In 1993, Mike and I were attending the Fish Hoek Baptist Church in Cape Town. The children were 5 & 2. We were a young family establishing our home and career. I was working part time. One morning, the Pastor of the church, Rev. John Thomas stood in the pulpit and requested prayer for a plan the church leadership had hatched some months earlier. They had thought to celebrate the church’s birthday, it would be fun to try and arrange a radio station to broadcast to the Fish Hoek area for a week. Just 3 or 4 hours a day for 1 week in September 1993. It would allow them the opportunity of reaching out to the community in a greater way. They had applied to the Radio Authority at the time and awaited their decision. Now it was the end of July and they hadn’t heard. Pastor John asked the church to pray, so pray we did.
The next week, a jubilant church rejoiced that an answer had come. It was not quite the answer the expected. The Fish Hoek Baptist Church had been given a license to broadcast. They had asked for a week to the Fish Hoek area for 3-4 hours a day. What was granted was far greater than ever could be imagined or expected. They were granted a 24 hour radio license to the whole of Cape Town for ONE month. And they had 3 weeks before they went on air.
Mike immediately made himself available to help in the computer department. Actually for quite some time, he WAS the computer department. He set about writing a radio management system that would assist the radio station in coordinating all the staff, radio programmes and music items. It was time consuming to say the least and for many evenings I didn’t see him. That was the birth of first Radio Fish Hoek which would become Radio CCFm and our common interest was born with it.
As the children grew my involvement in CCFm grew. Eventually I resigned from my job in nursing and joined CCFm’s advertising department. I also became a part time volunteer presenter. This was extended in 2004 when I became the Morning Drive Show presenter. It was a role I loved for the duration of the 10 years I did. From CCFm’s inception Mike has been very involved serving 10 years on the CCFm Board of Management. Up until my departure from CCFm, seldom a day would go by that we didn’t discuss some aspect of CCFm. Mike is still involved in that he produces and presents a technology show each Saturday. Radio CCFm are no longer using his computer management programme but it certainly worked for them for the best part of 20 years.
For all those years, CCFm was a common bond between us. Then I left and as Mike approached retirement, he took up golf and I took up caddying for him. It’s been wonderful. I’ve learned so much and I love the servant role a Caddie plays. I take great joy in running around the golf course after my husband.
My view of Mike about to tee off
One of the bonding agents between couples is the fact that they do share a similar hobby or pastime. This is something they can talk about, discuss and debate and do together. Be it playing golf, bird watching or hiking, it’s good time spent together that allows communication away from the hum drum of running the home and family. It takes them away from their usual environment to a world which they enjoy and for them is a stress reliever.
Find something you both enjoy and make a plan to do it together.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour…”
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂