Hansie is my dog. On a sports field, a substitute steps in out of necessity. No matter their potential, on that given day, they remain a step behind the original choice. We live with substitutes every day. When the film we wanted is sold out, we choose another. When an evening by the sea is no longer possible, we find another way to spend it. Real plants become bonsai; bonsai become plastic leaves. We make these trades so often that we hardly notice them any more. Sometimes, we make them with emotions too. A quiet house can feel different when children are grown and gone, or when they were never there to begin with. Many bring home a dog — a gentle response to an ache, an unspoken need for connection, a little companionship. The same thing can be an original for one person and a substitute for another. One person swims because the water calls to them. Another swims because there is nothing else to do. The act is the same; the meaning is not. Perhaps that is the clarity we owe ourselves...
Beyond your imagination