highlight of their week, as they peruse the contents of our newspaper; and as we expand our boundaries, so shall we expand the boundaries and dimensions of our readers.

We welcome feedback, ideas, conclusions, introspections and suggestions, and anticipate a vibrant dialogue with our readers, through our letters page, and as a resource for our editorial content.

In the 1700s, William Blake observed: “Great things are done when men and mountains meet” – and they been attributed as being one of our greatest resources of inspiration.

For Bolander, and the mountains and valleys and people that will characterise her, this is apt indeed... embarking on a new journey, embracing the beautiful landscapes stretching from False Bay’s gentle curve, to the majestic mountains of Franschhoek.

I am privileged to be at the helm of this publication, and as the editor of Bolander; my commitment is to offer our discerning readers a newspaper synonymous with excellence and integrity.

And just as the word independent suggests, our content will be free-thinking, individualistic, unconventional and confident, as we seek to encapsulate the pulse of this extraordinarily diverse region.

Our features, news, columns, commentary and photographs will represent the communities, and simultaneously invoke paradigm shifts as we explore the personalities, industries, entrepreneurship, achievements, innovations and inspirations of our Boland and Helderberg inhabitants.

Our goal is to embark on this new adventure in partnership with our readers and advertising contributors, who will be in a vibrant and interactive relationship with our editorial staff, as we delve into the contours of geographical, agricultural, physical and intellectual landscapes the region comprises.

We seek to inspire hope, and act as a conduit within the “Magnificent Seven” towns we serve, enlightening our readers and capturing their imagination, inciting debate, and... liberating action from intention.

This region is populated with expertise in every conceivable field. Venerable citizens, retired perhaps from active duty, but representing historic narratives of great significance, wisdom and relevance to our times.

Ground-breaking academic researchers and world-class tertiary educators populate the university town of Stellenbosch. Seasoned farmers and agricultural specialists have positioned the area over the past few centuries as one of the greatest wine and olive growing regions the world.

Vibrant theatres and a host of galleries offer an abundance of the arts, and our cuisine and wine routes are internationally-renowned.

Eco-tourism and biodiversity initiatives have resulted in a fundamental shift towards more conscious living, with triple bottom lines of ‘people, profit, planet’ gaining momentum, as we redefine the fragile nature of our resources, and our collective responsibilities towards our habitat.

Environmental awareness is no longer a fringe concept, but vividly represented; recycling programmes, flourishing organic farmers markets, health and wellness retreats, water-wise initiatives, and educational outreach to inculcate greater awareness among the next generation.

In representing the vibrancy and diversity of the lifestyles and aspirations of our inhabitants, Bolander offers an alternative to the daily inundation of the grim realities that permeate into society’s consciousness... to the extent that despair – and an accompanying sense of bleak hopelessness – becomes the order of the day.

We’ll infuse our readers with motivational, inspirational and informative copy, and reinforce the awareness of the incalculable wealth of nature and human capital resources surrounding us... energise and revitalise them, and strengthen their sense of connectedness.”

Well, I hope that we achieved, at least to some extent, the goals I expressed above, so many years ago...

If any of our readers wish to continue interacting with me (and certainly, many have become friends with the passage of time), please don’t hesitate to contact me, at my original email address of bolander@mweb.co.za, or at 083 522 3538.

My journey of words will continue, in one shape or another – that much I know. For the rest... well, that is yet to be discovered.

See you around, Carolyn