People who are different

As I write I am sitting in the Poatina Service station doing my twice monthly shift caring for this little business.

I am a bit sad today because the Poatina working bee is on and I am missing it because I am sitting here.

This is a bit of a shift for me. I actually lived in Poatina five years ago for four years and I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t do one working bee. I had lots of “good” reasons – that now look pretty stupid.

Working bee in Poatina is one of the moments when the whole (except for those with similar attitudes that I had) community gets together and works for a couple of hours. Today they are going wood chopping.

Each day I read a bit from “Grace Notes”. It’s a kind of “thought for the day” by Philip Yancey. Today he quoted G K Chesterton:

The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world.. The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.

I was hit by just how true that is. Probably the majority of people here in Poatina are not very like me.

Glenn just dropped in while I was writing this. He was excitedly telling me about meeting the state premier yesterday. He won four gold medals at the special olympics and there was a special reception for him and the other athletes at Parliament house. Funnily enough the thing he was most excited about was going to a shopping centre food court on the way home and getting a bargain lunch.

If I lived in a community of people like me I would never meet Glenn.

Daniel just walked in and we had a very real but fairly brief discussion about his next steps. He is a young leader from Indonesia.

If I lived in a community of people like me I would never meet Daniel.

Andy just brought me a couple of scones with jam and cream.. “we can’t have you missing out” he said.

If I lived in a community of people like me I would never meet Andy

Nige has been next door working on the go-kart..  The genesis of the “push start” racing team.

If I lived in a community of people like me I would never meet Nige.

Leeanne and the kids just called through on the way up to working bee. Josh has soft tissue damage to his big toe and the Doctor said he should rest it for a week. He doesn’t want to miss out on working bee.

Working bee is where you see Poatina at its best.

It’s not only a small community. It’s a community of people who are working together for a common purpose.

Today up the Poatina bush there will be accountants, teachers, nurses, retirees, musicians, dancers, artists, youth workers, graphic artists, actuaries, tradesmen, radio announcers, at-risk young people, students, mums and of course lots of kids cutting wood together..  But its much more than cutting wood.

These people are being community, not just living in one.

I love Poatina. Living with people who are not like you is complicated but also I believe the only real way to become a whole person.