My parents, and the society I grew up in, believed that a person should do his/her best and not seek hooray, fame or special acknowledgment. The reward, this premise advocates, lies in the satisfaction of a job well done.
I am telling you that because it took me a long while, and much internal debate, to decide and write about an event that happened to me on the 15th of August of this year.
Few months ago I was approached by the multicultural arm of our City Council if I wanted to participate in, and be interviewed for an event related to local writers of international background.
Realizing at long last, the need to give exposure to my book, I talked myself into it and agreed.
Time passed and nothing happened, so I forgot all about it. Then, out if the blue, I was interviewed twice. Some more weeks passed in complete silence, and a professional photographer came and took some photos of me for the production of a small book related to the above; and the 15th of August of this year was set for its launching.
At 6pm on the day, Gerry and I and several of our friends arrived at the Council Chambers of the City of the Gold coast to be warmly greeted at the door.
There were clusters of couches set around coffee tables throughout the hall and an enlarge photo of each participant in the book, hung on the wall.
Pinned to each photo was a copy of the book, opened at the appropriate photo page that was followed by a five pages article about the depicted person.
Here I was luckier than others, as the photo on the wall differed from that in the booklet, which I posted here for you to see.
As I looked through the book, I realized it has nothing to do with writers, but with people the multicultural arm of our City Council decided worthy of note; and who were depicted in the book as “Exceptional yet ordinary people”. This surprised me greatly. I felt honoured, yet somewhat uncomfortable.
Getting back my balance, I surveyed what is going around. I saw at the far corner people congregate around a table full of titbits and drinks; and circulating waiters moving between festively dressed guests; all talking, meeting new and old friends in a relaxed atmosphere.
A single short official speech opened the event, and every so often, interspersed between food, drinks and friendly chitchat, each of the eleven involved was asked, in random, to address the visitors. This kept the evening informal friendly and very sociable and it was great.
As each of us spoke, the diversity of the group came to light. Each came from another country and another culture; From the Maori of New Zealand to Iran, to Israel, Europe and so on – displaying a successful melting pot of people who integrated into the Australian cultural scene that now call Australia home. It was an evening to remember, and I thank the organizers of this wonderful event.
Renate
Artist, poet & the Author of
From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country
http://www.promisedland-renate.com
promised land - renate
