82 Not Out! heard a really great life story the other day.

It was an unexpected gift that landed in my lap during a visit to a full afternoon at a St John’s Community Service social gathering.That’s the kind of environment where a writer can hear life stories from amazing folk all ages diverse and interesting. 

The day I went to meet the group I soon realised that some were over coming immense challenges in their ‘one day at a time’ everyday lives. The genuine hospitality of the carers there, the social contact, the bobs, and the bingo and of course the fellowship and camaraderie was an eye-opener for this Not Outer.

Now the remarkable life story leapt into life when it was announced the day was a special celebration day for one of the carers. The amiable man who lifted and gently moved those needing assistance told the gathering he had gained his Australian citizenship. Great cheers and smiles followed. Some around the afternoon tea table had assisted him in some way to achieve this desired status. 

Gradually I learned this small kind man who had been working at St John’s for the past three years was a refugee who arrived in Australia after spending 18 years in a refugee camp in Bhutan.

This is the kind of story that doesn’t make world headlines but it really set me thinking.

I realized I was suddenly seeing another side of the refugee coin.One we don't see often enough in the media.

We are constantly bombarded with the news of boat people arrivals. We watch horrific events and episodes of the refugee crisis which is unfolding globally.  Our hearts go out to those experiencing such appalling conditions. We want to help them all –but we and governments worldwide have complex issues to solve to do so.

Unfortunately glibly phrased political rhetoric about dealing with our legitimised authorised refugee quota before accepting thousands of boat people doesn’t make the same impact as horrific current screen scenarios.

So as I watched this benevolent new Australian citizen I asked how anyone could judge or choose between his experience awaiting in a camp 18 years to begin a new and better life as more or less important than parents risking boats to send  children away from the horrors of war.

A massive percentage of all refugees are children.

As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother I have only  commonsense suggestions about all this.  First and foremost how about a quick hurry up to whittle down the legitimate refugee intake. ..and let’s hear more about the success stories...sort out the off shore detention crisis soon as possible...then get a move on to take more of the boat kids in...(into our country not someone else’s) because they didn’t choose the world to be this way...any more than  I did as a kid under the kitchen table in the London Blitz.

I was given safety some love and a community to grow up in and I reckoned I turned out alright

What d’you reckon??