The real secrets to living your life with passion

Of course, the opposite is also true. And then, at times your initial focus for a particular story becomes completely irrelevant once you dig in. The latter most often happens when you really engage with people and just allow the heart-to-heart to happen.

Our initial introduction at his business left me with intrigue. Who is this man? He sports a too good a mop of grey hair for someone his age – his sharp blue eyes are filled with intelligence and naughty wit. His facial features speak of character, authenticity, humbleness and, he wears some really, for some at least, creepy jewellery! A resurrected Hells Angel perhaps?

Well, to answer the latter – no, but yes, he is a baby-boomer and as much guilty of doing some really wild things as most of us baby-boomers would care to talk about. Age has, in his own admittance, made him a lot mellower.

The jury is still out on those naughty/rebel elements of his DNA though. I have, after a full-story interview, eventually concluded that the latter elements will never ever mellow out and that is just that! “Life is about taking responsibility for your decisions and not blaming others for anything – life, nobody owes you anything”.

Meet 70-year-old Bert Venter or Peter to his clients – qualified hairdresser and salon owner, counsellor (all hairdressers apparently are), spray-painter and panel beater, collector of model motorcycles, grower of clivias, father, great grandfather, husband of 50 years (undergoing constant emancipation but still current), and so the list continues.

And now, to stay out of mischief during his (shortly due) retirement, he is studying to become a marriage officer.
“I have three passions in life – my wife Daphne, hairdressing and bikes,” he says as he settles into his chair. “Daphne is responsible for my emancipation. I started with hairdressing in 1958 – been at it for
57 years.”

Bert grew up in Johannesburg and went to Helpmekaar. “My dad was a commercial artist and mum a computer operator. I am blessed in that all three of my kids are also passionate about bikes and hairdressing.”
And course then he pulled out that-carry-with-me-album to show me – the kids and the bikes.

“My first bike was a Hercules which my nephew gave me at age seven. I fitted a small motor onto the latter.” His first real bike was an Italian job – a 50cc Zundapp.
His next bike was an Item (this was in grade seven), then a Java – its rattle and shake was so bad that by the time he would arrive back home from the shop with a pint of milk, it would be buttermilk. A bread cost a sixpence.

His mind wanders a little and then (and I loved this part) he shared some of his ducktail/groenpetersielie/city hall and Whirlpool Club sessions (among others) with me. “Ja boet – those were the days – Hendrik Susan, Jurie Ferreira, Ollie Viljoen, Hansie van Loggenberg – in Melville and mum playing the piano and my dad singing in Jurie’s band.”
His first salary was 10 pounds. He had to pay rent and all other expenses like his bus ticket, food, movie tickets and the rest. After qualifying as a hairdresser and just before he got married, his income was 120 pounds.
He owned many bikes throughout his life – Norton Commando, CBX, Triumph Tiger but the favourite is the Honda 750 C. “On the Norton I always had to carry an extra set of pants when I go out for a night on the town.

The Norton is an English bike and if it does not drop oil, it’s not a Norton.”
Three years ago he started having problems with his legs – the first thought was that it is gout but it was diagnosed as septicemus which made it just about impossible to ride a bike. He sold all the bikes, which included a 900F, and swopped a beach buggy for a 550 Virago.

And then he bought a trike from someone in Sabie. This trike is the second one he has owned. “It was fitted with an Audi engine which we replaced with a twin-port VW and Ken Grossmith and his son supported my efforts to refurbish the trike. We had to redo the wiring – fitted a CBX tank – and plenty of other work was done. Daphne and I sprayed it – yes, she is quite proficient. Total spend this far comes to about R20 000.
“To drive or is it ride the trike, requires a completely different approach – hang, stoot en druk,” he says – as a result of the long handle bars of course. “And driving at 80km/h feels like you are going much faster. I need to replace the tyres still – a R1 000 a shot – eish, this is hectic.”

There are still some small things to be done but after 14 months of work, “we are extremely proud of and satisfied with our handwork”.
Well, and what about all the jewellery? This is a story for another day because every piece has its own story to tell. Suffice to say when you meet this trike on the road – wink, wave and acknowledge this 70-year-old’s sense of adventure and of course give him a wide birth.

I conclude with some good advice from this elder. “Success in business is about listening to your customer – always be friendly – do not engage in gang stories. Marriage is about trust and has no place for jealousy, and of course, riding a bike is a good anecdote for life’s stresses and strains.”

So there you have the secret to a happy life which is how Bert describes his.