Ed Said - Winding down or winding up?

 

We had a visit from the Prime Minister John Key recently, similar to that of Northland MP Winston Peters some months ago. While some tend to see him as ‘Teflon John’ personally I’d rather see our PM arrive in a suit rather than jeans and a denim jacket.

But I did especially note that as he spoke casually to members of the public before and after the meeting, he stood casually with hands in pockets as might you or I. Similarly, when he got up to leave, he put his jacket on one sleeve at a time, exactly the same as any other man would. I daresay he also puts his trousers on just like any other fellow, one leg at a time - quite human, quite approachable despite his post. This low key meeting though was notable not just for those who came out early to hear the PM speak but also for the number of new faces in the crowd, further evidence of our growing population and those interested enough to be part of a community activity. Any curly questions and this was the man to ask. He then moved on to officiate at the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Hawaiiki Cable operation on Bream Tail Farm that will ensure we keep abreast of modern technology Another important date was 21 Nov, it was by this date the NRC had to respond to the interim decision by Justice Duffy in the case KDC and NRC Vs Rogans who then have 15 days to respond plus add any supplementary evidence. Following this the NRC have five days to re- respond. I expect these ‘days’ referred to are ‘working days’ which means all paperwork will be barely filed before the legal fraternity retire for their Christmas break so we’re unlikely to get any decision until well into the new year following which there are bound to be further delaying tactics by one or both parties before the whole affair is, literally, exhausted.

And talking of exhaustion, some parents are already feeling the pressure of Christmas bearing down on them. Strangely to this end, a couple of people have contacted me a little disappointed that Causeway Church will not be holding their usual Christmas Eve carol singing as they felt it a tremendous relaxant after the hectic preparations and finally on the eve of the big day. I’m sure this evening will rise again but, like any public event, it falls upon someone or group of people to do the organising and energy is not a finite resource. One must ask ‘does it really need to be so hectic?’ Many say Christmas is for the kids but is it necessary to put oneself in monetary purgatory because your kids make demands on you? Such demands are generally for expensive trinkets that deliver only short-lived joy or are ‘necessary’ in their eyes to compete with their peers. A lot of modern day parents find it hard to use the word ‘NO’ and mean it, hence the pressure which leads to the exhaustion. It’s not wrong to say ‘that’s it – enough already!’ It’s not wrong to put the credit card away or, if you have to spend, spend on something the whole family can enjoy or special treats for friends, family or neighbours in a combined feast. Or even drop everything and retire to the deckchair for the afternoon with a good book or a beer. The sun will still come up and the sun will still go down. Oftentimes we’re afraid of having nothing to do but being idle or even bored is not always a bad thing. We’ve just forgotten how to do it properly and, in fact, how liberating it can be.

Just my humble opinion

Rob