Sarah Thewlis

Where are you now?
I am living in Brisbane Australia with my husband of 14 years, Stewart, and my two children, Justin (age 12) and Jo (Joanne) turning 10 in March. We have lived here for 6 years now and have embraced our new life here. Other household members are Bundy (golden Labrador aged 6), Storm (black Labrador aged 3) and Bailey (black labrador aged 8 months – product of Bundy and Storm).

What do I do all day?
Stewart and I run two businesses. One is a digital and screen printing business and the other is a packaging business – mainly for the food industry. It is what Stewart was doing in Cape Town. Working together certainly has its moments but it works well for us and I married a man with a fabulous sense of humour and we can laugh at everything at the end of the day.
I still work a full day but also have flexibility when it comes to the kids school etc etc

The last 20 years
Gosh, it is hard to squeeze the last 20 years into a few paragraphs AND try not to bore everyone to tears!

When I left school I went to UCT and studied Social Science wasn’t that the thing to do??? I wanted to do psychology – as you do at 17 – but didn’t get in! On reflection I think it was the best thing because I reckon I had more issues than my future patients would have!!

I didn’t really enjoy uni as I found that just studying the night before like I did at school didn’t cut it and failed a few subjects. I was also used to being spoon fed at school so being that little bit independent on the huge campus scared the crap out of me! But I persevered because it was what was expected of me at home.

Sadly my dad was killed in a car accident in the August of 1988 and I dropped out of uni after that because I just didn’t cope.

I decided to try again and enrolled at Cape Technicon to study Cost and Management accounting. I much preferred the more relaxed attitude at Tech. I stayed there for 2 years and then in 1990 I decided to do the whole traveling thing and booked my ticket to leave in January 1991. I guess I just wasn’t the studying type………

Just 4 months before I was due to leave I met Stewart through a mutual friend. He is an ex SACS boy and water polo player. We had a whirlwind romance – if you can call it romance at the tender age of 21 – and I very sadly left him behind to go overseas. He followed me 2 months later and we got engaged. We backpacked around Europe and England for a year, did the the whole pub work thing and then headed home penniless but well traveled!!

Because of our young age we decided to have a long engagement and eventually married 3 years later in 1994. We got married at St Cyps chapel – for 2 reasons (1) it was a very pretty chapel and I could have the choir singing and (2) I didn’t have another church!!

I started my ‘real’ working career at the City Lodge as a receptionist – a job which I got through contacts. Because I never qualified in anything it wasn’t that easy finding a corporate job! I actually ended up really enjoying it but the shift work over Xmas and New Year caused havoc in my tiny little mind (I couldn’t spend time with my friends) so I resigned. After a few smaller short term jobs I got a job at a Financial Investment company where I started as the PA to 2 directors. After a while I was promoted to the doing to the books and was then subsequently offered a partnership and Directorship. I was there for 8 years before we decided to move to Australia.

In between the jobs I had Justin in 1995, which as the old cliché says “changed our lives”. I don’t think one can ever realise what an impact a child has on you and your lifestyle.

We moved house a couple of times – Stewart and I can’t seem to stay in one house very long! I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks with my next pregnancy and 4 months after that fell pregnant with Joanne (Jo as we call her). Who was born in 1998.

We made the very hard decision of leaving South Africa and making a life in Australia in 2001 and after a few trips to Australia, looking for a business (we were on a business visa) and the long wait for our visa, we eventually moved to Brisbane in 2002 and have been here ever since.

Any shining moments from school years?
Well, let me reflect and drag up the past that I have relatively successfully put in my dark memory banks. I have rather a lot of cringe worthy memories from school days – especially the last 2 years where I had the usual 17 year old anger at the world and took it out on everyone around me – I think was quite a bitch to some people and unfortunately never took the time to really get to know people! I think my motto at the time was “And you call me a bitch like it is a bad thing…..!!!”
Thank heavens one learns as you get older and make the necessary adjustments…. I live with my regrets and am a better person because of them.

I reckon a lot of people thought I may have turned out to be a bit of a bad apple because I was a rather mean spirited towards the end of our years at school. But I think most people would be surprised that I have turned out relatively normal and never got involved in drugs or a bad crowd.......

Truth be told, I went to see someone “professional” at one stage because I was harbouring terrible feelings of guilt because I thought I was a nasty person who didn’t make/keep friends easily! See what that damn school did to me……………….Anyway, not that therapy helped, making new friends who love me for who and what I am is what made me realise I am worth so much more than bitter resentment and guilty anguish.

As for shining moments – there weren’t that many. I think my sport – especially hockey and our hockey tour - was what kept me going. And we had some fun in Art – when Bergman was in a good mood that is!

How about less than shining?
Apart from what I have said above, there are too many to mention but there are a few specific incidents that stick in my mind.
- Being told that Belinda Sainsbury and I couldn’t do the traditional Lily picking because I had got bust driving to school without a license and Belinda was in the car with me!
- Up until about Std 8, always being near the very front of the line walking down to the Church on St Cyps day because I was so short! Soooo embarrassing for a 14 year old to be with 12 year olds!!!
- Often feeling like and outcast and disliked – all the while putting on a “tough, couldn’t give a shit” front to compensate.

Staying in touch
Unfortunately I never did stay in touch with many people. I bumped into a few people along the way but that was about it. We saw Trish and her husband because Stewart played waterpolo with Paul and our sons went to the same day mom. Through that connection I bumped into Judy and Liz a few times as well.
I met up with TJ when I was in the hospital having Justin and she was there trying to keep her twins from arriving early. We exchanged numbers and did a few coffee mornings after that. Unfortunately, as life just got busier and busier, the years passed by before you realise how long it was been. And then it almost feels too late…………………….
I am in regular communication with Tania Irvine (she was year above us and I payed hockey with her) because she dated my brother-in-law for a while and she has since moved to Sydney.

Did St Cyps prepare you for life?
Hindsight is truly a wonderful thing – isn’t it! Oh boy would I do things differently at school if I had a chance! But, can you ever be prepared for life? Life is what you make it and no school can do it for you.

Stand out teachers
It seems everyone remembers Mrs Thorburn – what a character
Mrs Bergman also had a huge presence
And who could forget Ms Cable – especially when she was checking we had the right undies on!!
Not that he was a particular stand out – but I clearly remember Mr Cartwright’s snot green polyester suits!!

Life Lessons?
An old one – Life is too short.
People can only do to you what you let them do to you.
Worry about something only if and when it happens

Greatest Hope
To be always loved by those closest to me – through good days and bad – and to treat people the way I would like to be treated.

How different is life from 20 years ago
I didn’t know what I wanted to do 20 years ago and to this day still don’t look further than today! Losing my dad unexpectedly when I was 18 has taught me that you never know what is around the next corner and how life can change so suddenly.

Email: sarah(at)starstuffgraphic(dot)com