A Big Mob for Muster

I heard an aboriginal lady talking on radio Australia last weekend, about the difficulties she endures to buy groceries with her centrelink payments, since the 'intervention'. It was all too complicated for me to relate here, but she concluded by saying something like this-

"We feel like a big mob of sheep, the big boss calls a muster and we have to come and do this and that, and it's all so difficult, and then we end up paying so much for everything and getting so little."

Later, walking along Innes Rd as usual, I came to two barriers put across the road. 'ROAD CLOSED'. I continued into J.A.C.Russell Park. There was a jam donut van on the grass and people putting up tents for stalls, jumping castles,etc. A lady I know from Emerald said "Hi" as she rushed past, excitedly adding that she was a 'clown' for the day. It was a hive of industry. Ah yes, 'Kids Fun Run with Thomas' day. 'Thomas' is a small steam engine painted up to look like 'Thomas the Tank Engine' of the 1980's TV show.

I saw a couple of my neighbours helping organize. "I didn't know you were into this nonsense".

"It's Ok, the kids have a lot of fun," was the response.

"That may be, but you're getting them young, conditioning them to the 'big event' and organized entertainment, and sheep-like behaviour. Turning them into good little consumers and milking families."

"Do you know where the money raised goes?"

I knew full well who initiates and supports the event. As the brochure says, proceeds go towards providing additional facilities for children undergoing treatment at the Children's Cancer Centre in Monash Medical Centre. Makes it kind of hard to argue against.

"I'm not against charity, particularly one like that. I see a bigger issue, past all the whoopeedo."

I don't think my comments were appreciated. I watched them setting up for a while till I saw a whitehaired man go under the tent which had a big sign out front, "SHOWBAGS", to set up a table.

"Hey mate, what's in the showbags?"

He turned his head towards me briefly, irritated at being interrupted. "Different stuff, depending on the age, there's different age groups."

In fact there are six age groups, beginning with 'The Purple Fun Run with Thomas', for kids aged 2 and under, through orange, blue, yellow and red, to 'The Green Fun Run with Puffing Billy", for kids 9-12. Every fun run entrant gets a 'showbag', after paying $15 entrance fee, or $20 if they didn't submit their entrance form before Nov3. Or $35 special price per family before Nov3, or $40 for late entries. (3 or more entrants from one family).

"Yeah? What sort of stuff?"

"Chips, lollies, free tickets to things."

"Chips and lollies! That'd be good for them!"

I've checked the wwwkidsfunwiththomas website since, and talked to people. To be fair, there was also an apple, a bottle of water, fun things and stickers. Amongst the the showbag contributors was a couple of international restaurant/take away food chains.

Robin in the post office doesn't share my misgivings. "As a grandmother, I can only say it was a wonderful, fun day, the kids had a ball."

Perhaps I should pull my head in. So my town becomes a traffic jam for the day, a megaphone I can hear from my garden 2km away blasts out for hours along with hooting from the train. Big deal. Perhaps I should just ignore it, mind my own business, say nothing.

I came across another quote recently, something like- "Make it your aim to live quietly and to mind your own business, and work with your hands, so that in your daily life you may gain the respect of others, and that you may live independently."

(1 Thessalonians 4;11,12)