Good Ole Uncle Vic February 2012

February 3, 2012 By: Victor Brick

Lynne and I just got back from a terrific two-week vacation in South Africa. We spent time in Cape Town, spent time with our great friends, Tony deLeede and Sue Blazevic, on the residence cruise ship The World, visited some Zulu battlefields and spent four days on safari at Sir Richard Branson’s private game reserve, Ulusaba, adjacent to the Kruger game reserve.

While the safari was an exhilarating experience (Yes, we did see the Big 5-Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Water Buffalo and Rhino), the highlight of the trip was visiting the Zulu battlefields of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlawana. Why? When Tony and I met 27 years ago at a fitness convention, we found we had several things in common. We were both born in January of 1953, we both loved chocolate and our favorite movie was Zulu. Zulu? Yes, Zulu, the story of the defense of an outpost at Rorke’s Drift, South Africa in 1789 by 125 British soldiers against 4,000 hostile Zulu. After a glorious two-day stand, the British beat off the Zulu with great loss of life on both sides. The British fought so bravely that 11 Victoria Crosses, the British equivalent to the Medal of Honor, were awarded to the defenders. That is one for every 10 men! At great example of courage and honor, at least according to the movie!

So here we were, on pretty much the date of each of our 59^th birthdays, finally making the pilgrimage to Rorke’s Drift!

Well, we got a little different story from our Zulu guide, Tulani. It seems the British were actually trying to colonize Zululand (Natal). They invaded the Zulus’ kingdom with an army of 4,500 men, confident of victory. They camped at a mountain called Islandawana and then made the same fatal mistake as General George Armstrong Custer did at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, they divided their forces, with the same disastrous result! While the main force of 3,000 men were off looking for the Zulu army, the Zulus attacked the camp with 24,000 warriors. After a desperate struggle, the Zulu wiped the British out to the man, the greatest victory by an indigenous force over a modern army in the history of warfare.

After wiping out the British at Isandlawana, some of the Zulus advanced on Rorke’s Drift, an outpost 12 miles from Isandlawana. While it is true the British defenders were greatly outnumbered and fought bravely, the main reason the Zulus broke off the engagement was fatigue, having been fighting for two solid days.

I can tell you, Tulani was a lot more interested in showing us Isandlawana than Rorke’s Drift.

Now, the question is, how could 24,000 warriors armed with nothing but spears and cow-hide shields wipe out 1500 men armed with rifles, cannon and even mortars. The answer? Arrogance. The British were arrogant and over-confident, plain and simple. They simply did not believe the Zulus had the capability of defeating them in battle. And, because of that, they did not take them seriously. They did not fortify their camp properly. They divided their force and they were totally caught by surprise when the Zulu dared to attack their camp. The results were disastrous.

And, isn’t that how it is in life? Arrogance and over-confidence will bring you down every time. How many times does an athlete get cocky and over-confident, only to be knocked off his or her perch and be reminded that he/she is not as great as he or she thinks. How many times does someone get cocky in business and take risks that he/she really shouldn’t take, like investing in speculative real estate, only to come crashing down to earth when the deal blows up in his/her face. How many times does someone ruin a personal relationship with a friend or loved one by becoming arrogant and taking that person for granted.

There is another sister movie to Zulu. It is called Zulu Dawn. It is the story of the battle of Isandlawana. If you watch it you will be appalled by the arrogance of the British before the battle. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake in the little battles you face every day of your life. Maintain your humility. Keep things in perspective. Like Lou Holtz said, one day you can be drinking the wine, the next day you can be picking the grapes. Stay humble. Stay focused. Stay grateful.

Uncle Vic

Thought For The Day: (In honor of Tony and my birthday)

When you are 20 you are concerned about what people think.

When you are 40 your don’t care what people think.

When you are 60 you realize they weren’t thinking about you anyway.