Try Not Having

In fact, today as I write this segment, there is one cyclone in the Gulf (becoming an ex-tropical cyclone) and one on the western side of the country, a massive rain depression on this side of the cape, causing flooding. There are severe bush fires destroying property and land in the south of the country, but, as yet, no earthquakes. Owning property in these situations is stressful. You buy the house, you insure it for it’s value, and what about the mortgage? This is something many found out after the last floods. These are the sort of pressures that create strange responses to prices for homes. In some small centres you can still buy a cheap home, but there are consequences, it can be on flood prone areas, or industrial centres. Then you have all of the issues. Fortunately I am not someone seeking wealth through property. I still tend to place happiness above income (no doubt I will pay the price of that in my later years).

However, this started as a thread about wealth and the hanger-oners (hangers on?) Those who circle the wealthy (or apparent wealthy), like the famous Remora fish who attaches itself to sharks, or swims with them, picking up the fragments dropped in their frenzied feedings. Why I mentioned the hangers on, was from the actions of a few who swung in the orbit of the twins ‘E’&’K’. How they behaved towards others, around the brothers, seeking their approval and using the arrogance of ‘E’ & ‘K’ to promote themselves. It was from such behaviour that I affected my relationship to Mr Walsh. It was a simple matter. And came about through the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’scenario. Did you ever read ‘The Sneetches’ by Dr Seuss? The tale of the star bellied Sneetches and the non star bellied Sneetches? How each wanted what the other had, or didn’t have. How one group lauded over the other unnecessarily. Well, such was the behaviour of the brothers, emphasised by the hangers on.

To finally explain. It was standard for us (the Dwyer family) to have our lunches made at home for school. Cheese and Vegemite sandwich the standard. Buying a lunch was a very special treat, sometimes occurring once a fortnight (though rarely), or if major store issues occurred over a weekend, then sometimes on a Monday. There was no guarantee, so, it was not surprising that we did not come to school with amounts of cash for spending. We came to school with our lunches, and even if ordering a ‘shop bought’ one, we were on very limited in budget. We had to have a very clear idea of what a small pie cost, or a snack. And if four, five or later six children were requiring lunches, and asked for money, it was divided, not multiplied. So we were known to be cashless at school. This assisted in making several ‘better off ‘(financially) students, such as ‘E’& ‘K,’ to feel we were beneath them. This also encouraged their hangers-on, to acclaim our ‘poor status and laud it over us.

(Continued tomorrow)