A Glass Full of Water

Did you know that there are over 70 volunteer groups in Raglan? Well I didn’t.  I think that’s a lot for a small town.  A couple of weeks ago our local Poihakena Marae (people, communal buildings and grounds) hosted a Thank You lunch for representatives of each group. eg. Foodbank, Community House, Feed the Kids, St Johns Ambulance, Rat and Stoat trappers, Weedbusters, Knitters, Curtain fixer uppers. Just to name a few.  Two of my friends, Basil and Lesley attended. Both were impressed by the generous amount and variety of foods, described by Lesley as “fit for a wedding” and which Basil described as “incredible”.   Basil also described the gathering as “a genuine expression of the community working together” and “it was a mental and physical boost for us all and a wonderful time. There was no politics and no agendas”. Lesley also said that she loved “the warmth, gratitude and welcome and being in an environment that lives and breathes acceptance”.  Both were im...

We live in a busy town, that can only get busier as more houses are built and renovated. Traffic (and parking) are increasingly becoming problematic issues.  Raglan has a one lane bridge that connects the east side of our town with the west side. Long queues of traffic, especially in Summer can bring out the worst in people. Patience is stretched, tempers fray and road rage simmers.  In past years, temporary traffic lights were twice installed and twice they were thrown into the water. Motorists also tried to obey the red Give Way arrow which meant that west side traffic always gives way to east side traffic, but that wasn’t that efficient either as the dominant traffic flow means that traffic builds up at one bridge end.  Who would have thought that a form of kindness has helped to solve the problem? The ‘greater good’ solution reduces the wait times for all drivers, no matter what time of day or season. Simply put, it is common sense and consideration. As each side cons...

In a few seconds you’re on stage. The audience is hushed. Anxious thoughts fill your mind… ‘What if I forget my lines? What if I miss my cue? What if people laugh at me and it’s not a comedy?’  You let those thoughts go and enter the dazzling lights. You are a courageous person.  Even more so is a New Plymouth Boys High School Year 13 student, George, who has anxiety every day. Not so many months ago he hardly left his bedroom, but now he has used his experiences to help create an award winning theatre production, to show other students with anxiety that they aren’t alone in their struggles. George and his drama class are justifiably happy and proud of themselves for their achievement.  I saw a brief segment of their production on TV last week. It was inspirational and very moving. How cool it was to see kindness, inclusivity and skill in action from the other performers, drama teacher and a counsellor. I wrote to the school to commend everyone involved and the reply reve...

Kids shying away from playing sports because of financial difficulty is a past and present issue. I remember our Auckland Eastern Suburbs rugby coach, Frank Allen (younger brother of Fred Allen, a past All Black coach) generously giving a pair of boots to one of our team mates so he could play. His kindness must have impacted me as this was over 60 years ago. Frank saw a need and did something about it.  When I was teaching at Hamilton Boys’ High School, senior students would organise second hand boot sales every year for students whose families could not afford new boots to play either rugby, football or hockey. The boots were still in good condition from the previous season and were sold for a few dollars. A wonderful school based initiative that gave an opportunity for all students to play a sport of their choosing.  I am aware of two men preparing to run 100kms by doing laps of Piha and Papamoa beach. Harry (former teacher) and Albie (Navy) have organised their runs to rai...