John Clarke aka Fred Dagg (1948-2017). Overheard at an inner-city gym the other day:
“I hadn’t been back in New Zealand for nine years; I’d been living in Australia but worked all over the world, including a stint in Afghanistan.
Everything seemed so peaceful here - too peaceful - and I thought, ‘something’s wrong’. Then I realised, that was New Zealand – a peaceful country.”
Days prior to my eavesdropping, John Clarke’s world-famous-in-New Zealand-anthem had been lying semi-dormant in my subconscious and although I’d been more or less ignoring it, never wanting to be overcome by a sense of home-grown smugness, overhearing that conversation in the gym sent that well-known song right back into my consciousness.
And there it remains, moving up and down my top ten since I’m having difficulty deciding just how well the title of the song reflects life in this country today compared to the 1970s when the Fred Dagg hit conquered the airwaves.
It's probably fair to say, that, relatively speaking, with some exceptions, we in Ponsonby and surrounds are ‘doing okay’ thank you. But ‘relatively’ has always been a handy adverb.
There’s no denying that this city and this country has its share of extremists; xenophobes, Islamophobes, homophobes, sexists, racists. And sure, the cost of the groceries at the supermarket is increasing.
Sure, mortgage rates are rising. Sure, rents are becoming too high for many and some of us are struggling. Sure, effects of Covid-19 still remain. Sure, our collective mental health has taken a dip. Sure, our waterways need further cleaning up. And more.
However, a reset might just be in order here; are we crammed, dehydrating, inside a rubber raft floating in The Mediterranean hoping to land on a better shore?
Are we walking a long journey on blistered feet through Central America and Mexico heading in desperation for the US border? Are we fighting, running from, or dying in, an unjust war? Are we, or our animals, dying of starvation because of failing crops and drought? The answers are obvious.
Nor are we suffering under the misguided beliefs of a dictatorial lunatic. Our children are not condemned to work as child labourers in punishing conditions. We will not be thrown in jail, or worse, if we criticise the government.
Our media remains free. We do have safety nets for the vulnerable. The unemployment rate is low. Our energy usage comes increasingly from renewable sources. The list is again clearly not exhaustive.
A friend recently reminded me that it’s so much easier to be negative, to criticise, than it is to be positive. Any hint of local smugness is of course an unattractive trait, and ongoing issues and problems must be recognised and dealt with, some with more urgency than others. We all understand that nowhere is perfect.
Hey, summer’s here! Time to visit the (public not private) beaches and a swim in the sea - if that’s your thing of course.
We may have to check the Auckland Council’s Safeswim website before choosing which beach to head to, especially after a heavy rainfall, but remember - to be fair - the massive Central Interceptor project is in progress, which when completed, will result in cleaner beaches and waterways. Better is on its way.
I almost forgot; it's ‘the season to be jolly’. ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays’. Let’s salute Fred Dagg, a cultural icon, for putting life here in some kind of perspective way back then.
And if I had to take a stand, it would be that Mr Dagg’s lyrical contribution still remains - to a large degree - quite relevant these days. Relatively speaking, of course. (William Greig)
Check these out on Youtube:
We Don’t Know How Lucky We Are – John Clarke (1975) youtu.be/EwgHGeGxlus
Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative – Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers (1945) youtu.be/f3jdbFOidds
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