Umculo Wawungukuphila Kwami
Njengoba ixoxwa nguGordon Grant
KWAKUKHONA upiyano oludala olwalumi ekamelweni lokuhlala lomkhaya wakithi. Ngokushesha nje lapho sengikhule ngokwanele ukuba ngingakhwela ebhentshini ngangizama ukuludlala. Ngesikhathi sengineminyaka mhlawumbe emine noma emihlanu ubudala, ugogo wayengithatha angiyise emakhonsathini, engangiwajabulela kakhulu. Futhi sengineminyaka eyisithupha abazali bami baqala ukunginika izifundo zopiyano.
Ngalufunda ngokushesha upiyano futhi ngathuthuka ngokushesha. Ngesikhashana ngangibadlalela ekhaya nasemakhonsathini esikole. Ukuqeqeshwa kwami kokuqala kwakuwumculo weclassic, kodwa njengoba ngangingenela iminyaka eyeve eshumini ngaqala ukuba nesithakazelo kujazz. Okokuqala ngangithanda i-dixieland jazz, kodwa kamuva ngaba nesithakazelo ezinhlotsheni zesimanje. Ngalesosikhathi, phakathi nawo-1950, irock ’n’ roll yaqala ukuba nodumo phakathi kwabantu abasha ababengontanga yami. Kodwa ngayithola iphindaphinda okufanayo futhi ilula kakhulu. Kimina, amagama ayengenangqondo futhi nababeyidlala babeyizimfundamakhwela. Khona ngaqhubeka nesithakazelo sami kujazz. Nganginabangane nabo ababethanda ukudlala ijazz, futhi ngokushesha sasesidlala emicimbini yesikole. Sasichitha zonke izikhathi zantambama sifunda ijazz ekhaya kithi.
Kuyo yonke iminyaka yami yesikole umculo wawuwukuzilibazisa okujabulisayo, kodwa angizange ngiwucabangele ngokujulile njengomsebenzi wokuziphilisa. Eqinisweni, ngo-1958 ngangena eCentral Oklahoma State College njengengcweti yemathematics. Ngokushesha ngathintana nabaculi esikoleni. Babedlalela imidanso yesikole futhi besebenza endaweni yaseDolobheni laseOklahoma. Bangicela ukuba ngihambisane nabo, futhi ngokushesha ngangidlala njalo ngezimpelasonto. Njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka sathola umsebenzi kuma-nigthclub endawo.
Ulwazi lwami lwaseWeseli lwahluleka ukungivikela. Ngenxa yalokho, imibono yami yokuziphatha masinyane yawohloka lapho ngifika ekholiji, futhi ngaqala ukuphila ukuphila kwasebusuku nabangane bami ababengabaculi.
Ukucindezela Kontanga Nemilaliso
Ngaqala ukubuthanda impela utshwala futhi ngangidakwa njalo phakathi nezinsuku zami zasekholiji. Okwesikhashana ngamelana nesilingo sokusebenzisa imilaliso, kodwa akubanga yisikhathi eside ngacindezelwa abangane bami bejazz ukuba ngizame insangu. Ngathola ukuthi ngangiyithanda kakhulu futhi ngaqala umkhuba owaqhubeka cishe iminyaka eyi-10. Ngangisebenzisa ama-amphetamines ngezikhathi ezithile ukuba angidake kodwa angizange ngempela ngihileleke kuma“uppers” noma olunye uhlobo lwemilaliso “enamandla.” Kodwa ngangiwumsebenzisi wensangu njalo, zonke izinsuku. Ngaphandle kwabambalwa kuphela bonke abaculi engangibazi ababedlala kuma-nightclub eDolobheni laseOklahoma nabo babeyisebenzisa. Abaningi bethu sasizilimela ngisho eyethu.
Lapho ngiqeda ekholiji ngo-1963 ngaqhubeka neqembu laseDallas, lonke elalingabasebenzisi abakhulu bensangu. Kamuva ngadlala nabadlali be-nightclub yaseToronto. Sasebenza emadolobheni kuyo yonke intshonalanga United States. Ngathola ukuthi isimo semilaliso eDolobheni laseOklahoma sasifana nakwezinye izindawo. Phakathi kwabaculi bama-nightclub ukusetshenziswa kwemilaliso cishe okomhlaba wonke.
Ngo-1968 ngabuyela eDolobheni laseOklahoma. Ngalesosikhathi abanye babangane bami babehlala eLos Angeles futhi babengikhuthaza ukuba ngiye kubo. Njengoba lelodolobha lalinikeza amathuba athe xaxa ngomculi ukuba asebenze, nganquma ukuba ngithuthele khona. Nakuba isifiso sami sokuqala sasiwukusebenza njengomculi ozimele yedwa, abangane bami base benze iqembu lerock, futhi babehlose ukuzama ukulenza libe likhulu emculweni wepop.
Umculo werock wasekupheleni kwawo-1960 wase uyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu futhi wawuthakazelisa kakhulu kimi kunerock ’n’ roll yangaphambili. Ithuba lokusebenza endaweni yokuqopha umculo nokwenza imali eningi nakho kwakukhanga kimi.
Umculo Nemimoya
Kwakuseduze nokuphela kwesikhathi samahippie, futhi wonke umuntu wayehileleka enkolweni yaseMpumalanga ngokufanayo nokufundwa kwezinkanyezi neminye imikhuba yemilingo. Njengokuvamile, imilaliso yayigcwele yonke indawo. Yebo, umculo wawuyindlela yokubonakalisa lokho kuhlakanipha nendlela yokuphila.
Iqembu lethu lalingahlukile. Saba nesithakazelo esikhulu ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi. Sake saya kumbhuli ukuba asitshele izinhlanhla zethu zomuntu ngamunye noma iqembu. Sasifunda i-I Ching (incwadi yaseMpumalanga yemilingo.) Abangane bethu babehlanganisa abefundisi nabathakathi. Ngokumangalisayo, ngangingacabangi ukuthi singene kakhulu, kunabanye ababesizungezile. Njengehlaya saqamba iqembu lethu ngokuthi i“Mephistopheles” (idemoni lakudala uFaust.) Esembozweni serekhodi lethu sasinezithombe zethu ezimangalisayo, eziphendukezelwe.
Uma ngicabanga emuva kulesosikhathi ngempela kulula ukubona ukuthi lalinamandla kangakanani ithonya lemilaliso nemimoya emculweni. Akumangalisi ukuthi namuhla, eminyakeni eyi-10 kamuva, ubudemoni, ubuSathane nokuziphatha okubi kudlangile emculweni odumile. Ngiyayibona futhi inkambo ukuphila kwami okwakuyithathile futhi ngiyacabanga nje ukuthi ngangizophelelaphi ukuba izinto ezithile azizange zenzeke entwasahlobo ka-1969.
Ukubheka Okusha Ekuphileni
Eziningi izazi zezinkanyezi zazibikezela ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu ogwini olusentshonalanga yeUnited States ngoApril 1969. Okwakusijabulisa ukuthi abaningi eqenjini lethu babengaphandle kwedolobha ngalesosikhathi. Sanquma ukuthi kwakuyisikhathi esihle sokuba sivakashele emuva eOklahoma. Nokho, ukuzamazama komhlaba akuzange kwenzeke, kodwa sasilokhu sinomuzwa ngenxa yalokho esasikubona wokuthi kwakunencithakalo enkulu eyayiseduze. Engqondweni sasinomqondo wokwenza imali eningi futhi sihambe siye ezintabeni ngaphambi kokuba yonke into ishe.
Ngokushesha ngemva kokuba ngibuyile eOklahoma, kwafika ababili boFakazi BakaJehova endlini yami. Baqala ukungibonisa eBhayibhelini ukuthi empeleni siphila ezinsukwini zokugcina nokuthi ukuphela kwalesi simiso kwakuseduze. (Mathewu 24:3-42) Ngicabanga ukuthi bamangala ngendlela engavuma ngayo ngokushesha ukuthi umhlaba wawudungekile. Ukuzwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayezokwenza wonke umhlaba ube ipharadesi lapho umuntu engaphila khona phakade kwakuzwakala kukuhle kakhulu. Nokho, ngenxa yokuhlangana kwami kwangaphambili neLobukholwa, ngase ngilahlekelwe ukholo eBhayibhelini futhi nganginensolo nganoma yini ethi iwubuKristu. Kodwa ngangifuna ukwazi, futhi oFakazi ngokusobala babelazi iBhayibheli labo. Ngakho ngasivuma isifundo seBhayibheli sasikhathi sonke.
Okokuqala kwakukhona ukucabangela izinto ngobugovu. Ngangilubona uhlobo lwezimiso iBhayibheli elalizifuna kulabo abafuna ukuba amaKristu oqobo. (Mathewu 16:24; Johane 4:23; Jakobe 4:4) Nokho kwakukhona umculo owawubusa ukuphila kwami kwaze kwaba yilesosikhathi. Nakuba kungekho eBhayibhelini okwenqabela umuntu ukuba aziphilise ngomculo, ngabona ukuthi isimo sami sasingenza ukuba ukulandelela indlela enjalo yokuphila kube nzima. Ngangazi ukuthi ukuzinikezela kusho ukuthini, njengoba ngangizinikezele emculweni eminyakeni eminingi. Ngangazi futhi ukuthi amazwi kaJesu ayiqiniso: “Akakho ongakhonza amakhosi amabili.”—Mathewu 6:24.
Ushintsho Ekugcizeleleni
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi nganeliseka ukuthi iBhayibeli ngempela liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu. Futhi ngaqala ukukhulisa uthando lwami ngoJehova nesifiso sokumkhonza. Ngangifuna ukuphila oHlelweni Olusha ayeluthembisile. (Thithu 1:2) Kuze kube yilesosikhathi, ukuphila kwami konke kwakugxile emculweni, kodwa manje kwakufanele kuthathe indawo yesibili.
NgoFebruary 1971 ngabhapathizwa kwathi ngoSeptember wawo lowonyaka ngaqala ukukhonza isikhathi esigcwele njengesikhonzi esiyiphayona eHollywood, eCalifornia. Amanye amalunga amabili angaphambili e“Mephistopheles” nababili kubangane bethu nabo baba oFakazi BakaJehova. Ngaqhubeka ngisebenza njengomculi, kodwa kwakufanele ngiqaphelisise ukuba umsebenzi engiwamukelayo awungihileli ezintweni engizaziyo ukuthi azifunwa uNkulunkulu. Ngaqala futhi ukuthatha umsebenzi njengomhlanzi nomshayeli ukuba ngizondle enkonzweni yami.
Ngo-1973 ngamenywa ukuba ngiyokhonza endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova eBrooklyn, eNew York. Yilapho bengikhona kusukela lapho. Nakuba kuye kwaba iminyaka ethile ngahileleka ebhizinisini lomculo, ngisalokhu ngidlala futhi ngihlanganyela nabanye umculo engiwujabulelayo, kokubili emihlanganweni yamaKristu nangezikhathi zokuzijabulisa kanye noFakazi enginabo. KunoFakazi engibaziyo abaye baqhubeka beziphilisa ngomculo futhi abaye baphumelela kokubili njengabaculi nezikhonzi ezingamaKristu. Kodwa baye bakwazi ukwenza lokhu kuphela ngokugcina umculo usendaweni yawo efanelekile. Uthando lwabo lokuqala ukuzinikela kuJehova nasenkonzweni yakhe. Futhi, baye baqaphelisisa ukuba bazilinde ekucabangeni nasezindleleni zabangane babo abangabaculi abangewona amaKristu.—1 Korinte 15:33.
Manje ngibheke phambili esikhathini lapho umculo uyodlalwa futhi ujatshulelwe ngaphandle kwethonya lesimiso esonakele nesikhohlakele. Ngalesosikhathi izimiso zikaNkulunkulu ezilungileyo ziyogcwala umhlaba wonke futhi nomculo uyoba ngowakhayo, umthombo wokudumisa uJehova.—Isaya 11:9; 54:13; AmaHubo 135:3.
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