Chairman’s Address – Invictus

Os Chairman Photo

In the quieter moments of reflection during the extended period of lockdown I have been contemplating what the future holds. It appears I am not alone in pondering this question. Perhaps these are just idle thoughts but friends and family far and wide have been re-evaluating their lives and come to the conclusion there must be more to life than the humdrum of routine and daily pressure that have been the ingredients of their existence until mankind’s great economic machine came to a halt.

Of course, we all go through this from time to time but usually we don’t have enough time for the seed of doubt to grow. Usually such thoughts are confined to a Sunday evening while the fingers turn to prunes in the bath tub. All is forgotten the next day when our mind is refocused on work and deadlines.

But the time to think has been dangerously long and for some of us has been given extra momentum by the mid-life crisis rallying cry ‘I’m not getting any younger’. We are thus tormented by the desire to change and repurpose our lives, but held back by the belief that we have missed the boat, not qualified, scared it may all go wrong, or simply we are just too old to achieve those dreams which in our youth burned brightly in our hearts.

Well Hogwash!

Look at Captain, or rather Colonel, Tom. His greatest hour has come at the age of 100. His legacy is his inspiration which will be remembered long after the money he has raised has been put to good use.

The same can be said of our own Mike Biggar (S 63-68) who, inspired by Captain Tom, and despite his tremendous physical difficulties and pain, has also risen from his chair to raise money. I take my hat off to these two very fine and inspirational gentlemen.

Times are tough, and many are affected. But the future can be whatever we make of it despite our age and despite the clear adversity in which we presently find ourselves.

So well done Captain Tom and Mike Biggar on your gifts of inspiration and for reminding us that whatever the odds we can, if we choose to be, the captain of our soul and the master of our fate.

Cheers All

Jan van der Velde
Chairman, OS Club