I came across this recently and felt some empathy. “I wish you could realize the physical, emotional and mental drain of missed meals, lost sleep and forgone social activities, in addition to all the tragedy my eyes have seen.” [Extract from ‘A Tribute to the Fire-fighters.’] OK, OK – I concede it’s a little melodramatic. But as a metaphor it fits.
9.00 p.m’ish Friday night – ‘KA-RUMP!’ Dougie answers my startled glance – “Sparkler bomb.” Sounds like it came from the same direction as the last one a few weeks ago that took out a neighbour’s letter-box.
10.42 p.m. Saturday night – my husband waits in line at the local Mobil. In front of him a pakeha lad of no more than 16 drops ten rolls of electrical tape on the counter. He doesn’t have enough cash, so walks out with only nine rolls. No-one other than Dougie so much as bats an eyelid.
8 p.m. Sunday – the smell and drift of cordite hang thick in the air over Parkdale and Allen Bell, up through Matthews Ave and around North, Bonnetts and Lake Roads. Do these streets represent the money-belt of our town? Hardly. More like the brown-belt. The fire alarm has gone off at least five times already. Is there anyone not celebrating tonight? Yep – the whanau of our Volunteer Fire-fighters.
I worry that some of this town’s restless souls might head out to Maitai Bay or other Ngati Kahu beach spots to let off steam along with their fireworks. If they do it will not be pretty.
Annually Guy Fawkes sees property, livestock, emergency services and people munted. What is that about? Consider those who market it. It’s not their core business, yet all week they’ve pumped out megabucks worth of explosives – supposedly to adults. Want to take a punt on how much their sales climbed around this event? From where I stand it looks like a lot of profit. Ba-da-bing! Ba-da-boom!
The buyers’ side of the tradition is equally simple. They know it’s a waste, but hey! It’s fun / They’re not pikers / It’s their right / It’s a great NZ tradition / What a thrill / What a buzz! With explosives in hand, alcohol at hand and control out of hand they metaphorically shout – look at me! I’m powerful! Sadly, come Monday morning, all that’s left are the burnt out ashes of the money they just blew away.
Tatou katoa – no matter what central government does with regards to fireworks (and I predict a ban on private sales to the public), it’s way past time for this town to pull finger and pull together, to get alcohol free facilities up and running here, to put on a decent public firework displays that lets our whanau enjoy the temporary thrills for what they are, and to think more about what and why we’re buying and selling.
The closing lines of that fire-fighters’ tribute go, “Unless you have lived with this kind of life, you will never truly understand or appreciate who we are, or what our job really means to us...I wish you could though.” Pure empathy I tell you. I wonder if my brother-in-law could whakamaoritia it for me. I’d call it ‘Te Tangi o Te Iwi Insider.’
9.00 p.m’ish Friday night – ‘KA-RUMP!’ Dougie answers my startled glance – “Sparkler bomb.” Sounds like it came from the same direction as the last one a few weeks ago that took out a neighbour’s letter-box.
10.42 p.m. Saturday night – my husband waits in line at the local Mobil. In front of him a pakeha lad of no more than 16 drops ten rolls of electrical tape on the counter. He doesn’t have enough cash, so walks out with only nine rolls. No-one other than Dougie so much as bats an eyelid.
8 p.m. Sunday – the smell and drift of cordite hang thick in the air over Parkdale and Allen Bell, up through Matthews Ave and around North, Bonnetts and Lake Roads. Do these streets represent the money-belt of our town? Hardly. More like the brown-belt. The fire alarm has gone off at least five times already. Is there anyone not celebrating tonight? Yep – the whanau of our Volunteer Fire-fighters.
I worry that some of this town’s restless souls might head out to Maitai Bay or other Ngati Kahu beach spots to let off steam along with their fireworks. If they do it will not be pretty.
Annually Guy Fawkes sees property, livestock, emergency services and people munted. What is that about? Consider those who market it. It’s not their core business, yet all week they’ve pumped out megabucks worth of explosives – supposedly to adults. Want to take a punt on how much their sales climbed around this event? From where I stand it looks like a lot of profit. Ba-da-bing! Ba-da-boom!
The buyers’ side of the tradition is equally simple. They know it’s a waste, but hey! It’s fun / They’re not pikers / It’s their right / It’s a great NZ tradition / What a thrill / What a buzz! With explosives in hand, alcohol at hand and control out of hand they metaphorically shout – look at me! I’m powerful! Sadly, come Monday morning, all that’s left are the burnt out ashes of the money they just blew away.
Tatou katoa – no matter what central government does with regards to fireworks (and I predict a ban on private sales to the public), it’s way past time for this town to pull finger and pull together, to get alcohol free facilities up and running here, to put on a decent public firework displays that lets our whanau enjoy the temporary thrills for what they are, and to think more about what and why we’re buying and selling.
The closing lines of that fire-fighters’ tribute go, “Unless you have lived with this kind of life, you will never truly understand or appreciate who we are, or what our job really means to us...I wish you could though.” Pure empathy I tell you. I wonder if my brother-in-law could whakamaoritia it for me. I’d call it ‘Te Tangi o Te Iwi Insider.’
Oh and by the way - the link in the title above to youtube surely should have earned these particular eejits a special mention in the "Darwin Awards."
11 p.m. Sunday night – kneel in thanks for the day’s blessings, including the Sabbath and our fire-fighters. Goodbye Guy Fawkes. I won’t miss you.
Hei konei. Hei kona.
11 p.m. Sunday night – kneel in thanks for the day’s blessings, including the Sabbath and our fire-fighters. Goodbye Guy Fawkes. I won’t miss you.
Hei konei. Hei kona.
No comments:
Post a Comment