82 NOT OUT Aug 18.
Been wondering –is it just my age that brings certain issues to my notice?
First Question –Is it just Not Outers noticing that there is a current tsunami glut of funeral insurance ads on our tele screens at present.?Another thought-are insurers cashing in on the escalating FEAR and DREAD trembling round the country when the China Sea is mentioned?
Guess main reason for such ads is that many eyes have been glued to the Olympic screen wonder show where many a trip, fall or triumph calculated in nanno seconds holds the attention of millions.
Whilst Australia like other countries rejoices on the daily national medal tally I’ve had some reflective thoughts.Of course for myself some special memorable highlights. The first being -
Bulla,Bulla Yeah!Yeah! Yeah! Fiji-a First Gold medal
for thisPacific nation. The Sevens team deserve a national holiday on return
home! Thumbs up my Pacific brothers and the sisters cheering them on. Grass or should
I say coral root success story.
Then tears in my eyes for the appearance of Refugee Olympic Team –allpower to those who made
this possible.
Now the profound stuff –
What sort of message does this Olympics send the
world when everyday Brazilians can’t afford the spectator seats a great
percentage of which have not been sold? Isn’t something out of kilter in the
fact that only now are these being made available to host country folk?
Interesting too that PEN reports that since
2004 24 bloggers and print journalists
have been murdered in Brazil.The majority of these crimes remain fully or
partially unsolved.
At least in Australia I don’t need to explore
funeral insurance because I have freedom when I blog. If I say I was not impressed to see P.M. Turnbull hastily acknowledging
and addressing a kerb person obviously in need of cash –I am free to say so. I’ll
add that it appeared to be a convenient media shot too. It actually upset me tremendously
because it came across as a condescending gesture to a poor man made by an affluent VIP in a
hurry.
Point is though that I can write that and not be arrested or detained or maybe
lost forever before reaching another Not
Outer birthday.
Now talking of writing which is what I think I do best in life – I recently read a web article by Beth Bacon ‘11 Ways to Overcome Marketing Dread’. Many
others who think that writing is the best thing they do in life could consider
and take to heart two of her pieces of
advice: Consider Your Book Your Business and this one is best of all ‘Make It Fun’ The latter sure
has worked for me!
I always remember Brecht said to say the serious through
comedy.
Here’s one of my recent poems re- one of the most
important issues in current discussion today:
Pass on, network but acknowledge writer please.
“Regrettable
event... tut tut...” screen politician states.
“Tut
tut ...Indeed regrettable.” echo his
fellow peers .
“We
demand some action,” marching street crowds call
“It’s
time for action... action... no more rhetoric please.
Just
end prolonged detention for all these refugees.”
.
“How
come Australia hasn’t fixed this stuff ? ”
bright
school girl asks in class.
“A
detainee sets self alight before some VIP’s,
explain
how just ‘regrettable’ is this?
will
someone tell me please?”
“We
stopped the boats.” class nerd boy yells
“What
next were we to do?”
Girl
glares,“ Not lock them up for years off shore ,
So
folk conveniently forget just what they came here for?”
Wise
teacher intervenes, “We have a lesson here.
Problems
you leave or hide away don’t simply disappear
they
can compound, become complex, difficult to solve.”
Class
philosopher then speaks up,
“If
we recognise we blew it, it could be time to say,
let’s
set this record straight- find new strategies today.”
“Fine.”
teacher steps in. “Assignment for tonight.
Each
draft a letter, express your views , outline one plan or more
for
changes re - detention of refugees offshore.”
Groans
followed,“ Uurgh, Tuesday’s training night...
urgh,
we’re not into issues Sir--”
Head
high girl glares at class then gives a swift reply
“Now
listen all you stupid guys maybe it’s time you were.”
Now
the winning Tropical Writers Short Short Festival story I promised last blog.The
theme was a tricky one- A zookeeper,an elephant and a love story.
Barriers.
500words.
Samuel was a zoo man extraordinaire. Ungainly and
exceptionally strong, the pockets of his Brendon Heights Zoo dungarees bulged
with bits of metal. Bolts, screws, nuts, nails, and a motley assortment of
small tools lived on him.
As both a youngster and teen Samuel had walked the
zoo beside his handy man father. He gained knowledge, practical skills and
know- how by osmosis. When his aged father was rest-homed Samuel inherited the
zoo position. Advice drummed into him for years was repeated on rest home visits.
“Samuel.
You let them eddicated vets and keepers deal with them animals. It don’t mean
ya don' care about chimps, lions and elephants. Cos ya do...and ya show it
because ya keep em safe inside. ”
“There’s
new trainee keepers,” said Samuel.
“Huh.
Trainees come and go boy...their job is the animals ... yours is keeping the
whole zoo secure... running like a new Ford. Check everything.”
He checked
and double checked enclosures, cages, locks, chains, barriers, doors,
machinery, but never sacrificed time to engage with animals or staff. Calm and
capable he conversed little in the staff cafeteria unless approached to fix or
mend a problem.
The
day he found himself bent over the cafeteria grill his life changed direction. Across
the appliance his blue eyes locked into the questioning stare of two soft brown
ones, He found it hard to concentrate. Something new rippled deep inside him. He
thought he would explode as he fumbled in his pockets under her gaze, but all
the bits of metal in the world could not protect him. After 43 years Samuel was
falling in love.
Cafeteria empty, the small quiet woman with
grey curls made him coffee.
“Nari.
I’m Nari. Thanks for fixing,” she said.
“Oh, Going
good now.” he responded. Then after a pause.
“ Samuel,” he offered departing. Resuming work he wondered
all day if he should have offered his hand.
He was drawn to prolong his coffee breaks to watch
her absorbed in kitchen tasks. They passed few words until he discovered Nari spent
all her free time by the elephant enclosure and he began to join her there on a
regular basis.
“Samuel.
I love elephants. Make me happy. ..Remind me of young days in Vietnam village
before life in new country. Elephants here same as me...not free but cared for.”
Gradually Nari confided in Samuel that she was a
widow living with her cousins.
“They
good people –they protect, care for me but I not free... only here at work
Samuel”
He wanted to cuddle and carry her home with him. But
how to express himself?
Always practical he found a perfect birthday gift
for Nari and set it on her veranda.
Within hours his phone rang.
“Samuel...Samuel ...the big coloured elephant.
Family very upset. He is Hindu Ganesha. God of new beginnings. My family not
Hindu. They say come collect him please- put on your lawn. Oh I love you Samuel
so you collect me too please.”
