Love like an economic historian

Behind ye paywall doth wisdom dwell

It was today, twenty years ago, that I nervously drove to pick up Helanya for our first date. I was a Master’s student, and she was in her first year at Stellenbosch. We were heading to dinner at the Black Bull restaurant – now just another piece of Stellenbosch history. Halfway there, my heart sank. I’d left my wallet at home. I had to turn around, totally embarrassed. Not exactly a promising start.

But somehow, despite that clumsy beginning, the date was not our last. Twenty years later, we have grown into a family: two busy toddlers and two cats that rule our house with quiet disdain. Life is busy but good. I simply cannot imagine it without her.

As an economic historian, I have learned two core truths about humanity: First, we have discovered that our understanding of nature can – and should – be harnessed to make ourselves more productive. Second, the fruits of this productivity should not remain confined to an elite few, but used instead to advance the well-being of all.

Twenty years together have taught me these same truths about love, albeit in ways that you would not find in a textbook.