Becoming The Muse

Coffee With 12th Blogoversary

If you were having coffee with me, I would be happy to welcome you to my tangle of words on this auspicious occasion of my 12 year blogging anniversary. Cant believe its been that long already.

Why have I been here for 12 years spilling my words in this corner of the internet? Well, apparently, I have a lot of things to say but my INFP personality, basically means I internalise a lot of things and so I have cultivated this digital garden, to grow the thoughts, that rattle around in my head.

Them: you are very quiet for someone who writes a lot.

Me: that's why I write. #SunWIP

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) May 14, 2023

While this may be 12^th year here, I have been doing this long before I even knew what a blog was… from MySpace to My Opera and then there was FaceBook Notes which were discontinued but I found a way to access them using the Activity Log which has been of benefit to quite a number of people.

If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that along the way, I have grown into a proud uncle of bloggers, shaping the digital storytelling landscape. I have spoken about blogging at WordPress Camps, mentored bloggers, facilitated creative residencies, blogging fellowships and even squeezed in some digital diplomacy.

Blogging has shifted from simply being an an outlet for my thoughts, to a way of life, I have made connections, opportunities opened up and picked up quite a range of skills from graphic design to video editing, among other things that I have become a self-styled Digital Consultant…. step into my office.

 If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that once upon a time, listening to a playback of my recorded voice used to make me feel like apologising to anyone I ever talked to, but its grown on me, as I have been consistently embedding an audio version of my blog for over a year now, I hope you have noticed and let me read for you.

Someone pointed out that of late I have been posting mainly reviews and not writing as much fictional tales as I used to do… Well, I totally relate to the SecUnit from Murderbot on how watching serials is an escape from a reality which is less than ideal.

"I don’t watch serials to remind of the way things actually are. I watch them to distract me, from things of the real world that are stressful as sh*t."
—Murderbot#Murderbot pic.twitter.com/wFDfF87R1k

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) June 13, 2025

Besides, writing up reviews for my blog lets me pretend that I am working. I had a dream that one day I would get paid to watch TV and read books… and you know what, in its own unique way, you could say that I am living the dream, all I need now is to add travel to the mix, and be anywhere, anywhere else, other than here.

Blessed are they who get paid to do what they love doing…. Wish someone could pay me to stay in bed and watch movies all day

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) January 25, 2013

If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that sometimes the single star, in my country’s flag seems like a rating review, one star, I do not recommend… unless you have a pile of money, then this place is your oyster. Chinese entrepreneurs are buying real estate, in cold hard cash, and even the realtors are targeting them… makes business sense to go after your target market, but it still makes me feel all mixed up inside.

If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that the government department whose solution to problems is to ban with immediate effect, has come up with a new way to bring sanity back into the streets of the Sunshine City. Effective immediately, we will be banning the import of second-hand clothes, banning the sale of second hand clothes, banning the sale of goods on the street on the street and banning vending of goods at night.

Technically though, this already wasnt allowed, which is why vendors and municipal police play hide and seek games as they tried to clear out vendors, from the streets. The municipal police would knock off around 4:30pm, which meant that night time markets begun to flourish.

What time does Harare sleep? Was out and about downtown Robert Mugabe Road after dark and it was busier than during the day.
Pavements and streets filled with vendors hustling all sorts of wares…
Do they go home or they sleep in the streets of the city that never sleeps https://t.co/yKiGbK9Cu1 pic.twitter.com/UpoV5JDscj

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) May 9, 2023

Harare is also known as the city that never sleeps, and the night time pop up markets took advantage of the absence of regulatory authorities, to conduct their business undisturbed, forsaking the comfort of a warm home and a roof over their heads, in the hope of making a sale.

Of course the increased night time action is not without its down side, as it also leads to an increase illicit activities that thrive under the cover of darkness, crime, drugs, prostitution and the lack of ablution facilities and the mess that comes with that, in a city thats already struggling with waste management.

Its understandable, why they are now enforcing a ban on nighttime vending, we cant be a world class city, without resolving such things but without providing an alternative means for people to earn an income, this simply turns desperate people trying to put food on the table, into outlaws… And what about the consumers, the ones who survived on the affordability offered by vendors, those who styled pre-loved clothes into thrifty fashionwear… what are we to wear now?

If you were having coffee with  me I would tell you that I sometimes find my blog referred to as a social commentary blog, well, I like to say its about celebrating the beauty and chaos of the place I call home, even if sometimes there is more chaos than celebrations.

Thank you for visiting and whats been happening in your neck of the woods?

~B