| It’s official. It’s Autumn. I heard on the radio today that today summer is officially over! My first thought was, Thank God for that, now hopefully we can have some nice weather. Everyone you talk to has a story about floods, slips, leaks, and power outages. It has had an effect on everybody’s morale, we all feel a little bit down and dejected after what has been an awful summer. I found this quote which I think shows us the way to approach the dejection some of us may be feeling, “Misery might love company, but so does joy. And joy throws much better parties.” — Billy Ivey I think for me this means smiling at someone in the street, looking at what I can do to brighten up someone else’s day. It also might mean sharing a Facebook post about a sale or promotion that a local business has on or posting a positive review about a product or the service you have had from a local retailer or tradesperson. An act of kindness or generosity doesn’t have to be world-changing but it could mean the world to that person or business. Think about how your small actions can love local and support our local economy. Despite the appalling weather we have had, I have still met many overseas tourists in our town. When I see someone in the street who looks a little lost or is an obvious tourist I try to take the time to chat with them and I would encourage all of us to do the same. Every one of them believes we live in a gorgeous town and they believe we are so lucky to live here. I always agree with them because we do live in paradise. The weather might leave a bit to be desired but let’s enjoy and celebrate our town and our region. By comparison, while we have been badly affected, our region has been somewhat lucky. Let us also remember the other parts of the country that have been devastatingly impacted by the cyclone. I was heartened to see our local, business community rally together to show practical support for folks in cut-off communities in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay earlier last week. Transcon, ITSS Engineering, and Citywide Kitchens did an amazing job of getting goods from the local Warkworth community to the East Coast and many other local organisations like the Warkworth Lions, Warkworth Rotary, and local businesses such as the Warkworth Butchery and Barfoot &Thompson hosted fundraising events for the cause. Again, what a great show of what we can achieve when we work together. It was a real testament to the character of this town and the people who live and work here. I can’t finish without paying homage to the brave contractors, linesmen, and all other tradies who have worked tirelessly in horrendous conditions to repair roads, get power back on, and generally put the world to rights. They all, to me, are true heroes and deserve our utmost thanks. When you have work that needs doing in the future make sure you repay our local contractors by supporting their local businesses first and remember that we are stronger together! Murray Chapman Manager, One Mahurangi Business Association murray@onemahurangi.co.nz www.onemahurangi.co.nz Support Local, Buy Local, Employ Local, Love Local! |
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