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IS MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE?

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:26 pm
by Maureen K Clifford
IS MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE? ... Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet

G’day everyone,
I just wanted to share with you my excitement at becoming a part of probably and arguably the biggest sub culture in the country. It is bigger by far than Goths or Surfies – which in my younger days saw me as an active member of the beach scene. But now I have become a member of another culture – and I have to confess I did not actively seek to join this group it just kind of snuck up on me and here I am. In a bloody big pool, now recognized purely as a faceless number at the end of the phone...Come in Boat 43 your time is up

Where does time go?
It slips away so quickly –
blink and you miss it

One of the downsides of joining this sub culture and as in everything there are down sides as well as up sides – but I digress – one of the down sides is that people in authority ( I was once a person in authority) now seem to think that I am deaf and stupid. That makes me just a tad cranky but luckily I have a voice and I know how to use it and do. Everything still works, and whilst I might be a lot of things, being spoken to in a patronizing manner as if I just came to earth from planet Mars – or being spoken to in a loud and slow voice as if my comprehension and ears are both suspect is sure to get a fairly terse response from me that might make the authoritative figure rethink their approach.

Please don’t raise your voice
or roll your eyes – I’m not blind
nor deaf or stupid

In fairness, one of the reasons I would have to argue the veracity of their mindsets is that I am still able to actually do quite a number of things that these smart young things appear to be totally incapable of doing. Why is this so? I don’t have the answer to that for they are surely far better educated than I, but I still do addition, subtraction, multiplication in my head without the use of either calculator, computer or indeed even a pen and paper, something that I have not noticed people outside of my sub culture handling with any degree of competency, but something that people around my age are also able to perform with no perceived difficulty. In addition spelling doesn’t seem to be too difficult either. There are occasions when spell-check or a dictionary comes into play but not too often. Any spelling errors you might note are more likely to be keying errors. The other people in my sub culture have such a wealth of knowledge and ideas and experiences it is absolutely mind blowing – and all of that without the use of drugs apart from perhaps the odd Panadol or Aspirin.

smart young things
well educated – but dumb
when it comes to basics

My tribe are multi talented. They paint, write, garden, take photographs, bushwalk, are involved in land-care, participate in University courses, are active community volunteers – oh far too many things to list here , in fact I doubt there is anything that they don’t do. They are conversational wizards – and guess what????? Face to face. How good is that? Face look rather than Face book. Oh yes a lot of them can use email, and do texting, and quite a few have mobile phones but the incredible thing is, and this is just amazing , they can actually talk face to face and hold a clear and lucid conversation with people that they may only have met a few minutes previously. The other great thing is their ability to detail in clear easy to understand language how things need to be done. None of this techno babble that needs a nerdy teenager to decipher the hidden message in the paperwork that comes with the appliance you just bought. Straightforward English language skills come to the fore. Long live my tribe. Oh yes I nearly forgot – do you know that some of them even write Poetry. It’s true and even better – you get what they are writing about. Now how bloody good is that?

I am a wordsmith
a conversationalist –
lucky I can talk

As an OAP – Ordinary average person to the uninitiated we have sub cultures within our sub culture. Some are DP’s (Disability) and then of course WWP (War Widows) or SP (Service) – and all of the requirements are slightly different and rigidly policed....you have to fulfil a certain criteria to join this exclusive tribe and woe betide you if you fall by the wayside for then you might get shown the door quick smart, but it does come with membership rewards. Discounts are available over quite a few different areas and who doesn’t like to save a little when they can? Mind you I have noticed that very few companies come right out and offer it. Oh they do mention it in their advertising but you have to ask for it. Maybe that’s because we don’t look old enough to be eligible for it. Do you think?

we really do care
senior’s discount offered –
but you have to ask

The people in this group that I now belong to also have attitude. It is the old fashioned ‘she’ll be right Mate’ type of attitude, the ‘stand up and be counted’ or ‘put your money where your mouth is’ attitude; the ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude…that little extra chutzpah that that Australians have always been noted for. Mateship and helping out others seems to be a feature of it. Volunteering is a big part of what my tribe does and with a smile. Oh yes there are some with pretty stroppy attitudes, and of course the odd crank out there but what sub culture doesn’t have its share of nutters? The other great thing and this is exciting is their willingness to have a go at new things, you see these other members of my tribe out there being adventuresome every day of the week. Is there nothing they can’t or won’t have a go at?

don’t mess with me
grandmas know how to suck eggs -
I’ve seen it all before

By now you are just overcome with excitement, I can see the froth dribbling from the corner of your mouth – this sounds like something you might enjoy being a part of doesn’t it? Well given time you will, automatically; and if perchance you suffer ill fortune you might be offered membership sooner, but it is not something to aspire too. Far better to continue your work a day lifestyle, mixing with friends and enjoying the cafe society; enjoying the odd weekend away, clubbing, live shows and dinner and wine with friends while you are financially able.

a late night date now
is wine, a show and coffee –
and home by midnight

But isn’t it nice to know that one day, you too, all going well will be able to join this group; and the only thing you need to do is live long enough to enjoy it and become a Pensioner.

Re: IS MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE?

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:44 pm
by Shelley Hansen
Well there you go! You make it sound like an exotic foreign country! :lol:

Re: IS MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE?

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:43 pm
by Maureen K Clifford
sometimes it seems like that - a different language materialises at times :lol: