Yes I did. I was invited to attend to say a few words on the occasion of Jean Hayne's farewell. I was happy to do so. Jean has been editor of Signpost magazine for 15 years and has built it from a four page newsletter to a 32 page magazine produced in colour and highly regarded in the district. It has been an honour and privilege for me to contribute for these last 6 years of course made possible by the wonderful Jean whom I love very much.
There was a big crowd in when I arrived on the the dot of 10am. I was ushered to a seat in the front row by the lady who had invited me, she was waiting at the main entrance for me, to sit with two other presenters and the minister. I was hung over. We had a party at our house the previous evening to celebrate Gord's 30th birthday, his idea, which of course Lib and I supported and endorsed and did our best to facilitate. It was a late night but the people Gord invited were very special people, loving and gentle and moderate and I don't think anyone over indulged alcohol except perhaps myself and Lib over a long night during which we did our best to be good hosts. I had no breakfast. My stomach churned and growled, I had taken my morning medication of some sulphur drug the rheumatologist put me on last Wednesday.
The venue was St Mark's Anglican in Emerald, a progressive church which is hugely popular and does great work for youth. My sister Meredith and her husband Roger are parishioners as is my niece Annie and her children. A band started proceedings with a Christmas song, then 2 or 3 three more songs. We had to stand and sing along. I stood but did not sing. There's no way I'm going to sing like a trained parrot reading the the words on a big screen. I grew up with a religious greater family. My grandparents forced me as a child to sing Jesus songs at Christmas, my secondary schooling included the forced singing of hymns, on a regular basis. I hated it. It put me off church and organised religion for life and consequently attending church was not on for me once I attained freedom of choice as an adult. Not that I have anything against it for them that wants to behave so but it is not for me.
If I thought about it more, I probably wouldn't have stood up either. We were up and down like a lavvy lid. Stand up to sing, sit down, stand up to pray, sit down, there's a subserviance in it all. Now do as I say. But look I don't want to offend anyone, it's better that I just stay away. The minister's sermon was all about being a servant of the Lord. This is fine, I have asked God to use me to good purpose at important times in my life, but this is a personal thing for me, I don't desire to exhibit my servitude to others or at the demand of other people.
The reverend said prayers following the songs then a 'rapper' girl came up and we had another singalong to rap music. She wore a very tight skirt and had a cap on sideways, and told us all to come to morning tea afterwards and perhaps buy a goat for someone impoverished overseas. This I did do, but I did not join in the rap singing.
The two speakers before me were excellent. Strangely I was not nervous, I had prepared a short script for a 3 minute talk a couple of weeks earlier and I read it but knew it well enough to pause here and there and look around the audience and speak directly to Jean when I needed to, particularly at the end. As far as I could tell it went over alright.
Just the same I was relieved greatly that it was over. It is not the sort of thing I would choose to do on a Sunday morning but I was happy to do it for Jean. I went home and took a pillow and an air mattress out onto the deck and slept for a couple of hours after putting some horse bets on. I woke and started cleaning up after the party. Gord and his sleep over mate and Lib were in slumber mode. I went up and did some whippering at Hanna's and came back and did the vegies for our roast lamb, then had a bath. We watched West Side Story, a great musical made in 1961 still relevant today for its anti racism message. It has some beautiful timeless songs.
Now for a big week ahead.
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