Joburg Lost Gail

My friend Gail Wilson died today. Gail had been very sick for a couple of months and she knew this day was coming; a small group of those closest to her knew, too. But I think I speak for many who loved Gail when I say that nothing could have prepared me for the devastation I feel now that she is actually gone. Not only will I miss her terribly myself, but I can’t conceive of how Johannesburg will go on existing without her.

I’m in the United States right now, six hours behind Joburg, and I woke up this morning to a slew of messages about Gail. Once I’d absorbed the news, I opened my blog and typed her name into the search field. I couldn’t believe how many posts popped up – at least 30, spread out over more than a dozen years. I completely broke down as I scrolled, remembering all the fun adventures Gail and I shared.

I like to think that I know a lot about Joburg, and that I’ve explored the city more thoroughly than most. But as a Joburg explorer, I’ve got nothing on Gail. Most of what I know about this city, I learned from her.

Gail was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an artist, a writer, a photographer, a collector, and many other things. But above all, Gail was a Joburger. She fully immersed herself, body and mind, into this difficult, confounding, inspiring city. She posted about Joburg endlessly, on her own blog and on social media, and gained a huge following as a result. But Gail didn’t broadcast her love for Joburg to make a name for herself, or to make money, or to make any kind of point. Gail did what she did purely out of endless curiosity and love for this city and the people who live here.

I can’t tell you how many times I met up with Gail and told her about some cool Joburg place I recently discovered, only to find out she already knew that place and had been there multiple times. I also can’t tell you how many times I published a new Joburg post on my blog and Gail was the first person to comment, sharing a fun anecdote about her experience with the place or person I had blogged about. I can’t bear the thought that I’ll never receive a comment from Gail again.

In addition to being Joburg’s greatest cheerleader, Gail was an overall fantastic human being. She was one of the most creative people I knew, perpetually making art in a variety of mediums. She was smart and funny and compassionate and confident and didn’t take any shit. Gail was open-minded and also spoke her mind. She was a great listener. She overcame a lot of adversity in her life and wasn’t afraid to share about her experiences in an honest, vulnerable way. She was a fantastic storyteller. I learned so much from Gail about how to be a woman in the world. I’m only realizing now, as I write this, how much Gail inspired me in every aspect of my life.

Joburg has suffered a tremendous loss – this city will be less colorful without Gail. But we were lucky to have her for the time that we did. My heart goes out to everyone who knew her.